Supper: Beer-Battered Fish and Chips

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!

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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!

“Po-ta-toes,” said Sam. “The Gaffer’s delight, and rare good ballast for an empty belly. But you won’t find any, so you needn’t look. But be good Smeagol and fetch me the herbs, and I’ll think better of you. What’s more, if you turn over a new leaf, and keep it turned, I’ll cook you some taters one of these days. I will: fried fish and chips served by S. Gamgee. You couldn’t say no to that!”
“Yes, yes we could. Spoiling nice fish, scorching it. Give me fish now, and keep nasty chips!”
“Oh you’re hopeless,” said Sam. “Go to sleep!”
-The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Book 4 Chapter 4: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit)

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. 

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.

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!

A Lord of the Rings Inspired Feast for Hobbits

• 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 a blackberry almond tart with whipped honey 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, in the comments below!

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