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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Beer Battered Fish and Chips

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.61 from 83 ratings British
I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to have fish in your diet. In our house we would literally eat fish every single day of the week, but I guess one have to also alternate with different menus.We covered this in my chef school days at Warwick Chef School. Last year autumn we took a weekend down to the wonderful West Coast of South-Africa. We visited the wonderful town called St Helena bay, my favourite sea side town. We took a drive to the nearby town called Paternoster, a very popular town amongst locals and especially tourists. Once we were close to the beach, there are a little area where you can sit and have your beer battered fish and chips from the small take away shop nearby. I must honestly say, it was one of the best ever beer battered fish and chips parcels I have ever had. You do not get cutlery, you simply eat with your hands, such a humble meal and yet much more enjoyable than some fancy meals I have eaten.I strongly recommend this delicious beer battered fish and chips meal. If you would like a different potato dish instead of the chips, you can roast potatoes as an alternative.
Crispy golden beer-battered fish fillets served with hot chips.
Prep 30 min
Cook 15 min
Total 45 min
Serves 8

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Ingredients

  • FOR THE FISH AND CHIPS:8 pieces of hake fillets
  • 8-10 large potatoes
  • oil for deep frying FOR THE BATTER: 250 ml(1 Cup) self raising flour
  • 5 ml(1 teaspoon) salt
  • 5 ml(1 teaspoon) curry powder (optional)
  • 5 ml(1 teaspoon) baking powder
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 15 ml(1 Tablespoon) oil
  • 250 ml-350 ml beer

Method

  1. CHIPS:Start with the potatoes by cutting them with a sharp knife in 1 cm thick chips, without peeling the potatoes and keeping the skin on

  2. Press them dry with kitchen towel

  3. Heat the oil until warm and fry the chips in batches until soft

  4. Remove each batch after once through the oil

  5. Start frying the chips again, this time till crispy and golden brown

  6. Keep them in the oven while making the fish

  7. FISH: Keep the fish aside

  8. Whisk all the ingredients together with a balloon whisk until smooth

  9. Roll the fish fillets in flour and then dip it in the above smooth batter

  10. Let the excess batter drip off

  11. Heat the oil again and test the temperature with a small block of bread: the bread must become brown immediately

  12. Deep fry the fish until golden brown and cooked

  13. Do not fry all the fish at once, since it will be lowering the temperature of the oil and the fish will become an oily mess

  14. Drain the fish afterwards on kitchen towel.

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