Flathead is one of the best fried fish choices but it is less common than it was 20 years ago due its price. “Skinless boneless hoki is about $8 a kilo to a chipper, whereas boneless flathead is around $60 a kilogram,” said Susman.
Generally, the fish in fish-n-chips is cod or haddock. In the UK, pub diners are used to plaice in their fish-n-chips, but plaice is generally not available in the US. Tilapia is becoming a popular fish for the dish given its light texture and subtle flavors.
What is the best fish for fish and chips? Flathead is an all-round favourite and barramundi works a treat. Just avoid oily fishes like salmon and lean fishes like tuna and swordfish.
As for picking a fish to deep fry, choose a lean fish with a neutral flavour like halibut, tilapia, cod, or bass. Avoid oily and dense fish like tuna, salmon, or bass. And most importantly, make sure to batter the fish for some good ol' fashioned fish and chips!
You will need white fish for this dish. We chose cod because that was what Gordon uses in his recipe, but you can use halibut, grouper, or any other light white fish you can find.
While barramundi has half the calories of Atlantic farmed salmon, both fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which play a vital role in brain and heart health. Health- and food-focused organizations like the USDA and NIH consistently recommend salmon as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Cod, haddock, flounder, and bass are great for deep frying
However, both types of this fish can still be fried. Flaky and light, cod is commonly used in fish and chips. Flounder is an excellent pick, as it's delicate and lean. The fillets are not too thick, allowing them to cook to a crisp in just several minutes.
To prepare the fish, cut off the fins and tail. Then, score the fish to create a surface area. Coat with rice flavour and drop the fish into the deep fryer with Simply Sunflower Oil at 180 degrees for six minutes.
Fish – Here I use dory fish because in my country this fish is popular because the texture same as cod. If you have cod, I prefer to use it. Also, you can use halibut, flounder, tilapia, pollock, whiting, or catfish.
The fish is usually tarahiki, hoki, red cod, blue warehou, or elephant fish (elephant shark) - battered, fried, then served with chips.
When cod is unavailable, substitute haddock, hake, cusk, tilapia, pollock, striped bass, or white sea bass.
5. Believe it or not, the Filet-O-Fish is actually fish. McDonald's uses Marine Stewardship Council certified wild-caught Alaska Pollock.
Tilapia – tilapia is arguably the mildest tasting fish there is. It's not fishy at all and has a mild sweetness.
Fish for frying – You can use virtually any white fish fillet such as: hoki, whiting, snapper, barramundi, cod, flathead (my favourite!), tilapia, hake, haddock and ling. Fish to avoid: Meaty fish prone to drying out (like swordfish, tuna), delicate or thin fish (like flounder or sole).
When choosing a fish to deep fry, look for an option that has a neutral flavor and isn't too oily. Typically, neutral flavored, white-fleshed, and lean fish are best for frying. Freshwater fish such as bass, trout, and catfish are excellent choices. Avoid dense and oily tuna, salmon, and sea bass.
Cod is the most popular and first choice that comes to mind for many people when preparing a fish fry. Cod is mild and tender, and the right breading makes for the perfect complement to tartar sauce. Cod is the best option if you like to fish with a bit of crunch.
1. Salmon. Salmon is versatile and one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acid, which is essential as the body cannot make it on its own so it must be obtained through food. Salmon's also high in protein, with just 200g providing around 44g protein.
Traditional frying uses beef dripping or lard; however, vegetable oils, such as palm oil, rapeseed or peanut oil (used because of its relatively high smoke point) now predominate.
Cod. Cod is the most popular choice, and for most consumers, this is what first comes to mind when they think of fish and chips. It's mild and tender, the perfect complement to the breading on top and the malt vinegar or tartar sauce that you pair the fish and fries with.
While it might be tempting to try and take the healthy route by choosing extra virgin olive oil, it's not great for frying due to its low smoke point. Vegetable, canola, and grapeseed oil are widely considered the best choices. They have roughly a 400-degree smoke point, neutral flavor, and are very affordable.