How To Make British Chips To Outshine Your Fish

Alright, so you’re a Fish and Chips fan, are you? Then let me walk you through How To Make British Chips To Outshine Your Fish, from an American who married an old-school Brit!

Why ‘Better Than British Chips’?

The title began as a joke in the kitchen, one of those cheeky, half-serious remarks you make when a dish lands on the plate just right.

British chips have earned their popularity: they’re thick, comforting, and full of nostalgia. But these potato sticks, with their crisp coating, soft centers, and deep pan-fried flavor, seemed to go a step further.

Neatly cut into cylinders, lightly coated, and sautéed rather than deep-fried, they’re indulgent without being heavy — crisp and golden, but not greasy.

Once the second batch vanished even faster than the first, the name stayed. Not as an insult, but as a nod to how a familiar idea can be improved at home with care, good fat, and a cast iron pan.

Bold? Perhaps. Tasty? Absolutely.

Chips vs Fish

Honestly, when you order Fish and Chips, you’re really there for those glorious potatoes.

The fish just makes you feel a little better about the whole thing!

Potatoes carry a long, and at times rather bleak, history tied to famine and poverty across Europe. 

Still, the background and evolution of how British Chips and Fish came to be are genuinely fascinating. 

So let me share what I’ve picked up from my colonial British husband on the subject. 

Let’s Start With The Authentic British Fish Which Is Not Authentically British

Fish and Chips were first brought to Britain by the Jewish community. 

It began in Holland, where Jewish families fled for safety and later carried a beloved fish recipe with them to Great Britain. 

The Dutch, like the English, were skilled fishermen. While in Holland, the Jewish community couldn’t take part in much industry, so fish became one of the most common foods available. 

If you were a Jewish immigrant in England at that time, it made sense to seek out familiar foods to cook. 

Fish was one of them. Familiar, comforting, and the best known way then to recreate a great meal!

The Beginning Of British Fish Warehouses

Along the coastline of northern England, the North Sea waters were rich with fish. 

Once the railways were developed, fish caught by Britain’s east coast fleet could be transported inland in huge quantities.

That’s where Britain’s population became increasingly concentrated, thanks to the factories. 

As people left the farms to work in the cities, the rural way of life they had known changed completely. 

Railways made it possible to move large amounts of fish from the coast to inland population centers. 

That was when fish warehouses became essential. 

Fast Forward To Better Times And Best Fish Cooking Methods

By the mid-1800s, Joseph Malin, an Eastern European Jewish immigrant, opened the first ‘Chip Joint’!

As was common then, the family ran the shop in front and lived in the rooms behind it. 

That first Fish and Chips storefront helped turn the dish into Britain’s national favorite. 

The batter used to fry the fish was made from flour and fizzy beer. 

It created a rich, crisp shell around the fish, often cod, and people lined up around the block for it at that tiny shop. 

But the potatoes… that was another matter. 

Why Potatoes?

When I asked my history-loving husband, “why potatoes?”, he asked if they were grown in the United Kingdom.

His answer: “Potatoes were easy to get and easy to cook. Britain was fairly wealthy. The farmers were wealthy. 

The English grew potatoes, which originally came from South America, and the British quickly recognized them as a valuable staple crop that was simple to grow.”

When I lived in Brazil for a few years, potatoes were everywhere, prepared in all kinds of ways, and often served with other carbohydrates — something we Americans would never do!

National Dish – British Chips And Fish – Rationing  

As War History Online noted:

“Alongside tea, the meal has since become a symbol of British culture, even though ironically its two main components come from different cultures. 

During both world wars, Fish and Chips were one of the only meals that were consistently available. 

It was feared that if the British population was denied their fish and chips morale would suffer.“

My husband insisted that Fish and Chips were not rationed! 

How Are British Chips Different From French Fries?

Aside from the fact that in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand this style of potato is called chips, there’s really no difference from the French fries we know in America. 

Once the potatoes are cut — however you choose to cut them — they need to be rinsed in cold water to remove some of the starch. 

The next crucial step is drying off the moisture, which isn’t exactly easy when you’re making a lot of them!

After that, the oil temperature matters most; too hot and they burn, too cool and you’re left with limp potato sticks in no time. 

That’s why, and because I absolutely hate dealing with huge amounts of hot oil, I came up with this wonderful Hot Chips recipe.

Golden Brown British Chips Without The Deep Fryer

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a fan of deep fryers. They take so much oil, and if you keep it too long and reuse it, it can go rancid. Throwing away that much oil every time just feels wasteful. 

So I prefer a hot cast iron pan with just enough fat for the amount I’m cooking. 

The real secret is the batter! Not that fizzy beer batter, where it sometimes feels like there’s more coating than fish or chips. Just a light, simple batter that keeps them crisp while still letting the potato stay front and center. 

Crispy British Chips

Picture a thin coating created by dipping the potato sticks into something wet and then into something dry, with both steps adding a little flavor. 

Not a thick batter that overwhelms the potato, just a light, flavorful dusting. And best of all, no need for a gallon of oil to cook them!

With a hot cast iron pan, a bit of oil, butter, or meat drippings, these coated potato sticks turn out crispier than deep-fried, fuller in flavor, and a whole lot healthier than beer-battered fish!

How To Outshine Your Fish

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 – Make Holes

Using an apple corer, remove as many long potato tubes as you can from a large Russet potato. Making the potato into cylinders creates a lovely finished dish, though you can always slice them into strips instead.

When you use the whole round surface of the potato, it has a chance to turn golden and crisp all over, rather than just on two flat sides.

Don’t forget to save the potato left behind after coring it — it makes great ‘smashed’ potatoes for another meal.

Step 2 – Blanch Potatoes

Drop the potato pieces into a pot of boiling salted water, cover, and give them a quick blanch.

A minute is all they need.

This helps wash away some of the starch and lets them cook quickly once they’re dredged and browned in the skillet.

Step 3 – Dredge

In one bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and garlic, then add the potato pieces to coat.

In another bowl, combine the flour, pepper, and salt.

Place the egg-coated potatoes into the flour mixture and shake to coat all sides evenly.

Step 4 – Cook

Add oil and butter to a medium-hot cast iron pan.

Arrange the dredged potato pieces in a single layer across the bottom of the pan.

Turn them so every side has a chance to cook to a golden brown.

Lift them from the pan, set them on a cooling rack for a few minutes, and serve.

Because Charles Dickens Said So!

Among many other fascinating pieces, my husband owns the full set of leather-bound Dickens novels.

I was thrilled to find references to British Chips And Fish in two of his novels!

No need to head to the library — I’ve included both right here for you!

Oliver Twist

“Confined as the limits of Field Lane are, it has its barber, its a coffee-shop, its beer-shop, and its fried-fish warehouse.”

A Tale Of Two Cities

“Hunger was shred into atomies in every farthing porringer of husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil.”

Equipment Needed

• An apple corer is the unsung hero here, used to pull clean, even potato cylinders from large Russet potatoes and turn a plain spud into something a little more fun and precise.
• A medium pot with a lid is needed to blanch the potatoes first, helping set up a fluffy interior before they ever hit the pan. For cooking, a large skillet or cast iron skillet gives steady, even heat and the kind of surface that encourages deep golden crispness with far less oil than a deep fryer.
• You’ll also need two dredging dishes, one for the batter and one for the potatoes, so everything stays neat and efficient. Measuring cups and spoons help keep the batter light and balanced, and a garlic press makes fast work of fresh garlic, spreading the flavor evenly throughout.
• Keep a pile of paper towels nearby to soak up excess oil and keep the chips crisp rather than greasy. And finally, a dependable stovetop or burner ties it all together — simple, familiar, and exactly right for this kind of comfort cooking.

Ingredients Needed

• At the center of these Better Than British Chips are large Russet potatoes, selected for their high starch content, which is the key to that crisp outer layer and fluffy inside. Cut into neat cylinders with an apple corer, they feel playful yet deliberate — a familiar potato with a fresh twist.
• A simple egg gives the batter enough structure to cling without becoming heavy. Milk loosens the mixture, while flour creates a delicate coating that crisps in the pan instead of absorbing oil like a deep fry would.
• Garlic, finely grated or mashed, adds a gentle savoriness that perfumes the potatoes as they cook. Salt does more than season — it draws out moisture and boosts that golden crunch — while a pinch of cayenne or freshly ground black pepper adds warmth and a little bite.
• For cooking, I usually reach for vegetable oil, but when I have it, beef dripping or bacon fat takes these potato sticks to a richer place, adding a deep, old-fashioned flavor that feels wonderfully indulgent. A final knob of butter at the end brings everything together, helping the browning along and leaving a nutty finish that makes these hard to stop eating.

Great Potato Recipes You Are Sure To Love

Oh, how we adore potatoes! Over the years I’ve developed so many delicious potato recipes, and I’m always happy to share them with you.

One favorite, which I made on national television on The Great American Recipe with PBS, was Potato Crusted Quiche.

Other’s You are Sure To Love!