Fish and chips is to England what barbecue is to Texas or gumbo is to Louisiana: iconic, beloved, comfort food. Like most Brits, I’ve been eating fish and chips—battered and fried fish served with what Americans call french fries—since I was a kid. But it was a visit to the original Harry Ramsden’s (a fish and chip shop and Britain’s foremost authority on the dish) at age 25 that sparked my true love, leading to the opening of my own fish and chipperies (two at last count).

At Harry Ramsden’s, the portions of fresh, flaky North Sea cod were enormous, the batter was flavorful and crisped to perfection, and the chips were golden and fluffy. My order came with tartar sauce for dipping and malt vinegar for drizzling. Every table in the massive dining room was filled, and the parking lot outside was packed with cars as well as buses. Eating there, I realized how important simple, well-made fish and chips are to British food culture.

In my fish and chips shops, we make sure to prepare this traditional dish with the respect it deserves. We use fresh fish, carefully chosen potatoes, and a basic four-ingredient batter. And we are obsessive about using clean oil to fry it all. Our method is uncomplicated, and for good reason: As with most comfort foods, it’s the care with which the dish is prepared—not an elaborate recipe—that makes it so delicious.

神话般的鱼和薯条的秘密

Use fresh cod or haddock.两者都是传统的，但是鳕鱼是我们提供的最受欢迎的鱼类。（这也是我的个人喜好。）从头端切割的圆角会更厚，更片状，更湿。对于鳕鱼和黑线径，肉应该是坚固的，白色的和有光泽的。不那么鲜明的鱼会带有黄色的色调。您可以使用优质的冷冻鱼，但是新鲜的鱼是可取的，因为冷冻可以干燥鱼。在我们的餐厅，我们使用在冰岛附近的水域中钓鱼的可持续鳕鱼。（要在您所在地区找到海洋友好的鱼，请检查seafoodwatch.com。）

选择淀粉地土豆。我使用Maris Piper，这是英国经常用于筹码的品种。油炸时，它们的外观酥脆。在里面，它们轻巧，干，蓬松。淀粉烤土豆，如俄罗斯，也很好。

Chill the batter, but not for long.A quick chill makes the batter thicker and stiffer, which helps create a nice, thick crust. But if the batter is made too far in advance, the baking powder, which gives the batter the air bubbles that make the crust so light, will lose its oomph. I find a chill of no more than 20 minutes works best.

“Blanch” the chips.An initial fry at a lower temperature (260°F) softens the potatoes and cooks the inside; a second fry, at 375°F, makes the outside crisp and golden.

Fry the fish and chips in batches.Overcrowding reduces the temperature of the oil and prolongs cooking time, which can make food soggy. Also, the batter puffs up beautifully, so fillets may stick together if crowded.

鱼薯条一次，薯条炸两次

步骤1炸薯条直到嫩。在这一点上，您希望它们几乎煮熟，但没有颜色（第二条炸）。如果贴合适当，他们应该用勺子轻松切割。

第2步很好地涂鱼。要使面糊固定，请将鱼片干燥，然后将其转动到面糊中以覆盖两侧。然后蘸酱 - 不要掉落 - 将鱼浸入油中，以防止涂层完好无损，并散布油。

步骤3Fry the fish, flipping once. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to turn and retrieve the gorgeously golden-brown fillets. Keep the fish warm in the oven as you fry the next batch.

Step 4Finish cooking the chips. Use the same oil you used for the fish. Because the fish is coated in batter, there’s no need to worry about the oil or fries taking on a fishy flavor.