Salt-and-Vinegar Baked Fish and Chips

Updated Sept. 9, 2024

Salt-and-Vinegar Baked Fish and Chips
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(428)
Comments
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There’s nothing quite like the savory pucker of a salt and vinegar potato chip. Those flavors are applied to these fish and chips, baked in the oven for workday ease. Don’t be afraid of white vinegar: Its bracing, unadulterated acidity makes flaky white fish taste so good. Vinegar’s tartness also helps offset the richness of the fried potatoes. Reminiscent of a seafood shack dinner, this dish includes a makeshift tartar sauce that both marinates the fish and serves as a dip. It stars dill in all its glory, as an herb that reinforces the joyful sharpness of salt and vinegar.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 14 to 15ounces frozen French fries
  • 5tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1tablespoon capers, chopped
  • 2tablespoons distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 4tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
  • Coarse kosher salt and black pepper
  • 4(4-ounce) flaky white fish fillets, such as haddock or cod, 1 to 1½ inches thick, thawed if frozen
  • ½cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

478 calories; 24 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 936 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a large sheet pan, spread out the French fries in a single layer and scootch to the edges of the pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly crispy at the edges.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir to combine the mayonnaise, capers, vinegar, 2 tablespoons dill, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Transfer about half of the sauce to a small serving dish; set aside for later. Add the fish to the rest of the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

  3. Step 3

    In a separate bowl, stir to combine the panko, olive oil, remaining 2 tablespoons dill, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

  4. Step 4

    When the fries are slightly crisp at the edges, add the marinated fish pieces to the sheet pan. Sprinkle the fish evenly with panko, then douse the fish and fries with vinegar to taste (1 to 2 tablespoons) and sprinkle with salt.

  5. Step 5

    Bake the fish alongside the fries until the fish is flaky and no longer opaque in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the reserved sauce.

Ratings

5 out of 5
428 user ratings
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Comments

The fries go back in the oven with the fish. The fries cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then the fish is added to the same sheet pan and the fries and fish cook together for 12 to 15 minutes. We adjusted the language in the recipe to make that clearer. Thanks!

Use malt vinegar to make it more like British fish and chips.

I made this for dinner tonight and I really loved it! I used a whole 20 oz. bag of Wegman’s hand cut frozen fries and frozen cod. I didn’t bother defrosting all the way and just cooked an extra five minutes. The cooking time was longer than the fries called for but it did not matter and I loved the extra crispness.

Step 4: "...then douse the fish and fries with vinegar to taste (1 to 2 tablespoons)" "Douse" means to drench or saturate. One to 2 tablespoons of vinegar would hardly douse a single 4 oz cod filet, much less a pound of cod and almost a pound of french fries. At best, it's enough for a very light speinkle over the whole works. So which am I doing? Dousing or sprinkling?

Could you substitute crushed salt and vinegar potato chips for the panko bread crumbs to make this gluten free?

Very yummy! Used tilapia. Loved swapping my usual lemon and mustard out for malted vinegar for the acid, especially with that delicious sauce. Was out of capers and fresh herbs, but it was fine with dried. Definitely make more sauce than called for. I used smashed baby potatoes in lieu of fries, and it was delicious, but I think deep fried beer battered fries would have been better. Shocker, I know.

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