Make Vegan Fish and Chips

Vegans can enjoy a plate of fish and chips with this contemporary twist on the traditional recipe. Substitute tofu for fish, which makes for a healthy alternative to the traditional fish and chips recipe.

Ingredients

"Fish" Component

  • 1 350 g/12.3 oz packet of firm tofu
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 12 oz/355g can beer (use non-alcoholic beer if you don't want alcohol in the food)
  • 1 teaspoon kelp powder
  • 1 cup cornstarch

Chips

  • 4 large Russet potatoes, sliced into strips
  • 3 liters/101 fl oz vegetable oil (canola or corn oil are good choices)

Tartar Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons dill pickle, chopped finely
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon wasabi (if using powdered wasabi, reconstitute 3/4 tbsp. wasabi powder in 3/4 tbsp. cold water)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Optional

  • Lemon wedges

Steps

Draining the Tofu for the "Fish"

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºF or 95ºC. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place a clear tea towel over a strainer.
  3. Line a strainer with a clean tea towel.
  4. Put the tofu into the strainer and cover with another clean tea towel.
  5. Place the strainer over a large bowl to allow the liquid from the tofu to drain into it.
  6. Leave the tofu in this position for an hour.

Making the Tartar Sauce

  1. Prepare all of the ingredients.
  2. While the tofu is draining, stir together the ingredients specified for the sauce ingredients, in a medium bowl.
  3. Chill the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Making the Chips

  1. Fill a large pot with cold water and soak the sliced potatoes for one hour.
  2. Drain the potatoes in the strainer and dry them thoroughly with a clean tea towel.
  3. Prepare the cooling tray by layering a baking sheet with 8 sheets of newspaper and placing a cooling rack on top.
  4. Heat the oil in a large cooking pot to 275ºF/140ºC.
    • Check the accuracy of the temperature using a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the pot.
  5. Add the potatoes in small batches to the oil and fry them until they become soft and turn a light golden color.
  6. Drain the fries on the cooling rack.
  7. When you're done frying all of the potatoes, transfer them from the cooling rack to the other baking sheet you prepared and put them in the oven to keep them warm.
  8. When you're ready to serve the chips, re-fry them in the 350ºF/180ºC oil (see below) to keep them crispy.

Making the "Fish"

  1. Mix the cornstarch and kelp powder together on a plate. Set aside.
  2. Make the batter for the tofu by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, white pepper and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Make sure that the batter is smooth and consistent by whisking thoroughly.
  3. Slowly pour the beer (or substitute) into the batter by adding about a 1/4 cup at a time, whisking to incorporate. Continue to do so until all the beer has been incorporated into the batter.
  4. Heat the oil to 350ºF/180ºC in preparation for the tofu.
  5. Gently remove the tofu from the strainer and place it on a cutting board.
  6. Using a sharp knife, cut the tofu into 1/4" thick slices.
  7. Dredge the tofu in the cornstarch and kelp powder.
  8. After coating the tofu in the dry mixture, dip it in the batter, evenly coating all sides.
  9. Carefully put the battered tofu in the oil and fry until it turns a golden brown.
  10. Remove the tofu and drain it on the cooling rack.
  11. Place the fish and chips on a platter with some optional lemon wedges, and with the tartar sauce for a salty, crispy delight.

Tips

  • If the batter is thicker than waffle or pancake batter, add more beer as appropriate to thin it.
  • To help along the process of straining the tofu, you can place a heavy plate on top of the tofu to squeeze more water out of it.
  • When frying the potatoes and tofu, make sure you don't fill the pot with too many items at once; the more food you try to fry at once, the fast the temperature of the oil drops, making the frying process less efficient.

Warnings

  • Always use extreme caution when cooking with hot oil.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Strainer
  • 3 tea towels
  • 2 large bowls
  • Medium bowl
  • 2 large pots
  • 8 sheets newspaper
  • Cooling rack
  • Candy thermometer
  • Whisk
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Plate

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Sources and Citations

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