What Makes Good Fish and Chips?

Good fish and chips comes down to three things: a batter light enough to shatter rather than bend, oil hot enough to seal that batter before it absorbs grease (around 175 to 190°C), and a white fish firm enough to stay in one piece. A well-made piece shows a thin gap between the batter and the fish, and that gap is steam — the sign the fish cooked gently in its own moisture inside a crisp shell rather than frying directly in oil.

The batter

A good batter is thin and aerated. Carbonation or beer helps, because the bubbles expand in the heat and leave the coating light. A thick, bready batter drinks oil and goes soft within minutes of reaching the table.

The oil

Too cool and the batter absorbs oil before it sets. Too hot and the outside colours before the fish inside is cooked. The window is narrow, which is why fish and chips is a better test of a kitchen than most people assume.

The chips

Chips want a fluffy interior and a dry exterior, which is why they are traditionally cooked twice: once to cook through, once hot to crisp the outside.

How to tell before you taste it

• The batter should sound hollow when tapped.
• There should be no oil pooling on the plate.
• The fish should flake in large pieces, not shred.

Classic Fish & Chips is $22. Fish Pakora ($9 in Happy Hour) is the same idea with a chickpea-flour coating and more spice.

Where to eat it

The Aroma Bistro & Bar is at 32760 Simon Ave, Abbotsford, BC. The kitchen is on from 11:30 every day — Monday to Thursday until 11pm, Friday and Saturday until 1am, Sunday until 10pm. Happy Hour runs 1–5pm daily and again from 9pm until close.

Walk in, call (604) 743-3131, or book a table. The full board is on the menu page.