Hairy Bikers Fish and Chips Recipe

Hairy Bikers fish and chips pairs haddock or cod in a crisp real ale batter with chips fried twice at two temperatures. And both are Mums Know Best recipes, together serving 4 at around 1,000 calories each by my rough sums, in 75 minutes.

If the oil is right, they say, “the fish will steam inside, forcing the fat out, and the batter will be super-light and crispy”. Then the batter itself mixes cornflour into the plain flour and a splash of white wine vinegar into the ale.

Cooking the chips twice matters most, because “the secret of good chips is to cook them twice at two different temperatures”. So they suggest frying the fish in between, in the same oil, so everything comes out hot together.

Hairy Bikers Fish and Chips Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Deep frying Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 55 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 15 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:1000 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Thick-cut floury potatoes get a gentle first fry, then thick fillets are floured and dipped in an ale and cornflour batter. After the fish, the chips go back into hotter oil for a golden finish, served with salt and malt vinegar.

Ingredients

For the chips

• 4 large floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper (about 1.2kg, my estimate)
• about 2 litres sunflower oil, for deep frying
• sea salt
• malt vinegar

For the batter

• 75g cornflour
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 330ml bottle of real ale
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

For the fish

• 4 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 4 x 200g thick white fish fillets, such as haddock or cod

Instructions

1. Cut and rinse the chips: Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1cm slices, then into fairly thick chips. Rinse them under plenty of cold water, soaking them for several hours if you have time, then blot them dry.
2. First fry the chips: Half fill a large, deep pan with oil and heat it to 130°C, checking with a cooking thermometer. Then fry the chips in two batches for 10 minutes each, until cooked through but not browned, and drain them well. And they can sit for several hours at this stage.
3. Make the batter: Mix the cornflour, plain flour and salt in a large bowl, then stir the ale and vinegar into a well in the centre. Then beat with a large metal whisk until smooth, like double cream.
4. Flour the fish: Heat the same oil to 180°C. Meanwhile, shake the fish fillets one at a time in a food bag with the 4 tbsp of flour and the salt.
5. Fry the fish: Stir the batter, dip a fillet until it’s fully coated and lower it gently into the oil with tongs, then add a second. Fry them for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness, until golden and crisp, without letting the batter brown before the fish cooks.
6. Fry the rest: Drain the fish on kitchen paper and keep it warm in a low oven on a rack, which is my own tip. Then reheat the oil to 180°C and fry the other two fillets the same way.
7. Finish the chips: Heat the oil to 190°C, then lower in all the chips and fry them for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain them, then serve with the fish, salt and malt vinegar.

FAQs

Did the Hairy Bikers eat fish and chips in Seahouses?

Not as the news reports tell it, because their Northumberland fish and chips were at The Potted Lobster in Bamburgh, up the coast from Seahouses. And that was in their 2021 BBC Two series Go North, which also stopped at The Fish Shack in Amble for a seafood platter.

In Bamburgh, head chef Richard Sim picked out a turbot, which he thinks makes “the ultimate fish and chip meal”, according to the Northumberland Gazette. And Dave called it “the best fish and chips I have ever had in my life”, adding “I’ve waited 63 years for this!”

How do I make their gin and tonic batter?

In their Mediterranean Adventure recipe, 200g of plain flour is whisked with 1½ tsp of baking powder, a pinch of salt and 25ml of gin. Then half of 175ml of tonic goes in, whisked as briefly as possible, since they say it matters more that it stays bubbly.

Chill it for 30 minutes, whisk in the rest of the tonic, then fry strips of lemon sole at 190°C for 3 to 4 minutes. And the idea came from Menorca, since “they make great gin in Menorca”, in their words.

Which fish is best for fish and chips?

The Mums Know Best recipe uses thick white fish fillets, such as haddock or cod, at about 200g each. But they take 5 to 6 minutes depending on thickness, so thicker pieces need watching so the batter doesn’t brown too soon.

For the gin and tonic version they like lemon sole, because “it keeps its shape”, though they’d use any white fish that won’t flake apart. And for a langoustine take, their beer-battered scampi comes with a homemade tartare sauce.

Is there an oven-baked version?

Yes, their spicy fish and chips is a separate recipe on hairybikers.com, baked at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. And the potatoes are parboiled and roasted with cumin, then topped with fish in spiced flour, egg and panko for 10 minutes.

They serve it with a pea and coriander purée, calling the plate fish, chips and mushy peas “with a touch of Biker magic”. Or for a family-friendly fish supper, their homemade fish fingers use flour, egg and breadcrumbs too.

Do I need a deep-fat fryer?

You can manage with a large, deep pan only half full of oil and a cooking thermometer, though they’d rather you used an electric fryer. And that’s because, as they admit, “the fire brigade are dead against this method”.

Never leave the oil unattended or let it overheat, as they warn, and lower the fish in gently to avoid splashes. If the pan catches fire, UK fire services say never use water: turn the heat off if it’s safe, then get out and call 999.