Fish and chips is the dish most pub kitchens get wrong by cutting corners in the wrong places. The batter is too thick, the fat is too cool, the chips are underdone and the tartare came out of a jar that's been open since Tuesday. None of this is necessary. The dish has a low food cost and a loyal customer base — it just needs to be treated with the same discipline as anything else on the menu.
This build uses haddock for its clean flavour and reliable supply. The batter recipe below is a light, lager-based version designed to shatter on contact rather than slump. Mushy peas are made from soaked marrowfat peas, not canned, which takes minutes more prep and costs the same.
Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 min (plus overnight pea soak) | Cook: 25 min | Suitable for: Fish Friday, pub à la carte, set-price menus
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 × 180–200g haddock fillets, skin on or off (pin-boned)
- Sunflower or groundnut oil, for frying (minimum 4 litres in a deep fryer or large pot)
Beer batter
- 200g plain flour, plus extra for dredging
- 50g cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 330ml very cold lager (pale ale works; avoid anything dark or too hoppy)
- Sparkling water, chilled, to loosen if needed
For the chips
- 1.2 kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
- Oil for frying (same as above)
- Fine salt
Mushy peas
- 200g dried marrowfat peas, soaked overnight in cold water with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 600ml water (fresh, discard soak water)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- Salt and white pepper
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
Tartare sauce
- 200ml good-quality mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp finely chopped gherkins
- 2 tbsp baby capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- Salt and white pepper
To serve
- Lemon wedges
- Malt vinegar on the side
Method
1. Mushy peas (can be made a day ahead) Drain and rinse the soaked peas. Combine with 600ml fresh water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes until the peas have completely collapsed. Add butter, sugar, vinegar and seasoning. Mash lightly with a fork or blitz briefly — you want texture, not a purée. Adjust consistency with a splash of water if needed. Reheat gently to order.
2. Tartare sauce (make ahead) Mix all ingredients together. Season and refrigerate. Holds for 3 days covered. The flavour improves after a few hours.
3. Chips — first fry Peel and cut potatoes into thick chips (roughly 1.5cm × 1.5cm). Rinse under cold water, then pat thoroughly dry with a clean cloth. Heat oil to 140°C. Blanch the chips in batches for 6–7 minutes until soft but not coloured. Drain on a rack. Cool completely. Can be held at this stage for service.
4. Make the batter Combine flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the cold lager in one go and whisk until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overwork. The batter should coat the back of a spoon. Keep cold; thin with sparkling water if it thickens as it sits.
5. Chips — second fry (to order) Bring oil to 190°C. Fry the blanched chips for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Drain, season with fine salt immediately, keep warm in a low oven if batching.
6. Fry the fish (to order) Keep the oil at 180–185°C. Dredge each fillet in plain flour, shake off the excess, then dip in the batter to coat evenly. Lower carefully into the oil and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until the batter is a deep golden yellow and the fish feels firm. Do not crowd the fryer — work in batches of two. Drain briefly on a rack, not paper (paper steams the underside).
7. Plate and serve Chips first, fish on top or alongside. A pot of mushy peas, a ramekin of tartare and a lemon wedge. Malt vinegar on the table.
Kitchen Notes
Batter temperature — Cold batter hitting hot oil creates the steam that produces the crunch. If your batter sits in a warm kitchen through service, it degrades. Keep a fresh bowl in an ice bath behind the fryer.
Fish portion size — 180–200g fillet is the pub standard. Smaller (140–160g) works for a lighter lunch plate at a lower price. Scale the recipe down and adjust fry time to 3–3.5 minutes.
Fryer hygiene — Fish takes on oil flavours quickly. If your fryer is also used for chips, onion rings or anything seasoned, run the fish through a separate dedicated unit where possible. A shared fryer that's well maintained is workable, but change the oil on schedule.
Batch cooking peas — A full batch of mushy peas from 200g dried peas will cover 8–10 portions. Scale up for a busy Friday and refrigerate overnight. Reheat slowly with a splash of water to loosen.
GP — Haddock at trade currently runs £6–£8/kg depending on supplier and sustainability certification. At 200g per portion that's roughly £1.40 in fish cost. Full dish food cost (inc. chips, peas, tartare, lemon) sits around £2.50–£3.00. At a menu price of £14–£16, GP is strong.
Sourcing note — MSC-certified haddock from Scottish waters is readily available through most fish merchants. If you're putting provenance on the menu, it's worth the conversation with your supplier — it answers the question most diners are already thinking.
Allergens — Gluten (batter, malt vinegar), fish, egg (mayonnaise), mustard (tartare), celery if using commercial stock in peas.