This recipe works GREAT provided a few basic frying rules are adhered to: 1) DO NOT fry past the point when no air escapes the food. The minute steam stops coming out grease is getting in. 2) Keep finished pieces in a 250 degree oven until the last one is done, right before serving. The heat will keep the oil draining off and the batter crispy. 3) Make SURE the oil temperature is hot enough. The MINUTE the food goes in the oil loses a good 25-50 degrees worth of heat. A great candy/fry thermometer or digital thermister is key to keeping a constant oil temp, and adjusting as needed every time food goes in wll keep the results uniform and the food looking good. This batter is wonderful with beer instead of milk, or in addition to, and small pieces of fish fry more evenly than entire filets. Keep the basic frying rules in mind and it becomes quite simple to make crispy, NOT GREASY fish and chips with ease. The other quick tip I'd give is make SURE the food is good and cold, especially the potatoes, before trying to fry. That will help the them not become limp too.

Being that I am English, and grew up with outstanding Fish and Chips, it's not really surprising that homemade F&C rarely come close to hitting the mark. With regards to this recipe, the chips were quite good (make sure you cut them nice and chunky, not skinny little fries). The fish batter, however, wasn't good - bland and oily, and it turned mushy while the other pieces of fish were being cooked. I MUCH prefer the beer batter in the 'Fish Tacos' recipe submitted by Tanya; the batter is light, crispy, flavorful - exactly how it should be. Thanks anyway.

To those all mentioning the soggy fish effect: Whatever liquid you use, be it water, beer, etc., it must be ICE COLD. That keeps the batter light & cooked fish will not get soggy.

In order to make deep frying easier and turn out better is by 1)keep whatever you are battering chilled. Put chicken and potatoes in freezer for about 15 - 20 min just to chill. 2)batter needs to be cold as well. Put batter in fridge for the same duration and you will notice that the batter stays on and fries up better. Also, for better fried consistency, keep frying oil moving. When deep frying, move the fish and chips around in the oil. This will give you consistancy. Really great recipe.

this was my first attempt at frying fish, and it turned out fantastic! my boyfriend and i often hit up pubs to get fish and chips, now we'll save money and make it at home. i followed the suggestions of freezing batter for 20 min, then refrigerating battered fish for 20 min, and it worked just fine. instead of frying the chips, i cut potatoes into wedges and tossed them with some olive oil and seasonings then cooked at 525 for 20-25 min for a somewhat healthier alternative to the frying.

Batter stayed on the fish well and crisped up nicely. The flavor was fine, but was missing something. Next time I'll add half milk and half beer. Other than that, this is a great recipe!

This recipe turned out great! I added Old Bay Seasoning to the dry ingredients for a spicy kick. Other reviewers noted the fish was "greasy" -- fix this by using fresh canola or veg oil, and keep the temp above 325. Keep fried fish warm in a 200 oven to prevent sogginess. For the fries, drain on paper towels, then transfer to a pan or plate and cool to room temp before frying again.

I thought this was very good. I put the pieces that are done on a platter in the oven set at 200...this keeps them from getting soggy while I continue frying. I also had much batter left over to make onion rings.

The batter was a little too runny and delicate for frying. I added 1/3 cup more of flour to make it thicker. Also, I think you can get away with only half the amount of salt. In fact, we found it too salty with the listed amount of salt. Lastly, a quarter cup of oil to fry with is not enough. You have to have more so the fillets can float a little bit and not get ruined at turning.

This is the BEST fish & chips recipe ever! I use halibut fillets instead as it has both the texture and taste just like the ones served by our favourite fish & chips restaurant. I have passed on this recipe to family and friends and I would like to thank Dan for sharing his wonderful recipe!