Fish and chips

Taste and texture

Fish and chips combines battered fish with fried potatoes. It is not a croquette of minced fish and potato: fillets and chips retain separate shapes, with a broad crust around the fish and chunky potatoes alongside. Alternating their textures is central to the plate rather than mixing everything into one sauce.

White fish such as cod and haddock are used, but the species is not fixed. Good Food recipes also offer hake. A fillet is flesh removed from the fish, unlike serving the whole animal. Beneath the crust, continuous flesh separates into flakes when cut and provides the main bite.

Liquid batter produces a different coating from breadcrumbs. Recipes can use flour and water, beer or sparkling water, sometimes with baking powder or starch. The wet mixture surrounds the fish and expands and sets during frying. “Beer batter” describes an ingredient in that coating, not a beer sauce poured over the fish.

Chips means potato fries, not thin packaged crisps. Thick pieces contrast a crisp outside with a floury centre. One Good Food recipe precooks, chills and fries them; another parboils and roasts them. These illustrate different finishes, not a universal restaurant procedure.

Possible accompaniments include salt, vinegar, lemon, tartare sauce and mushy peas. Tartare combines mayonnaise with ingredients such as pickles and capers, so it can be tangy and finely textured rather than plain cream. Mashed peas add a soft vegetable component rather than another crisp one. The actual menu determines what is included.

The clearest contrast is moist fish immediately beneath a crisp crust. The outside fries directly while the flesh cooks within the coating; Good Food's sparkling-water and beer example describes this moist result. A small piece containing both layers reveals more than eating the batter alone.

Thickness and shape matter too. Thinly coated areas emphasise fish, while projecting batter breaks more crisply. The classic Good Food recipe drizzles on extra batter during frying to create irregular wisps. Smooth and jagged crusts can therefore reflect different preparation, and browning alone cannot identify the fish or its quantity.

Potato adds a different softness: fish separates into flakes, while the centre of a chip crushes into a floury texture. Thick chips contain more soft interior and can feel substantial if you expect only thin, crisp fries. Alternating fish and potato reveals two distinct textures behind their fried surfaces.

Vinegar and lemon add acidity, salt adds salinity, and tartare brings creaminess and pickle flavour. A fresher taste does not remove the oil. If sauce is separate, try it on one piece first, adjusting the acidity alongside the mild fish and retaining some uncoated crust for variety.

How to order it in Korea

1. Fish and chips does not identify one fixed species. Cod and haddock are examples of white fish used, but other fish are possible. If you have a preferred fish flavor, ask which species is served and check whether its name appears on the menu.
2. The number of fish pieces and the amount of chips vary by shop, so check the portion size when you order.