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Supper: Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

BY Alison Wiebe

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A Hobbit’s Feast

A hobbits feast wouldn’t be complete without a ‘second dinner’, and most hobbits are known to enjoy a late evening supper after their dinner! A batch of Sam’s golden, beer-battered fish and chips is the perfect ending to our day of feasting!

beer battered fish and chips for hobbit's feast

Supper

As our hobbit’s feast nears the end, we find ourselves back in a familiar place – the Shire. Sam’s promise to serve Gollum his own homemade fried fish and chips if Gollum turned over a new leaf could not be fulfilled. So, we will enjoy it on his behalf in honour of the hobbits’ return to the Shire. Sam’s right, we can’t possibly say no to crispy, golden beer-battered fish and chips!

beer battered fish and chips for supper

Ingredient Notes

Cod: Cod fillet is traditionally used for fish and chips, and is my preferred choice. But you can use any fish fillet you prefer; halibut or haddock would make excellent substitutions.

Beer: The choice of beer is entirely up to you and your tastes. I typically use an ale in my beer batter. The beer not only adds flavour to the batter, the carbonation in it also helps to create a light and crispy batter. To make this recipe non-alcoholic then I suggest using a sparkling water instead to keep that light texture.

Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the base of the batter.

Cornstarch: The use of cornstarch in the batter also helps to create a crispy batter. You can substitute potato starch if desired. 

Vegetable oil: Use a neutral canola or vegetable oil for frying.

Russet potatoes: When it comes to making homemade french fries, the type of potato you use matters. Avoid using any type of waxy potato, such as yellow flesh or Yukon Golds; the high moisture and sugar content will yield fries that darken too quickly and aren’t crispy. Floury potatoes, such as russets, create that ideal crispy exterior with a soft, fluffy interior that we are looking for in a french fry. 

beer battered fish and chips for hobbit's feast

How to Make Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

Prep the potatoes

Making french fries at home is relatively easy although it does take a few steps to create that perfect golden fry. Begin by cutting and soaking the potatoes. When making fries, starch is the enemy. Excess starch on the potatoes will cause the outside to darken before the fries are cooked completely. To avoid this, rinse the cut potatoes well and soak in the fridge for at least 6-8 hours or overnight.

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch square french fries, adding the cut pieces to a large bowl of water. After all the fries are cut, toss them well in the water. You will see the water go cloudy, this is the starch being washed off. Rinse and repeat the washing of the potatoes until the water runs clear. Fill up the bowl with water again and cover. Place in the fridge for at least 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Blanch the fries

To create that perfect crispy outside and soft, fluffy inside, french fries need to be fried twice. The first fry essentially cooks, or blanches, the potatoes without adding any colour. The fries will still be white but soft and just cooked through. They, let them cool before frying for a second time just before serving.

Just before blanching, remove the fries from the bowl of water and transfer to a tea towel. Thoroughly dry the potatoes off before frying. Any excess water will spatter when it hits the hot oil. Prepare a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towel.

To blanch the fries, heat 6-7 cups of vegetable oil in a deep, wide saucepan. Heat the oil just to 325 deg F. Add about a third of the fries and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, gently stirring with a slotted spoon occasionally to make sure the fries don’t stick together. Once the fries are soft but before they begin to colour, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat two more times until all the fries are blanched.

Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and chill until the fries are completely cold. You can do this several hours before you want to serve them. You can blanch the fries early in the day and finish them just before dinner.

beer battered fish and chips hobbit's feast

Make the tartar sauce

If you’re making the tartar sauce, you can do this ahead of time. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Prep the beer-battered fish

The key to making an excellent beer batter is to keep it cold. Ensure that the beer is cold before using and store the batter in the fridge before using. You can make the batter up to half an hour before you want to use it. Otherwise, you can use it immediately.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, and kosher salt and whisk together. Gradually add the cold beer to the flour mixture – stir as you pour to incorporate. Whisk the batter until it’s free of most large lumps – a few small lumps are ok. Chill the batter before using.

If the fish is frozen, thaw it completely. If the pieces are large, cut them into smaller portions which will help them to cook through completely. Pat the fillets dry and set aside. Add the remaining flour to a small bowl and set aside.

Fry the beer-battered fish and chips

It’s entirely up to you whether you fry the fish or the chips first. I usually fry the chips first and then the fish last. Whichever you cook first, keep it warm in a low oven.

Preheat the oven to 300 deg F. Line two baking sheets with racks. If you don’t have any racks then line each baking sheet with several layers of paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Heat the oil up to 350 deg F this time. Add the blanched fries to the hot oil, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, and fry for 4 to 6 minutes until they are a deep golden brown and are crispy on the outside. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on the rack-lined baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle generously with the kosher salt.

Allow the oil to heat back up to 350 deg F again before repeating the process two more times. Once the chips are all done, place the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.

Bring the oil back up to 350 deg F for frying the fish. Lightly roll each piece of fish in the bowl of flour, and shake off the excess. Bring the fish to the bowl of batter next to the pot of oil and quickly submerge a piece of the fish in the batter. Lift up the fish and briefly let some of the excess batter drip off. Carefully lower the fish into the hot oil, laying the fillet down away from you to prevent any splashes of hot oil.

Flip the fish occasionally to ensure even browning. If you have a splatter guard you may want to use it while frying the fish which can cause some oil spatter. Fry the fish for 7 to 9 minutes or until the batter is a deep golden brown and the fish is fully cooked. Transfer the cooked fish to a rack-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat until you have cooked all of the fish.

Serve the beer-battered fish and chips with the tartar sauce, malt vinegar, and some lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!

beer battered fish and chips for supper

A Hobbit’s Feast

  • First Breakfast: Savoury Dutch Baby with Tomatoes, Sausages, and Bacon
  • Second Breakfast: Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
  • Elevenses: White Braided Bread with Whipped Brie, Berries, and Honey
  • Luncheon: Beef, stout and barley soup, Ploughman’s Lunch, and Blackberry Almond Tart with Honey Whipped Mascarpone
  • Afternoon Tea: Miruvor, Lavender Lembas bread, and Spiced Mead Honey Cake
  • Dinner: Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs
  • Supper: Beer-Battered Fish and Chips
  • Dessert: Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Strawberries and Cream

Let me know what you think about the recipe, or hobbit food generally!

Follow along on Instagram @rhubarbandlavender for my Hobbit’s Feast reel series, and make sure to tag me if you make one of my recipes!

Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 4 large russet potatoes
  • 6-7 cups vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup green relish
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 355 ml can ale or other beer, chilled
  • 8 pieces cod fillet, thawed if frozen
  • extra kosher salt
  • lemon wedges, for serving
  • malt vinegar, for serving

Instructions 

  • The potatoes need to be soaked for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Peel the russet potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch square french fries. Transfer to a bowl of water while cutting up the rest of the potatoes. When all the potatoes are cut, toss them in the water to rinse off the starch. The water will be cloudy.
  • Drain the water and continue rinsing the potatoes until the water runs clear. Cover the potatoes with fresh water and chill in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours or up to overnight.
  • Blanch the fries at least an hour or more before serving. Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel. Add 6 to 7 cups of vegetable oil to a deep, wide pot. Heat the oil to 325° F. Thoroughly dry the potatoes on a tea towel before frying to avoid spattering in the hot oil.
  • Carefully add about a third of the fries to the hot oil. Stir occasionally with a slotted spoon to separate the fries. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked through but don't have any colour. Lift the fries out with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet to drain. Spread the fries out in a single layer. Repeat two more times until all the fries are cooked.
  • Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and chill completely before frying a second time. The potatoes can be blanched ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours before the second fry.
  • To make the tartar sauce, combine the mayonnaise, green relish, lemon juice, and chopped dill in a small bowl. Whisk together and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Chill until serving.
  • To make the beer batter, combine 1 cup and 2 tbsp of the flour with the cornstarch and 1 tsp kosher salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together. Gradually whisk the beer into the flour mixture until there are no more large lumps. A few small lumps are okay. Keep the batter cold in the fridge until ready to fry.
  • When ready to fry the fish and chips, preheat the oven to 300° F. Line two baking sheets with racks. If you don't have racks, then line the baking sheets with several layers of paper towel.
  • Heat the oil up to 350° F for the second fry. Add a third of the fries to the hot oil, stirring occasionally to prevent the fries from sticking. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the fries are golden brown and crispy. Lift the fries out with a slotted spoon and transfer to one of the rack-lined baking sheets. Immediately sprinkle generously with kosher salt.
  • Allow the oil to heat back up to 350° F before frying the next batch of fries. Repeat until all the fries are cooked. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to keep warm while frying the fish.
  • Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towel. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour to a small bowl. Roll the cod pieces in the flour to coat and then shake off the excess.
  • Allow the oil to come back up to 350° F. Set the batter bowl near the pot of oil. Submerge a cod fillet in the batter then lift up and briefly let some of the excess batter drip off. Carefully and slowly place the cod fillet into the hot oil, laying it down away from you to avoid splashing. Repeat with three more cod fillets. Use a spatter guard if you have it.
  • Fry the cod for 6 to 8 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until the batter is a deep golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Lift out of the oil using a slotted spoon and place on the rack-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cod fillets.
  • Serve the beer-battered fish and chips with the homemade tartar sauce along with lemon wedges and malt vinegar if desired. Enjoy!

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