Fish and chips may be a British classic, but this version has a Canadian fishing camp story behind it. While on an unforgettable trip to the West Coast Fishing Club in British Columbia, I caught fresh halibut that made the long trip back home to Texas. During that trip, Chef Blaine served me the best fish and chips I’ve ever eaten, and he was kind enough to share the recipe.
The secret is a light, ultra-crispy batter made with three different flours that creates incredible crunch while letting that sweet halibut shine. We fry the fish until it’s perfectly golden and flaky, then pair it with our bonus recipe for double-fried French fries that are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and every bit as good as the fish.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs halibut or white fish of your choosing, cut into 2in thick strips
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 C rice flour
- 1 C potato starch
- 2 C EIGHT beer
-
Meat Church Blanco to taste
- Peanut oil
- Lemon
- Tartar sauce
- Malt vinegar
Tools
- Dutch oven
- Spider
- Instant read thermometer
- Sheet pan with wire rack
Making the batter
In a large bowl mix together the all purpose flour, rice flour, potato starch and season with Blanco.
Slowly incorporate the beer making sure that the batter is not too thick or thin as we did in this video.
Cooking
Fill your Dutch oven about halfway with peanut oil and heat to 350°.
Once your oil is hot dip the fish into the batter making sure you let the excess batter drip off before adding to the oil.
Add a few strips of fish into the hot oil making sure not to crowd the pot. (Pro tip- Add the fish to the oil in a whisking motion. This will prevent the batter from coming off of the fish.)
Fry the fish for roughly 8 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack over paper towels/butcher paper for cooling.
Serving
Serve the fried fish with the best French fries ever
