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March 2026 Food Festival: Denis’ Authentic Fish & Chips

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Each month, our Food Festival series highlights a single dish through a chef- and community-driven recipe, practical cooking tips, and serving inspiration.

This March we’re sharing Chef Denis Williams’ Authentic Fish & Chips. Crisp batter shattering around tender white fish. Thick-cut chips with fluffy centers and crunchy edges. Bright green mushy peas finished with butter. A splash of malt vinegar. Maybe a spoonful of tartar sauce. It’s simple food — but executed well, it’s extraordinary.

Chef Denis walks through every essential step — from balancing the batter to achieving chips that stay crisp outside and cloud-soft within.

Want more seasonal ideas? Explore the full Food Festival series here.

Ingredient Spotlight:

While fish may headline the plate, March quietly belongs to the potato. In early spring across the Northeast, the fields are just beginning to wake up. At Katchkie Farm, this is the moment when carefully stored root vegetables — harvested months ago and cured for longevity — continue to anchor the kitchen. Potatoes held through winter develop the dry, starchy structure that makes them ideal for frying. That’s why technique matters now: a brief pre-cook, a thorough dry, hot oil at the right temperature. When handled with care, the humble potato becomes the crisp, golden backbone of the dish.

Artwork by Danica Andler, July 2025

Recipe: Authentic Fish & Chips

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Ingredients

For the Fish
  • 2 pieces white fish (halibut, cod, or scrod)
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup rice flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½  to 1 ¾  cups seltzer
  • Salt and pepper to taste
For the Chips

3-4 large potatoes

Procedure

For the Fish
  1. Season your fish with salt and pepper dredge in the flour mixture and set aside 
  2. Add the seltzer to the flour mixture with the baking powder and soda stir until incorporated into a smooth batter that will coat the back of a spoon 
  3. You might need more liquid so test this via the spoon method 
  4. Heat the oil in a pot or deep fryer until 350* degrees 
  5. Dipping the fish into the batter until coated tap off the excess and fry for about 4-5 minutes for thick cut pieces of fish 
  6. Remove the fish and drain on paper towels set aside in a warm oven 
For the Chips
  1. Cut the washed potatoes into 1×5 inch pieces reserving them in water to keep them from turning brown 
  2. Place them in a pot with cold water and bring them to a boil turn them off and let them sit in the water for 5 minutes 
  3. Dry them out on a counter on top of a towel 
  4. Heat the oil to 350* and fry them until golden brown and crisp about 3-4 minutes drain and season them with salt and pepper 

Recipe: Mushy Peas

No proper fish and chips plate is complete without mushy peas. A staple of British chippies for generations, this vibrant green mash adds gentle sweetness and a soft, buttery contrast to the crisp batter and golden chips. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pack frozen peas

  • 3 Tbsp butter

  • Salt and pepper

Procedure

  1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and the defrosted peas and cook for about 4 minutes 

  2. Mash them with a potato masher or transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth 

  3. Serve with malt vinegar or tartar sauce 

Pro Tips from Our Chefs

Note you must pre cook the potatoes or they will not be crispy 

How to Use It: Serving Suggestions

  • Serve immediately while the fish is hot and the batter is at its crispiest. Finish with a generous pinch of flaky salt and a splash of malt vinegar for brightness. Tartar sauce on the side is classic, but a simple squeeze of lemon works just as well.

  • For a traditional presentation, plate the fish and chips together with a generous spoonful of mushy peas. For a more casual approach, wrap the fish loosely in parchment and serve family-style with chips piled high in a bowl.

  • Pair with a crisp lager, a dry cider, or sparkling water with lemon. If you’re leaning into early spring, add a simple shaved cabbage slaw or quick-pickled onions for contrast and crunch.

  • However you serve it, timing is everything — fish and chips are at their best straight from the fryer to the table.

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