A Classic Fish Batter For Fish'N'Chips Uk Style

[MEL1]

I have eventually mastered it after some measly attempts.

You can do it guys - battered cod English style, and easy!

Foodland is the source for the cod, in the freezer section. You can find Norwegian best cod, good breasts/chunks for circa 200Bt.

Buy a bag of plain flour, any, but not cake flour. The Thai one I use is called "Kite" 'all purpose' flour.

Get a small sealed bag of baking soda, from the same shelves. Some paprika and fresh ground black pepper also.

When the cod is thawed, or if you like you can go to Makro or wherever to get fresh cod, but a bit on the expensive side for me;

Use good kitchen towelling to pat it dry, and place on a plate or two, pending on how many you are cooking for.

Coat the cod in a little of exactly the same flour you will use to make the batter, put in fridge and let sit.

Now the batter - easy and as good, if not better than, a good chip shop back home!!!

400g of flour. 2 large spoons of baking soda, 1 large spoon of paprika and half a spoon of pepper.

Mix in a big bowl.

Now the key - beer!!!!!!!!

Chang export, Archa is cheaper, Heineken - it doesn't matter.

Get a whisk or fork and very slowly pour the beer into the bowl. (Heat your wok oil, or chip pan now, but gently !!!_)

Keep pouring the beer and mixing until you get a thicker than egg type yolk consistency, as it should drip off the whisk/fork very slowly.

It should become gaseous, as the beer and baking soda mix, and keep stirring.

Once it is like a thick cream, but not too thick, that's it.

Now get your cooled cod, and dip it generously into your batter, and straight into the oil, the oil should sizzle a little, but not too much or it is too hot, and the batter will brown too quickly (it takes a few attempts to get this right, but even in the first attempts when wrong it is still delicious!)

Turn the heat up a little if frazzling isn't occurring, turn it down if it is too boisterous. Should take about 5 mins for golden batter, and light, perfectly cooked cod.

I did it...... and my wife said, "Whoa, so smooth!"

And it was just like chippie cod in batter from home, but better.

Give it a try, and feed back pls. You can do it!

-mel.

[KKvampire]

The problem is the Potatos for the Chips. Unless they are imported the potatos in Thailand are too soft, starch content is not good for the chips and consequently the chips just become mushy, soft and limp, and the frozen ones are not very good either,

[notmyself]

The problem is the Potatos for the Chips. Unless they are imported the potatos in Thailand are too soft, starch content is not good for the chips and consequently the chips just become mushy, soft and limp, and the frozen ones are not very good either,

From a post I made a while back in the Samui section

They do in fact make very good chips though not with the method of cut, cook then serve. Chip then boil for 60-90 seconds, pour out into ice water for a minute or so (to stop the cooking process) before draining. Turn out, pat dry and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours to remove any excess water. Then fry as normal.

[metisdead]

Moved to the Western food forum.

[barefoot1988]

batter alittle thick imo. i always use 1 cup of self rising flour, 2 cup of beer. pinch of pepper. thats all =) perfect batter for seafood, sausages and everything.

chips are alittle more hassle. i usually boil them, fried them once, freeze them and finally fried them again. double fried makes them real crispy

[473geo]

For the non drinkers, soda water works well instead of the beer, I was just trying my hand at batter using river cobbler fillets (I'm currently in the UK) these come from Vietnam, never looked in Thailand yet. But now I have the batter sussed.....

[notmyself]

Now the key - beer!!!!!!!!

Chang export, Archa is cheaper, Heineken - it doesn't matter.

Get a whisk or fork and very slowly pour the beer into the bowl. (Heat your wok oil, or chip pan now, but gently !!!_)

Keep pouring the beer and mixing until you get a thicker than egg type yolk consistency, as it should drip off the whisk/fork very slowly.

It should become gaseous, as the beer and baking soda mix, and keep stirring.

CO2 is more soluable at lower temperatures so make the batter as cold as you can. Put the dry ingredients and the bowl in the fridge for an hour to cool before adding the beer. If you want to really go OTT then fill the sink up with ice leaving a bowl shaped depresion. Put the chilled bowl into it while you are doing the mixing and use Champaign rather than beer.

[dazk]

nothing wrong with thai spuds, do the same as with any other spuds

1. peel and chip them

2. soak in water to remove starch

3. dry then fry on mid temp until cooked

4. remove from oil up the temp to high and 2nd fry to crisp.

perfect ever time

if you have a thing against thia spuds you can buy chinese in makro but dont make any difference where they are grown its more down to the variety and we have to take what we can get here.

[notmyself]

Snapper is also very good I find

[aneliane]

Fishes with breasts ?

[Backwoods]

Fishes with breasts ?

Yes breasts, and with a little tail as well, but must be ugly fish if you have to have beer in your batter!

[Backwoods]

One question, do you use malt vinegar right from the bottle or add anything, been a while since eating any, and wanting that vinegar taste again!

[cardholder]

These turned out well last Friday.

Makro chips.

[tutsiwarrior]

I like fish and chips and when I useta go to the local chippie in Brighton run by chinese I would observe closely and ask 'whaddaya put in the batter?' and the old chinese guy would say 'very simple' and go about his business...inscrutable asian nonsense...but the fish sure tasted good...

now, I've tried it at home and either too fluffy like tempura or soggy as shit and I gave up as it makes a huge mess to clean up after...snapper is a good substitute for cod btw...in the Gulf area of the ME they use a local variety called hamour and it is excellent...

but hooray for those that experiment locally in Thailand in their kitchens with available ingredients and all power to them!

Edited June 5, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[mca]

I like fish and chips and when I useta go to the local chippie in Brighton run by chinese I would observe closely and ask 'whaddaya put in the batter?' and the old chinese guy would say 'very simple' and go about his business...inscrutable asian nonsense...but the fish sure tasted good...

On my last trip home the two chippy's I used to frequent were now run by chinky's who also did the Chinese grub as well. Delicious haddock and chips. There's something not right there. Traditionally I want my fish and chips served up by a surly middle aged geezer and his hatchet faced wife with a nonspeaking assistant in white wellies who looks as if he'd escaped from a secure unit by throttling the guard with his bedsheet. Not a young Oriental lad of about 20 who greets me with a chirpy "Alright mate?" and his impossibly pretty girlfriend. Tradition you know.

It's a bit like the local "Gai Yang Ha Dow" stall being staffed by Inuits.

Edited June 5, 2012 by mca

[tutsiwarrior]

I like fish and chips and when I useta go to the local chippie in Brighton run by chinese I would observe closely and ask 'whaddaya put in the batter?' and the old chinese guy would say 'very simple' and go about his business...inscrutable asian nonsense...but the fish sure tasted good...

On my last trip home the two chippy's I used to frequent were now run by chinky's who also did the Chinese grub as well. Delicious haddock and chips. There's something not right there. Traditionally I want my fish and chips served up by a surly middle aged geezer and his hatchet faced wife with a nonspeaking assistant in white wellies who looks as if he'd escaped from a secure unit by throttling the guard with his bedsheet. Not a young Oriental lad of about 20 who greets me with a chirpy "Alright mate?" and his impossibly pretty girlfriend. Tradition you know.

It's a bit like the local "Gai Yang Ha Dow" stall being staffed by Inuits.

yeah...I know...in the east Midlands in Derby they had the traditional arrangement and their food was quite nice but then we moved to Brighton...we lived in Hove first and the food at the local chippy was so bad as to be laughed at...and then after we got the house in Brighton all the chip shops were run by chinese...try the one near the rail station a few steps up Trafalgar Road, quite tasty...

at our local chippy on Dyke Road there was always a pleasant asian girl with a smiling round face with a south London accent...and I looked behind the counter once and her backside was not bad either...and then she she caught me looking once and then swung it around in a lewd display and giggled...tutsi was humiliated at the local chip shop but I always returned as the food was righteous...

and then later I would place my order: 'two cod dinners please...' and then the girl would smirk: 'and shall that be all, sir?' and then I would go up the road to the Dyke Road Tavern and brood over a pint of bitter until the order was ready...sheesh, asian women all over the world gotcha comin; and goin'

Edited June 6, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[mca]

.at our local chippy on Dyke Road there was always a pleasant asian girl with a smiling round face with a south London accent...and I looked behind the counter once and her backside was not bad either...and then she she caught me looking once and then swung it around in a display and giggled...tutsi was humiliated at the local chip shop but I always returned as the food was righteous...

Yeah the Chinese geezer caught me checking out his bird's arse once so I adopted the pathetic and quite obviously fake " Actually I'm staring through her arse at the pallet of cooking oil in the corner" blank stare.

Although what still makes me chuckle was in the same place sometimes their Chinese granny helped out. I was ordering by the numbers on the Chinese menu " 1 number 27, 1 number 11 with curry sauce etc" and she said "We play Bingo now yes?" I gave a polite chuckle when she suddenly turned and yelled in fury into the kitchen a blur of ranting and raving Chinese. I nearly shit myself thinking it was all going a bit " Water Margin" or John Woo when she turned back to me and sweetly said " Five pounds 20 please"

Edited June 6, 2012 by mca

[tutsiwarrior]

.at our local chippy on Dyke Road there was always a pleasant asian girl with a smiling round face with a south London accent...and I looked behind the counter once and her backside was not bad either...and then she she caught me looking once and then swung it around in a display and giggled...tutsi was humiliated at the local chip shop but I always returned as the food was righteous...

Yeah the Chinese geezer caught me checking out his bird's arse once so I adopted the pathetic and quite obviously fake " Actually I'm staring through her arse at the pallet of cooking oil in the corner" blank stare.

Although what still makes me chuckle was in the same place sometimes their Chinese granny helped out. I was ordering by the numbers on the Chinese menu " 1 number 27, 1 number 11 with curry sauce etc" and she said "We play Bingo now yes?" I gave a polite chuckle when she suddenly turned and yelled in fury into the kitchen a blur of ranting and raving Chinese. I nearly shit myself thinking it was all going a bit " Water Margin" or John Woo when she turned back to me and sweetly said " Five pounds 20 please"

wonderful...

[mca]

.and then later I would place my order: 'two cod dinners please...' and then the girl would smirk: 'and shall that be all, sir?' and then I would go up the road to the Dyke Road Tavern and brood over a pint of bitter until the order was ready...sheesh, asian women all over the world gotcha comin; and goin'

You could have been all smooth a la James Bond and come back with the silk like " And a handful of Chinese Scampi" with an avaricious wink

007s double entendres always seem to work although i assume knocking around in an Aston with machine guns might have had something to do with it.

Edited June 6, 2012 by mca

[maxme]

Last time I ate it, it had some vinegar sauce. Maybe a dumb question but how do you make that?

[cardholder]

Last time I ate it, it had some vinegar sauce. Maybe a dumb question but how do you make that?

No one really makes just buy Sarcens or Heinz malt vinegar.

Or try here:-

Types of vinegars

White

White vinegar can be made by oxidizing a distilled alcohol. Alternatively, it may be nothing more than a solution of acetic acid and salt in water. Most commercial white vinegars are 5% acetic acid solutions, although some US states such as Virginia have laws prohibiting the sale as vinegar of any product not made from acetous fermentation of alcohol. They are made from grain (often maize) and water. White vinegar is used for culinary as well as cleaning purposes because vinegar can also be used for sterilization.

Malt

Malt vinegar is made by malting barley, causing the starch in the grain to turn to maltose. An ale is then brewed from the maltose and allowed to turn into vinegar, which is then aged. It is typically light brown in colour. However, most supermarket vinegar is actually extracted from beetroot.

A cheaper alternative, called "non-brewed condiment," is a solution of 4-8% acetic acid coloured with caramel (usually E150). There is also around 1-3% citric acid present.

Wine

Wine vinegar is made from red or white wine, and is the most commonly used vinegar in Mediterranean countries and central Europe. As with wine, there is a considerable range in quality. Better quality wine vinegars are matured in wood for up to two years and exhibit a complex, mellow flavour. Wine vinegar tends to have a lower acidity than that of white or cider vinegars. There are more expensive wine vinegars made from individual varieties of wine, such as Champagne, Sherry, or pinot grigio.

Sherry

This is a most astonishing product, truly the king of vinegars. You can even drink sips of it and enjoy it. It is wonderful to cook with as it has such complex flavours. Great for salad dressings. It is now available from all supermarkets.

Cider

Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known simply as cider vinegar, is made from cider or apple must (freshly pressed juice), and is often sold unfiltered, with a brownish-yellow color; it often contains 'mother of vinegar' (acetic acid bacteria). It is very popular, partly due to its beneficial health and beauty properties.

Fruit

Fruit vinegars are made from fruit wines usually without any additional flavouring. Common flavours of fruit vinegar include apple, blackcurrant, raspberry, quince, and tomato. A second type (fruit-flavoured) include those infused with whole raspberries, blueberries or figs (or else from flavourings derived from these fruits). Some of the more exotic fruit-flavoured vinegars include blood orange and pear.

Balsamic

Balsamic vinegar is an aromatic, aged type of vinegar traditionally manufactured in Modena, Italy from the concentrated juice, or must, of white grapes (typically of the Trebbiano variety). It is very dark brown in colour and its flavour is rich, sweet, and complex, with the finest grades being the product of years of aging in a successive number of casks made of various types of wood (including oak, mulberry, chestnut, cherry, juniper, ash, and acacia). Balsamic has a high acid level, but the sweetness covers up the tart flavour somewhat, making it very mellow.

[meatboy]

The problem is the Potatos for the Chips. Unless they are imported the potatos in Thailand are too soft, starch content is not good for the chips and consequently the chips just become mushy, soft and limp, and the frozen ones are not very good either,

i have found the spuds in thailand are pretty good,tesco and makro,the way i always make chips,soak the chips in water to get the starch out,rinse and dry on a towel,heat the oil if you have a temp.gauge 130deg.cook till just starting to turn colour then drain on kitchen towel and put the chips on a tray and leave in the fridge overnight.when you want them heat the oil to a high temp.190-220 drop them in till starting to brown perfect crisy chips,i always use corn oil as it holds the heat better,palm oil is no good burns to quick.

[mca]

No one really makes just buy Sarcens or Heinz malt vinegar.

One of my memories from childhood was my dad saying " Don't say vinegar, say Sarson's"

i've got a confession here. I'm not adverse to having my chips continental style smothered in Hellman's mayonnaise. A little foible I picked up in Amsterdam mashed on hash.

[tutsiwarrior]

and then then there was an associate's english wife in Jakarta who lamented not finding malt vinegar and then I said: 'go look down the local Hero's supermarket, there is a brown colored substance there on the shelf with the other vinegary condiments' and then she became excited...

then later when I saw her next she advanced upon me and screamed: 'monster! that substance is not malt vinegar! it was just vinegary and brown colored! and I have small children!'

well...what's a tutsiwarrior to do?...

Edited June 6, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[notmyself]

No one really makes just buy Sarcens or Heinz malt vinegar.

One of my memories from childhood was my dad saying " Don't say vinegar, say Sarson's"

i've got a confession here. I'm not adverse to having my chips continental style smothered in Hellman's mayonnaise. A little foible I picked up in Amsterdam mashed on hash.

It's whole egg mayo in NL. Wouldn't touch Hellman's myself.

[mca]

Where I come from we weren't exactly spoiled for choice on the mayo front

[dazk]

Where I come from we weren't exactly spoiled for choice on the mayo front

i second that

i find the best foods the best one

[notmyself]

Where I come from we weren't exactly spoiled for choice on the mayo front

Sorry to hear that. Once I had Dutch whole egg mayo, that was it for me.

[mca]

Where I come from we weren't exactly spoiled for choice on the mayo front

Sorry to hear that. Once I had Dutch whole egg mayo, that was it for me.

Mmm.....

It's a bit like mustard. I come from the birthplace of Colman's. Anything else especially that squeezy French's <deleted> no <deleted> way!

[notmyself]

Where I come from we weren't exactly spoiled for choice on the mayo front

Sorry to hear that. Once I had Dutch whole egg mayo, that was it for me.

Mmm.....

It's a bit like mustard. I come from the birthplace of Colman's. Anything else especially that squeezy French's <deleted> no <deleted> way!

That's funny as I was going to mention Coleman's mustard with chips but just left it at mayo. If I can't get or have run out of Dutch mayo then I mix Heinz full fat salad cream with a good dollop of Coleman's. Nothing like the same but I like it.