Best fish for fish & chips?

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Chef Maloney

Senior Cook
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We ate lunch at a fish & chips (don't remember the name) a few weeks ago. They had a great tasting fish. Wish I had asked what kind. It was a white fish, it was not cod but it tasted so close I could not tell the difference. They were wonderful, large, thick and white cuts of fish meat. Anyone have any idea what kind of fish that might have been? What kind of fish do you like fried? Thanks :)
 
Haddock and pollack are common. Lots of others. In the better shops, it depends a lot on what's available locally.
 
At most "fine dining" restaurants AKA local pubs that serve fish and chips or fish sandwiches, unless they specify, it's usally pollack from Alaska. And by "fine dining", I mean you can relax, put your elbows on the table and eat with your fingers. Local specialty fish is Minnesota Walleye, which we all know is imported from Canada. ;)

Pollack is quite mild and tasty.

Call the restaurant and ask / or look at their menu on line if they have a website.
 
If it cost $15 or less, it's likely it was tilapia. Most tilapia sold in the U.S. is imported from China and since their environmental practices aren't very good, they're not the best choice. I would definitely ask the restaurant.
 
You can use any type of white fish, but in the UK it's traditionally made from cod or haddock.

However, when it comes right down to it, any fish that's covered in batter and deep fried, is generally more about the batter and the accoutrements than the fish. ;)
 
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I was going to mention both Haddock, and Pollack. Other good choices include red snapper, whitefish or walleye (Great Lakes fish), Jumbo Perch, small mouth bass, and Boston Blue Fish. If you want more flavor, but still fairly mild, fresh pink salmon is amazing, as are speckled trout fillets, or swordfish. Yellow fin tuna, if it's fresh is also good. Catfish, if caught in clean water, is mild and has the proper texture as well. Herring will work.

These fish will work, but will need to have the fatty parts removed:
Chinook Salmon, Lake Trout, Pike (can be very bony if not prepared right), sockey salmon, coho salmon, steelhead/rainbow trout, most tuna.

I've had battered pink salmon that had no fishy flavor, and was an absolute delight. I've also had salmon where the fatty meat from under the dorsal fin, and belly meat was left on. It was not good eating. Fish fat is very strong flavored, and isn't tasty to most people. Think cond-liver-oil flavor. Remove the fat, and sometimes the skin, and that same fish can be wonderful.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
If it was Halibut it would be very expensive meal.
Thank you everyone for your responses. It was not a very expensive meal, about $15 per person which I consider 'not cheap' for lunch but the food was great and the portions were fair sized. From the responses here I am thinking the fish was probably haddock or possibly halibut. Next time we go I will ask what kind of fish it is but the restaurant is 60 miles away so it will be awhile. :yum:
 
Most places around here use Pacific red snapper, which is actually rock cod, and will upgrade you to halibut for an additional cost.
 
While cod is traditional, and you were probably served pollack (which is cod-related), I would recommend you try an ocean perch (rose fish). It is just great for deep frying in batter.
 
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I agree Snip..when reading your posts I have noticed a lot of similarities in food...that is great :)
 
We usually get hake ...

Hm, I wonder if it has different name here in the states, last time i saw that fish back in my soviet days. Need to google it, see what it is called here. Thanks for reminder.
As far as original question. I would use the mildest fish possible and by using seasoning you like would get the taste you like.
 
Hm, just google it. Did not really find anything. Dear American friends, ar eyou familiar witht hat fish? Is it available in stores where you are?
 
Hm, I wonder if it has different name here in the states, last time i saw that fish back in my soviet days. Need to google it, see what it is called here. Thanks for reminder.
As far as original question. I would use the mildest fish possible and by using seasoning you like would get the taste you like.

Hake
 

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