Hot take: Idaho potato batter is ruining fish and chips everywhere

Stopped at this spot in Seattle called The Golden Hook last month and they battered the cod with mashed potato flakes instead of a proper flour mix, it was like eating a soggy fry. Why are people so obsessed with making everything potato when a simple beer batter is way crispier and actually lets the fish taste like fish?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielw8828d ago

Stop eating at places that do that gimmick stuff. Golden Hook is overrated anyway, there are three better fish and chip spots in Seattle that use proper tempura or beer batter like Ballard Fish House and The Codfather. Mashed potato flakes in batter is a lazy shortcut that makes the coating heavy and greasy instead of light and crispy. Your fish should flake apart cleanly without the coating sliding off in one wet chunk. Next time ask if they dust the fish in flour first before the batter that step makes a huge difference in keeping everything stuck together. Stick to traditional methods and you will never run into potato nonsense again.

miles_sanchez28d ago

Honestly I used to think the potato flake thing was just some clever hack and didnt really mind it. But you make a solid point about the coating sliding off in one wet chunk, thats exactly what happened last time I went to a place that bragged about their "secret batter recipe." I always wondered why some fish and chips fell apart so bad while others held together perfectly, and the flour dusting step makes so much sense now. Ballard Fish House is definitely on my list to try this weekend, I cant believe Ive been sleeping on it. Thanks for the pro tip, I bet my homemade attempts will actually turn out crispy now instead of that sad greasy mess.