I’ve really been craving pub food lately. I don’t know if it’s because of the weather getting warmer and that has me thinking about terraces and bars, but the past couple of weeks or so, I’ve really had a hankering for some fish and chips.
So, I decided to make some at home (seeing as we can’t really go to a pub at the moment). I’ve loved fish and chips since I was really little. There was a pub down the street from where I grew up and my family and I went there fairly often for a good dose of pub food.
So, here is how I made some fish and chips in the comfort of my own home. The main deviation you’ll notice in my recipe from your classic pub fish & chips is that I don’t use a deep-fryer, for either the fish or the fries, and I didn’t batter the fish. The reason why I don’t batter my fish is that I can only eat a bit of fried food at a time. In the last 2 years, I’ve developed some problems with acid re-flux and fried food, especially battered fish doesn’t sit too well with me. So, if you’re like me and too much fried food isn’t so great for you, you might enjoy this combo.
What you’ll need:
1-2 potatoes per person
salt & pepper
Olive oil
Frozen or fresh fish fillets (I used Cod this time!)
Butter
Seasonings for fish (my suggestions: salt, pepper, dill, lemon slices, garlic, dried onion)
French Fries
I’ve always enjoyed making french fries at home, and find it pretty easy to do in the oven. I also like that with oven french fries I can lie to myself that they’re “healthy” and therefore make them more often.
- Preheat the oven to 425 f.
- Wash the potatoes in cold water, removing any dirt.
- Cut the potatoes in half length wise, and then into long slices. From there you can lay them flat and cut them into thin french fry shapes. You want to make sure to cut them to similar sizes as this will help ensure even cooking between each fry.
- Soak the fries in cold water for about 15 minutes to eliminate some of the starch.
- Drain the fries and pat them dry with a paper towel. Removing the water is important to help the oil and seasonings stick and to help them be crispier.
- Coat them in olive oil and salt, and whatever other seasonings you’d like. Personally I like to keep it simple with just some sea salt.
- Spread them out on a parchment paper on a baking sheet, and cook them for about 15 mins. Then, flip and cook for approximately another 15 minutes or until desired level of crispness.
Fish
For the fish, I kept it really simple, which as I’m sure you know if you’ve read my cooking philosophy post is kind of my thing.
- Oven is preheated to 425 f, as for the french fries. Place your frozen fillets in your baking dish. I suggest something non-stick as fish fillets can tend to stick. I like to cook them from frozen as I find they stay juicier and don’t dry out as easily.
- Place a chunk of butter underneath and on top of each fish fillet. It doesn’t need to be huge, just enough to help prevent sticking, and add some moisture and richness.
- Season the fillets as desired.
- Bake for approximately 25 mins or until cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the fillets as they can easily dry out.
When I want to keep it really simple, sometimes I just use salt and pepper to season my fillets. For this time, I have used a pre-made seasoning gifted to me by my mother-in-law that I quite like. It has dill, sea salt, dried onion, garlic & lemon peel which gives a nice tangy flavour similar almost to tartar sauce.
For the sides with this meal I would suggest either a nice fresh side salad or some steamed vegetables. In this case, I went with some classic peas and butter. I always serve my fries with a dip, my favourite is good old mayonnaise, but my husband likes BBQ sauce. You could also go with classic Ketchup, or be ambitious and make a homemade chipotle mayo!
Voila your pub night in fish & chips are done! Enjoy!
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, or how your re-creations turned out!
Write soon,
Hannah B. L.
HBLogs 