Fish n Chips n Mushy Peas is a classic British cuisine national favorite. The “mushy peas” have stayed pretty much a Britain favored part of the meal, but Fish and Chips took off as a favorite dish in many countries worldwide. However, nowhere other than in England can you get this exact, authentic and traditional version of Fish n Chips n Mushy Peas.

(Photo Attributed to Author: Charles Haynes from Bangalore, India)

Fish n Chips n Mushy Peas Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
• zest of 1 lemon
• vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ thick sticks
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup beer (lager is best)
• 3/4 cup sparkling water (seltzer)
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1-1/2 lb. cod fish fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercorns, to taste
• Malt vinegar, for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium large skillet, bring 6 cups of liberally salted water to a vigorous boil. Add in the frozen peas and cook for about 4 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the boiling hot cooking water, drain the peas, and then return them to the skillet.
2. Now add in the lemon zest, butter and cooking water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mash the peas roughly with a potato masher or with several pulses in a food processor; cover and set aside.
3. In a Dutch oven or heavy duty wide-bottomed cooking pot, over 300 degrees Fahrenheit, heat 2 inches of oil. In another large cooking pot, fill it halfway full of water and bring the water to a rolling boil.
4. While the oil heats and the water boils, rinse the potatoes with cold fresh water – this will remove some of the surface starches – then pat them dry.
5. Blanch the potato sticks, in batches if necessary, in the boiling water. About 2 minutes should do it. You don’t want them cooked through and completely softened, just slightly softened and turned bright white. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
6. Raise the temperature of the oil to 345 degrees Fahrenheit and preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.
7. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the rice flour, baking soda, 1-1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Pour in the beer, lemon juice and sparkling water, and mix just to combine everything – you do not want to over-mix. Refrigerated this batter until ready for use.
8. Once the oil is ready, fry the potato sticks, again in batches if necessary, until they are golden brown and crisp – about 3 minutes should do it. Drain the oil off on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, pat the tops dry with more paper towel, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Then place them in the oven to stay warm.
   
9. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Place the remaining cup of flour in a wide bottomed bowl and dredge the fillets through the flour, coating them well on all sides. Then dip them into the batter, turning and swishing, to again ensure they are well coated all over.
10. Exercising caution, swish the first fillet partially into the oil for a couple seconds before completely releasing and dropping into the hot oil. As soon as the batter starts to set on the first fillet, you can then add in another fillet, and so on. Fry them until the fish is cooked through, turning over now and then: it should be golden brown and puffed up. This will typically take about 6 or 7 minutes for thick fillets, and less, say only 5 minutes, for thin fillets. You may have to work in batches, of course, and if so, keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven. Once all the fillets are cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined large platter and pat them dry with more paper towels. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired.
11. To serve your Fish n Chips n Mushy Peas, reheat the peas if necessary, then present the fish with the chips and the mushy peas to the table. And have malt vinegar on the table, too. The Fish and the chips taste great with a dash of malt vinegar on them.