> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # British Fish and Chips in Beef Dripping — The Original Recipe - URL: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/fish-and-chips-beef-dripping-british/ - Published: 2026-09-30T18:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T09:28:32.000Z - Description: British fish and chips in beef dripping — battered cod fried in the fat that made this dish famous. Seed oil free. Crispier than any vegetable oil version. - Author: Savannah Ryan - Tags: MAHA Recipes **At a glance:** British Fish and Chips in Beef Dripping — The Original Recipe: serves 4, cooked in dripping, with no seed oils. British fish and chips was originally fried in beef dripping. Every fish and chip shop in Britain used animal fat until the mid-twentieth century when vegetable oil became cheap enough to displace it. The result was a worse product — less crispy, less flavourful, with a greasy quality that animal fat never produces because saturated fats don't absorb into food the same way unsaturated oils do. The double-fry method is what separates good chips from great chips. The first fry at low temperature cooks the potato through. The second fry at high temperature creates the crust. The batter needs to be ice cold and barely mixed — lumpy is better than smooth — and the sparkling water creates bubbles that make it lighter. ## Fish and Chips Recipe Serves 4 Prep 20 min Cook 30 min ### Ingredients - 4 thick cod or haddock fillets (approx 180g each), skin removed and patted dry - Beef dripping or beef tallow — enough to fill your pot or fryer to 8cm depth - 1kg (2.2 lb) Maris Piper or Russet potatoes - Plain flour for dusting the fish - Batter: 200g (1⅔ cups) plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp fine salt, 300ml (1¼ cups) ice-cold sparkling water - Malt vinegar and sea salt to serve ### Method 1. Peel the potatoes and cut into thick chips — about 1.5cm (⅝ inch) wide. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and dry very thoroughly with a clean towel. Any remaining moisture will cause dangerous spitting. 2. Heat the dripping in a deep, heavy pot to 130°C (265°F). Add the chips in batches and cook for 5–6 minutes until just cooked through but not coloured. Remove and drain on a rack. At this stage the chips can sit for up to an hour. 3. Make the batter: whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sparkling water and whisk until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Keep the batter as cold as possible; refrigerate until needed. 4. Increase the dripping temperature to 190°C (375°F). 5. Dust the fish fillets in plain flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the batter. Let the excess batter drip off. 6. Lower the fish carefully into the hot dripping. Fry for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until the batter is deep golden and crispy and the fish is cooked through. 7. Drain the fish on a wire rack. Increase heat back to 190°C. Fry the blanched chips for 4–5 minutes until golden and crispy. 8. Season immediately with sea salt and malt vinegar. Serve at once. Frequently Asked Questions What fat did traditional fish and chip shops use? Beef dripping — the rendered fat from beef roasting. By the 1950s, vegetable oil replaced it for cost reasons. Most British chip shops now use blended vegetable oil, though a number of traditional shops have returned to dripping. Is this seed oil free? Yes. Beef dripping and all other ingredients contain no seed oils. What fish works best? Cod and haddock are traditional. Both have firm white flesh that holds up to deep frying. Pollock and coley are economical alternatives with very similar results. --- Follow Savannah: [@theefoodiekitchen](https://www.instagram.com/theefoodiekitchen/) · [All Links](https://linktr.ee/theefoodiekitchen) **Related:** - [Beef Tallow for Skin: Why the Fat You Cook With Is Also Good for Your Skin](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/beef-tallow-for-skin/) - [Vietnamese Beef Pho — Tallow Bone Broth](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/vietnamese-beef-pho-tallow/) - [Nyama Choma — East African Grilled Beef in Tallow](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/nyama-choma-east-african-grilled-beef/) - [Korean Beef Bulgogi — Tallow Marinated Grilled Beef](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/korean-beef-bulgogi-tallow/) Next step Find every fat and pan we recommend on [our shop page](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/shop/). **Find more in:** [European recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/seed-oil-free-european-recipes/) · [Dinner & Main Dishes recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/seed-oil-free-dinner-and-main-dishes/) · [Beef tallow recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/beef-tallow-recipes/) · [All recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/seed-oil-free-recipes/)