I have a couple of pounds of Halibut in my freezer. I love Halibut fish 'n chips, but am not much good at making either. I fluked out one time, and the deep-fried fish was near perfect, but the fries were soggy. I know British fries are soggy by design, but prefer the crisp, double-fried French version.

Subsequent efforts have produced slough-off batter and crispy critters where none intended, and doughy chips where crispy critters wanted.

I want tender, flakey Halibut under a crisp, golden crust, and I want crunchy chips.

Help!

For sure the halibut is the way to go, but I dunno what it the secret to either the properly breaded fish or the right way to do the chips.

The resort where I worked used to serve the best fish 'n chips I have had, but I never learned just what was the method they used..... and the resort has now been closed. Guess I could email the chef to see if he would tell me the trick, but not sure he would tell me.

Damn, reminds me just how much I miss that place!

Just for the Halibut.

is here to help

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Get a good quality beer batter and don't use beer, use soda water instead you'll be amazed at the difference.

Heat is the enemy of halibut and if you over cook it it will be dry and tough, I like to do mine in a skillet with a double dip coating of egg wash then bisquick then egg wash and then seasoned bread crumbs and cook in a little EVOO.

With halibut I shoot for what would be thought of as medium rare in beef also try to get the chunks in a uniform size and thickness I find that 3/4 to 1 inch thick is best. as for the fries, mine are usually a disaster no matter what I do.

I agree on the Halibut. So delicious..but so expensive here in Southern Cali now.

My dad used to dredge the fish in milk and then dry flour with salt n pepper. The key always to that crispy taste you want is a super super hot and very deep pan of oil. The hotter and the deeper the better.That faster it fries the crispier and less greasy it will be.

Yeah, the ones we sold were done in a beer batter (Kona Beer, no less).

Compared to others, ours had a fairly thin coating of breading.

Might have to try you approach -- but first have to go find some nice halibut. Was lots easier to do on Orcas Island.

Really? A very very fast hot fry is good too, no?
I know when it comes to fish you're the expert, JanZ.

1. If your halibut is in steak form (cut across the fish, not filleted) then do something else with it, as it will be difficulat deep fry it. Here in the East, halibut is often "steaked" rather than filleted. Halibut cheeks cut from the head are the best for fish & chips, in my opinion.

2. If you halibut is filleted, cut it into chunks or strips an inch or less thick. You want to fish to cook quickly in the oil. Surface area counts.

3. Use saflower, cottonseed or canola oil. Good clean taste, no poly or trans fats.

4. Use a thermometer when deep frying, if you do not have a regulated deep fryer. You need the oil around 350-375 degrees for fast cooking so the batter does not soak up oil.

5. The Alton Brown technique is as good as any I've seen for fries/chips. Double frying them has always been the key.

6. The basic Cape Cod batter calls for:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup beer (flat beer works better)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper

To that you can add some options:

• 1/4 cup corn meal for more crunch
• cayenne or Cajun spices or Old Bay, etc. etc.
• garlic salt in place of some of the salt, or just garlic powder
• Worcestershire sauce (so help me)
• Lemon juice or lemon pepper
• ad infinitum

6. My Mom's old trick was to make the batter an hour or two ahead to let it "settle" (her term).

7. Fry the fish a few pieces at a time, so they don't drop the temp of the oil too much. Take the fish out of the fridge a half hour before cooking to let it warm up some.

"don't use beer, use soda water instead"

Beer usually disappears around here before it can be used for something so mundane as cooking, so I like your soda (club soda?) idea and will try it.

Canola oil. Always. Did you know Canola oil is rapeseed oil, grown in abundance on the Canadian prairies and renamed Can (Canada) ola (oil) because rapeseed oil seemed...well...not marketable?

I like your recipe though, and will try it.

I Googled "fish and chips" and there are oodles of recipes and very best of all... there are You Tube videos demonstrating the proper technique. They're inspiring to watch.

My family loves freshly made chips, especially with hamburgers or battered, deep fried fish.
Ina Garten on the Food Channel has excellent and simple instructions for making them.

I never cook fish. But I eat catfish regularly. If you are ever in Dallas, go to Big Mama's Fish & Chicken Place on the SE corner of Audelia Road and Forest Lane. It is absolutely the best in the Metroplex. It's run by black folks (a drive-thru or walk up with tables outside) got a big picture of Obama in the window...I don't give a shit, they never see my PALIN 2012 sticker in the window.

I go for the catfish, not politics.

Jack

Fly to England, buy some fish 'n chips (from a place that still wraps them up in newspaper) and enjoy your meal.

I watched Bobby Flay get his butt kicked on a throw down with a real English fish and chips guy, his secret was the club soda, I tried it and it works.

My problem is due to diet I have to try to steer clear of the deep fried stuff. (Darn it) No more fried chicken with skillet gravy on the mashed spuds either.