Southwold Fish and Chips
Crisp beer-battered cod served with golden, fluffy thick-cut chips and lemon wedges, inspired by the coastal classic from Southwold harbour.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 820 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep heavy-bottomed pan or deep-fat fryer
- •Slotted spoon or spider strainer
- •Kitchen thermometer
- •Wire rack
- •Baking tray
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- fat
- 34 g
- carbs
- 86 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 820 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the cut chips in cold water to remove surface starch, then pat completely dry with a clean tea towel.
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan to 130°C on the hob.
- 3
Fry the chips in batches for 7 to 8 minutes until soft but pale, then drain onto kitchen paper.
- 4
Whisk the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, and fine sea salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- 5
Pour in the chilled Adnams bitter and whisk briefly until just combined into a smooth, thick batter.
- 6
Increase the oil temperature on the hob to 180°C.
- 7
Dust each fish fillet in plain flour, shake off excess, then dip into the batter to coat thoroughly.
- 8
Lower the battered fish gently into the hot oil and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and golden.
- 9
Transfer the cooked fish to a wire rack set over a baking tray to drain and keep warm.
- 10
Increase the oil temperature to 190°C, return the chips to the pan, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp.
- 11
Drain the chips on kitchen paper, season with sea salt flakes, and serve immediately with the fish and lemon wedges.
Chef's tips
Keep the ale ice-cold before mixing to create a lighter, crisper batter. Fry in batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping and making the batter greasy.
Ingredient substitutions
- Adnams Southwold Bitter → any traditional English bitter or chilled sparkling water
- cod fillets → haddock or pollock fillets
Storage
Best enjoyed immediately; leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.
Reheating
Reheat fish and chips on a baking tray in a fan oven at 200°C for 10 minutes until hot and crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Mixing the batter too early, which causes the ale to lose carbonation and lightness.
- •Skipping the initial low-temperature fry of the chips, leaving them dense in the centre.
- •Dropping wet fish directly into batter without a flour dusting, making the batter slide off.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Southwold Fish and Chips?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from East of England
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
