Fish and chips is a classic seafood dish served in many restaurants thanks to its simple cooking process and appealing crunch that gives way to tender flaky flesh. It is simply fish that is battered and deep-fried then served with a portion of French fries which are called "chips" due to the street food's close ties to the United Kingdom (in the UK French fries are called crisps).
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 BBC Ideas | 2021-03-04 15:15:00 |  97,651 Views |
Good Cod! A Bite-sized History of Fish and Chips | BBC Ideas
While some fried dishes use breadcrumbs as a coating you’ll most often find the fish for this dish coated in a runny batter. Since milder varieties are most often used the batter holds in a lot of the flavor — so it’s not surprising to see ingredients like beer or various spices added to kick the batter up a notch. When it comes to the main ingredient of the dish you’ll usually see a white fish like cod as the fillet of choice but other types can be used. Choosing the right fish all comes down to flavor and texture plus these types tend to be more affordable than some of the others.
The perfect fish and chips recipe requires balance. Because the batter is so salty and savory the fish needs to be one that complements those flavors rather than overpowering them. Whitefish like cod has a mild flavor and some even say it has a slight sweetness making it an ideal anchor for the dish. It also happens to be a personal favorite of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. "To me fish and chips screams cod" he said during a cooking demonstration for "The F Word" noting that it is "very sustainable" and "delicious."
The texture of the fish is just as important. Cod is flaky but it doesn’t fall apart when you cook it. When cooked the whitefish doesn’t fall apart and it also contains enough moisture so it doesn’t dry out. In fact it’s so easy to eat and tender that you don’t need a knife to slice it. One reason cod is so popular for fish and chips is that it’s a relatively cost-effective option: Toast notes that restaurants paid an average of $7.26 per pound for it in August 2023. However SeafoodSource reports that the supply of Atlantic cod appears to be shrinking which is driving up prices.
