Why Guinness Is An Ideal Brew For Your Beer-Battered Fish And Chips

Fish, chips, and a separate cold pint — ask any Briton and they'll tell you a classic fish and chips is synonymous with "a proper good time." The chefs are going to tell you something different, though — that the cold pint is going to be a lot better when incorporated into the batter of your fish and chips than solely alongside it. But not just any kind of beer is going to give you a good beer-batter. To get the best results, a traditional Irish Guinness is the way to go. 

Bold and rich, with a dark color that's a total contrast to the golden brown color you'd imagine fish and chips to have, Guinness is probably not the first beer that comes to your mind when you think of a beer-batter. Surprisingly, though, it works: The complex balance between the sweetness of the malt and the bitterness of the roasted barley lends great flavor depth, while the stout's carbonation is conducive to a light and crispy batter. 

While no, Guinness won't turn your entire dish inky black, there is one catch: it doesn't play well with every fish. Cod is a fish and chips classic, but as noted in our round-up of the 15 best types of beers to use in batter, the delicate flavor of the fish can get drowned out by the Guiness's bold maltiness. Knowing that, you'll want to be flexible.

When using Guinness in your beer-battered fish and chips, you'll want to pick a type of fish with more pronounced flavors — ones that can hold their own against the malty stout. Halibut, for instance, will work a whole lot better thanks to its slightly sweet flavor. There's also monkfish, mahi-mahi, and catfish — all with mild yet distinct personalities ranging from sweet to subtly rich, perfectly complementing those of the Guinness. You can take other white fish into consideration, too, even if they sound odd. Swordfish is sweet and moist, with a meaty texture that'll make for an almost steak-like fish and chips, while salmon also makes a surprisingly great pair with Guinness thanks to its fattiness.

However, if you want to stick to cod or the classic pub recipe, you don't have to change the fish — just adjust the beer. Guinness comes in a lot of styles, and you'll want to pick Guinness Draught rather than Extra Stout, which is much stronger-tasting. If the batter still tastes a bit too strong for your liking, make a half-and-half beer-batter — half Guinness and half lager. That'll give you the flavor and texture that a Guinness grants, while significantly lightening the bitterness and density to work better with a milder-tasting fish. Once plated with a handful of steak-cut fries, a sprinkle of salt, and a drizzle of malt vinegar, your beer-battered chips will pay homage to the British classic — bringing tears to the eyes of any hungry Briton.