Tasty Fish and Chips - Which Fish is Best for Frying? (2024)

FAQs

Tasty Fish and Chips - Which Fish is Best for Frying? ›

In the British Isles, the most common fishes used for fish and chips are buttery-tasting cod or haddock (a species of cod), but pollock is also frequently used. Halibut is also fantastic for this purpose. You can use whatever fish you like, so long as it is boneless, but rich-flavored white-flesh fish are best.

Most Popular: Cod

To many people, cod is the top choice. It has a mild flavor and extremely tender meat. If you like a big contrast between the crunchy outer shell and delicate white fish inside, cod is the one for you. Its subtle flavor goes well with salt and vinegar.

Catfish is arguably the best option when frying fish. Catfish is easy to access and has a meaty, flaky consistency that retains while being fried. You can quickly fry catfish with oil, salt, and pepper.

Cod's texture makes it well-suited for dishes like fish and chips, fish stews, and poaching, as it holds its shape well during cooking. Both halibut and cod offer enjoyable textures, but there are subtle differences.

Simple fish and chips made with cod fillets and twice-fried fries. Tastes great as-is or with malt vinegar, lemon, or tartar sauce.

Ingredients. Beer battered cod fillets: 4 175g thick cod fillets.

Tilapia – tilapia is arguably the mildest tasting fish there is. It's not fishy at all and has a mild sweetness. Tilapia is easy to prepare and goes well with a variety of different flavor profiles. Cod – cod has a mild flavor that's slightly sweet like tilapia.

Cod. Cod is the most popular choice, and for most consumers, this is what first comes to mind when they think of fish and chips. It's mild and tender, the perfect complement to the breading on top and the malt vinegar or tartar sauce that you pair the fish and fries with.

Their strong flavor can also hide the dish's other tastes. White-fleshed fish such as cod, tilapia, and haddock are great for frying. They're perfect for adding different seasonings. Oily fish like mackerel or sardines might overpower other flavors when fried.

If you want a versatile, mild fish that can be used in a variety of dishes, Pacific cod is a great choice. But if you want a more substantial fish with a slightly stronger flavor, halibut may be a better option. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.

What fish do the English use for fish and chips? ›

In Britain and Ireland, cod and haddock appear most commonly as the fish used for fish and chips, but vendors also sell many other kinds of fish, especially other white fish, such as pollock, hake or coley, plaice, skate, ray, and huss or rock salmon (a term covering several species of dogfish and similar fish).

Cod has a more mild, clean taste. Haddock is more flavorful and “fishy.” However, the difference between Cod and Haddock is more about shape and texture than taste. Cod fillets are thicker and firmer.

Traditionally the fish used in British fish and chips was either cod or haddock, perhaps cod more often than haddock in the past because it was the cheaper fish of the two. In more recent years, haddock has been increasingly used, because cod is getting scarcer and more expensive, largely through overfishing.

In Britain and Ireland, cod and haddock appear most commonly as the fish used for fish and chips, but vendors also sell many other kinds of fish, especially other white fish, such as pollock, hake or coley, plaice, skate, ray, and huss or rock salmon (a term covering several species of dogfish and similar fish).

Cod is most common, but haddock is popular, especially in the north. Londoners like Rock Salmon (actually dogfish, but quite a tasty fish). A good chip shop like Crispy Cod in Orpington will batter many different fishes including skate ( a ray type) and plaice (a flat fish).

Tilapia is slightly sweeter and firmer and can be substituted for cod in a variety of dishes like fish and chips or fish tacos. Tilapia is more sustainably sourced than cod since it's a freshwater fish that can be farmed in a variety of habitats and feeds on plant-based food.