This Baked Fish and Chips is an easy weeknight dinner that your family will love. The golden bread crumb coating is crunchy and the cod fillets are moist and flaky. And the chips are crisp on the outside and tender inside.
Fish and chips is the national dish of Britain and what a great combo! And they are also popular in the United States and on nearly every pub, cafe or restaurant menu. This lighter version of fish and chips is healthier and much lower in fat and calories than the original oil-fried version.
History of Fish and Chips:
When I think of a potato chips it is a heap of thin, crisp, crunchy potatoes slices next to a Dagwood sandwich and a dill pickle. Now when I want a french-fry, that is totally different as the potato is cut into long thin strips and cooked in hot oil.
They are best when served hot and crisp. The British ‘chip’ is what we Americans call a french-fry. The jury is still out on where this famous meal originated whether in Lancashire or London. Fried fish was popular as street food as far back as 1839. The chip dates back to the 17th Century to either Belgium or France.
The chip may have been a substitute for fish, rather than an accompaniment. The story goes that when the rivers froze over the fish were scarce. Housewives began cutting potatoes into fish shapes and frying them as an alternative.
And who decided to match fish and potatoes together? Some say it was a northern businessman called John Lees. Folklore says that as early as 1863 he was selling fish and chips out of a wooden hut at Mossley market in Lancashire. But then there is Joseph Malin, the Jewish immigrant who opened a fish and chip pub in East London sometime around 1860. The original fish and chips were heavily battered, firm, flaky fish fried in a vat of hot oil.
The meal was served steaming hot on top of the chips that were nestled in a newspaper cone. This was finger-food at it’s finest! That clever newspaper cone became obsolete when it was decided that newspaper ink was not healthy.
Baked Fish and Chips, A Lighter Version:
Our baked fish and chips does not have that heavy, greasy batter coating of the original fare but the bread crumb coating is crisp, crunchy, and delicious. The fish inside that coating is moist, flaky and perfectly cooked. The oven-baked chips are golden and crisp outside and tender inside. This is how we make a lighter version of baked fish and chips:
Make sure you scroll down to the printable recipe card but here are the steps in a bit more detail.
STEP 1:
- Pile the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine.
- Spread them in one layer across the pan and bake in a 400°F oven until golden brown, 3-5 minutes stirring at 2 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool.
STEP 2:
Set up a 3-station breading station in pie plates or shallow dishes:
- Add the flour to one of the dishes.
- Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise and seasoning in another dish.
- Add the cooled toasted breadcrumbs to the third dish.
STEP 3:
- Blot the fish fillets with paper towels to remove excess water. A dry fillet will be a crisp fillet.
- Coat each fillet with flour, then dip into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs.
- Press the crumbs onto the fish and place the coated fillets on a parchment-lined plate.
- After coating all the fillets refrigerate them while preparing the potatoes.
STEP 4:
- Increase the oven temperature to 500°F
- Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower third of the oven to preheat for 5 minutes.
- Add the cut potatoes into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and carefully distribute the potatoes in one layer over the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with the coarse salt and transfer to the lower oven rack and bake for 15 minutes to a light golden brown.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the potatoes with a spatula then return the pan to the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 425F.
STEP 5:
- Place a wire cooling rack over another rimmed baking sheet and coat with non-stick oil spray.
- Remove the breaded fish fillets from the refrigerator and place each one on the wire rack. Transfer the baking sheet to the upper rack and bake the fish for 10-15 minutes until flaky and the potatoes are golden brown.
- Transfer the potatoes and the fish from the oven and serve hot with tartar sauce, lemon wedges and mushy peas.
What Type of Fish to Use:
If you’re looking for the best fish for fish and chips, it is really a personal preference. Cod, Haddock, Flounder, and Halibut are all good choices. We even like our fish and chips with Salmon. The most important thing when choosing your fish is to make sure it is fresh or was freshly frozen. The flesh should be firm, shiny, and white (unless it isn’t a white fish and it should have a clean smell. Fish that smells like “fish” is NOT fresh.
We are using Cod in this recipe. It is a mild-tasting fish that is tender, moist and has a very flakey texture. Cod is by far, the most popular choice here in the Pacific Northwest but that doesn’t mean it is better than the other fish. Haddock has a more buttery flavor but it isn’t as flakey. If you are looking for sustainable seafood, Pacific Halibut is a great choice.
What Do You Serve with Fish and Chips?
The British will serve the fish and chips with a splash of malt vinegar, a sprinkling of salt, a helping of Mushy Peas and maybe a cold, sudsy beer. The American way is more likely to be a plate of fish and chips with a side of coleslaw or crisp green salad. And the cold sudsy beer! It would be unusual to find mushy peas on the menu in America unless it is a British establishment. If you would like to try mushy peas with your next fish and chips dinner we have a recipe.
Some More Recipes You Will Love:
For a fast and easy fish dinner, try our rockfish recipe or our Cast iron grilled tuna steak cooked rare and finished with large flakes of Maldon salt.
A crisp, crunchy crust surrounds each delicate fillet of our Parmesan Crusted Sole. The thin fillets cook quickly under the broiler as the coating of Parmesan cheese, paprika, and lemon zest melts into a golden crust.
Sablefish is a delicate, fatty fish and the sweetness of the saki-miso marinade is a perfect balance and is complimented with the wasabi emulsion.
For more healthy fish recipes:
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Baked Fish and Chips
Ingredients
For the Fish Fillets:
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seafood seasoning
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1 pound cod fillets
For the Potatoes:
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
For the Bread Crumbs:
- Pile the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to combine then spread in one layer across the pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 3-5 minutes stirring at 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the Fish:
Set up a 3-station breading station in pie plates or shallow dishes:
- Add the flour to one of the dishes
- Whisk together the egg, mayonnaise and seasoning in another dish
- Add the cooled toasted breadcrumbs to the third dish
- Using paper towels, blot the fish fillets to remove excess water. Working with one fillet at a time, coat a fillet with flour, then dip into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Press the crumbs onto the fish firmly making sure the fish is well coated and place the coated fillets on a parchment—lined plate. When all the fish fillets have been coated refrigerate them while preparing the potatoes.
For the Potatoes:
- Increase the oven temperature to 500°F
- Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower third of the oven to preheat.
- Place the cut potatoes into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and carefully distribute the potatoes in one layer over the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and transfer to the lower oven rack and bake until light golden brown, toss the potatoes with a spatula after they have roasted for 15-minutes. Continue roasting the potatoes while the fish is baking.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Place a wire cooling rack over another rimmed baking sheet and coat with non-stick oil spray.
- Remove the breaded fish fillets from the refrigerator and place each one onto the wire rack. Transfer the baking sheet to the upper rack and bake the fish for 10-15 minutes until flaky and the potatoes are golden brown.
- Transfer the potatoes and the fish from the oven and serve hot with your favorite tartar sauce, lemon wedges and mushy peas.
Notes
- The fish fillets can be coated in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs then refrigerated for up to 3 hours in advance then baked when the potatoes are nearly done.
- Fish fillets should be 1/2 to 1-inch thick…thicker fillets will take longer to bake.
- Choose any firm white fish such as rockfish, haddock, cod or halibut.
- Potatoes can be peeled or left with the skins on.
- Cut Russet potatoes 1/4-inch thick, bake in a hot 500°F oven on the lower rack, turn them over after 10-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425°F and bake 10=12 minutes longer while the fish bakes on the upper rack.
- Transfer the potatoes and the fish from the oven and serve hot with tartar sauce, lemon wedges and mushy peas.
