Fish & Chips

Restaurant Favorites Throughout Thailand
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Gaybutton
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Fish & Chips

Post by Gaybutton »

We've seen the recommendations for local Pattaya restaurants that serve fish & chips, Simon's, Village Chippy, etc. How about a good recipe for making your own at home? Along with the recipe, are there recommendations for what kind of locally available fish to use? And the chips - what's the best way to make them?
lvdkeyes
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Re: Fish & Chips

Post by lvdkeyes »

For fish and chips I don't use local fish. I prefer cod, but you can use whatever you like. Here is the recipe I use:

English – Beer Battered Cod with Homemade Chips
15 ounces lager, lukewarm
1 tsp dry yeast
1 pinch sugar
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dredging
4 large russet potatoes, peeled
Canola oil, palm oil or your choice of oil for deep frying
4 skinless cod fillets (6 ounces each)
Lemon wedges or malt vinegar
Batter:
Whisk the beer, yeast and sugar together in a large bowl to blend, and then set aside in a warm place until the yeast dissolves, about 15 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the flour to form a thick batter. The batter should fall slowly from the whisk. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside until larger bubbles form, about 45 minutes.
Chips:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cut the potatoes into 5 inch long by ½ inch thick sticks. Cook the potatoes in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool completely on a baking sheet lined with paper towel.
Frying the fish and chips:
Fill a large wide wok or deep pot about halfway with the oil. Heat the oil over a medium high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this temperature.
Season the cod with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour to coat lightly.
Working in three batches, dip the cod into the batter to coat and gently lower into the oil. Holding it and letting it “swim” back and forth before releasing it into the oil will prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
Fry until it is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted skimmer remove the fish from the oil and place it onto a wire rack placed over a baking sheet to drain off excess oil. Season the fish with salt while it is still hot.
Return the oil to 375 degrees F. and fry the potatoes in 3 batches until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chips to the wire rack to drain the same as the fish. Season the chips with salt while still hot. Serve with lemon wedges and/or malt vinegar.
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Gaybutton
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Re: Fish & Chips

Post by Gaybutton »

This looks like an excellent recipe and I'll be trying it very soon.

Just to show my cooking ignorance, this is the first time I can remember seeing a recommendation for boiling potatoes before frying them. What does that do for the potatoes?
lvdkeyes
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Re: Fish & Chips

Post by lvdkeyes »

Normally, you would fry at lower temp until potatoes are cooked through, remove from oil, let cool and raise the temp to get them golden and crispy. I find that by boiling first it makes them less greasy and ensures they are cooked through before getting too brown.
ajarn2

Re: Fish & Chips

Post by ajarn2 »

Unfortunately Simon's Fish and Chips does not get very good reviews on http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/404 ... -of-gravy/

They claim the place, which is at Jomtien by the way, is anti American.

I had very good fish and chips there, yes tourist prices, but ok it's not a place I would frequent because there's better value.
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Re: Fish & Chips

Post by lvdkeyes »

I don't know who these people are who keep knocking Simon's. Do they have an interest in another fish n chips shop? Do that have a grudge against the owner? I have eaten there many times and prefer it to other places I have tried. I have never had any reason to think the place is anti-American. I am American. It sounds like an axe job to me.
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