Barramundi fish and chips
Fish and chips is white fish fried in a crispy batter, served with thick double-fried chips, lemon and tartar sauce. At home it takes 50 minutes: barramundi fillet dipped in tempura batter made with ice cold sparkling water, fried 4-5 minutes at 180°C, and chips at 160°C, then 190°C.
Instructions
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Prepare the fish
Move the fillets from the freezer to the fridge 4-6 hours ahead. Pat them very dry with paper towels, remove the skin with a long knife, holding the tail end, and cut each fillet lengthwise into two pieces. Salt them lightly and leave them on paper while you make the chips.
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First fry of the chips ⏱ 7 min
Rinse the potatoes in cold water and dry them well. Heat the oil in a deep pot to 160°C and fry them in 2 batches for 6-7 minutes each, until soft inside but still pale. Lift them onto a rack.
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Make the tartar sauce
Mix the Kewpie mayonnaise with the pickles, capers, dill and the juice of half a lemon. Taste it and add more lemon if you want it tangier. Keep it cold until serving.
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The batter and the fish ⏱ 5 min
Raise the oil to 180°C. Only now mix 200 g of tempura flour with the ice cold mineral water, in a few strokes, leaving small lumps. Dust the fish with the dry flour, shake it off, dip it in the batter and lower it into the oil away from you. Fry 2-3 pieces at a time for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until the crust is golden and the center reaches 63°C. Drain on a rack.
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Second fry of the chips ⏱ 2 min 30 sec
Raise the oil to 190°C and fry the chips again for 2-3 minutes, until golden and crisp. Lift them onto the rack and salt them right away, while hot.
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Serve right away
Put two pieces of fish next to the chips on each plate, with lemon wedges and the tartar sauce on the side. The crust is at its crispiest in the first 10 minutes, so eat it straight away.
Good to know
The batter is the same as for fritto misto, 100 g of flour to 160 ml of ice cold water, and it is never made ahead: the bubbles and the cold make the crust airy. If you prefer breaded fish, with flour, egg and Japanese breadcrumbs, the technique is step by step in panko-crusted shrimp and works the same on the barramundi pieces, with Panko. For a version without frying there is oven-baked fish with vegetables and potatoes. Instead of barramundi you can use grouper fillet, firmer and just as thick. The barramundi bag holds 800 g net, about 4 fillets, exactly one round for 4 people, and once thawed the fish is not refrozen.
Frequently asked questions
What fish is used for fish and chips?
A firm white fish that breaks into large flakes once fried. In Britain it is mostly cod and haddock, while in Australia barramundi is one of the classic choices. What matters is that it is boneless and 2-3 cm thick, so it cooks in the same time as the crust.
How do you make fish and chips batter crispy?
The batter has to be very cold and mixed as little as possible, with lumps. Sparkling water or cold beer add bubbles that make it airy, and tempura flour fries thin without soaking up oil. Keep the oil at 180°C, fry 2-3 pieces at a time and drain on a rack, not on paper.
Can you make fish and chips with beer?
Yes, it is the classic British version. Replace the sparkling water with the same amount of ice cold lager, 160 ml per 100 g of flour. The crust is just as crisp, with a light malty taste, and the alcohol evaporates during frying.
What is the difference between fish and chips and breaded fish?
For fish and chips the fish is dipped in a liquid batter that puffs up in the oil into an airy crust. Breaded fish goes through flour, egg and breadcrumbs in turn, and the crust is denser and more granular. With Japanese panko, breaded fish stays crisp even after it cools.
Can you make fish and chips in an air fryer?
Liquid batter does not work in an air fryer, it drips through the basket before it sets. For the air fryer make panko-breaded fish, sprayed with oil, 10-12 minutes at 200°C, turned halfway, until the center reaches 63°C. The chips take 18-20 minutes at 200°C, shaken 2-3 times.
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Barramundi fish and chips
Barramundi fish and chips
Fish and chips is white fish fried in a crispy batter, served with thick double-fried chips, lemon and tartar sauce. At home it takes 50 minutes: barramundi fillet dipped in tempura batter made with ice cold sparkling water, fried 4-5 minutes at 180°C, and chips at 160°C, then 190°C.
Notes
The batter is the same as for fritto misto, 100 g of flour to 160 ml of ice cold water, and it is never made ahead: the bubbles and the cold make the crust airy. If you prefer breaded fish, with flour, egg and Japanese breadcrumbs, the technique is step by step in panko-crusted shrimp and works the same on the barramundi pieces, with Panko. For a version without frying there is oven-baked fish with vegetables and potatoes. Instead of barramundi you can use grouper fillet, firmer and just as thick. The barramundi bag holds 800 g net, about 4 fillets, exactly one round for 4 people, and once thawed the fish is not refrozen.
