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6 Comments Is there anything more satisfying then a really good fish and chips? Here I used Alaskan cod for making the fish and chips.
Fish and chips
This delicious recipe for fish and chips has it all. Crunchy outside and delicious flesh on the inside. Serve with a sauce of your choice for the best experience!
Sustainable fish
There is a lot going on lately around fish and for a very good reason too. The amount of commercial fishing has huge consequences for the ecosystem and fishing with large nets usually means a lot of fish is caught that is not of any commercial value. Young tiny fish or species that are not edible at all and the list goes on. These often just get discarded. And I am not even talking about the damage that the nets cause to the coral reef.
Enough reason in any case to try and eat as much sustainable fish as you can.
But what are the things you need to look at when buying fish? And how do you know if a fish was caught in a sustainable way?
Fresh fish
For starters you would probably like a fresh fish. And since I always pay special attention to that fact I have come to the shocking conclusion that a lot of the fish in the store is really not fresh anymore. It is quite easy to recognize a fresh fish, once you know what to look for and that is easiest in a whole fish. So with skin and head still on. So what to look out for?
How to check if the fish is fresh?
- The easiest is to look at the eyes of the fish. These need to be clear. If the eyes are cloudy it is definitely not a fresh fish anymore.
- Secondly the layer of slime on top of the skin; a fresh fish has slime on it (and while that doesn’t sound attractive, it is what you want!)
- The gills need to be fresh and bright red. If they are damaged and brown you can be sure that the fish is not fresh .
- If you choose to buy fish filets, choose if they are smooth and if the filets look strong. If you buy filets it is advisable to buy them with the skin still on. It will keep the fish compact and it will be easier when baking the fish as the skin will keep the delicate flesh.
When is a fish sustainable?
Most important thing is that the fisheries take the effects of fishing on the ecosystem into account. Without enough fish to guarantee the survival of a species it will be over quickly for the fish. Sustainable fishermen will always try to avoid damage to the oceanfloor and will also try to limit the amount of bycatch. Fishing with lines is – in general – a very sustainable way of fishing; you have little to no bycatch and no seafloor damage.
Where is it caught
Ask your fishmonger how and where the fish is caught. Theoretically you can assume that the fishmonger sells sustainable fish, but in reality that might not be the case. Also pay attention to the RFM-quality label and also check the guides for sustainable fish that will be available in most countries. Here in the Netherlands we have the Viswijzer; which is a very handy tool to quickly check if your fish is ok. They also have an app to go along with it.
All fish coming from Alaska needs to fullfill the strict set of rules set by the Alaskan Internationally acknowledged Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) quality seal. This is a quality seal that is developed in Alaska and is something that all fishermen, fish handlers and fish transporters need to live by.
Wild and/or sustainable fish by Alaska Seafood can be found in the freezer area of your supermarket. The fish often gets frozen right at sea to guarantee the quality. And that also means that fish you can get from the freezer is just as healthy – and sometimes definitely a lot fresher – than the fish you can find at your fishmonger or market. Nothing bad with regards to fishmongers of course, but my experience is that our local fishmonger has ‘old’ fish in the store too often. You prevent that part by quickly freezing the fish because quality wil start to deteriorate as soon as the fish leaves the water.
Fish and chips recipe
And of course I cannot leave you with this story and not give a delicious recipe with wild Alaskan cod.. I came to the conclusion that I never made fish and chips myself. Baked in a beer batter which gives it a lovely crispy outside layer. Delicious with a homemade tartar sauce.
Alaskan fish and chips
Ingredients
- 900 gr new potatoes cut into wedges (I left the skin on) always precook them briefly for about 5 minutes, drain and leave to dry a bit
- oliveoil
- 125 gr all purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground garlic
- 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder and some extra for the potatoes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pepper
- salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 150 ml Mexican beer
- 500 gr cod filets Alaskan or other
For the sauce
- 4 tbsp mayonaise
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 3 gherkins chopped finely
- 2 tbsp capers chopped
- handful of chives chopped
- splash of chipotle tabasco
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 200˚C (400˚F). Put the potato wedges on a baking tray and spread them out. Sprinkle the olive oil over the top and mix them well so each potato wedge has some oil on it. Sprinkle with pepper, salt and a bit of chili powder.
- Bake the potatos in the oven for about 40 minutes or until golden and crispy. Turn halfway through
- Make your batter in the meantime by mixing the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Add to this the spices (chili, paprika, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt) and the egg and the beer. Whisk to a smooth batter
- Heat oil in a large frying pan.
- Spread a little bit of flour on the cod filets and drag them through the batter. .
- Bake for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden and crispy
- Make your tartarsauce by mixing the mayonaise with the yogurt, gherkins, capers and the herbs. Add chipotle tabasco to taste.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Gorgeous little bites 😀
Wonderful post! I’m a big fan of frozen fish — it done properly, it’s usually superior to all but the freshest fish. And even though we have a great fishmonger (he has a retail store, but his main business is supplying fish to most of the area restaurants) who gets daily deliveries, that still means his fish is at least 24 hours old, and probably more. Although that’s still quite good — properly iced fish usually remains good for several days. Anyway, good post & recipe — thanks.
We are in the midst of truly trying to eat more seafood, especially now that my husband is particularly finding himself less fond of beef. I’m thrilled! But I also recognize how it can be challenging to eat sustainably… The Seafood Watch by the Monterey Aquarium is very helpful! I love their app, I refer to it often!
These fish and chips look perfect… I’m always looking for more ways to enjoy fish!
Ha. I wish my husband would be less fond of beef.. 😉 But we are also trying to eat more seafood but it’s hard to find truly fresh fish here so we usually have to work with whatever we can find frozen…
Sustainability is really important and it’s good that this is. Looks wonderful to eat too!
it certainly is Maureen! Love those crispy outsides.. 😉