Fried Fish Sandwich With Tartar Sauce and Hand-Cut Chips

By
Syrie Wongkaew
Syrie Wongkaew
Sydney-based food writer, editor, photographer, and food stylist with a focus on Australian and Thai cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/1/21
Fried Fish Sandwich With Tartar Sauce and Hand-Cut Chips

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 servings

A fried fish sandwich with tartar sauce and crispy chips just seem to say summer—even if it's cold outside. In this recipe, the fish is coated in a tempura-like batter, fried until crisp, and then served on a toasted bun with homemade tartar sauce and a side of hand-cut potato chips. Halibut fillets are used here, but any firm, dense fish will do.

The tartar sauce is a simple mixture of mayonnaise, diced cornichons (small gherkins), onion, and capers, making the perfect cool, creamy foil for the crispy fish. The chips are paper-thin slices of potato fried only for a few seconds, resulting in crunchy, salty chips—the perfect accompaniment!

Ingredients

For the Tartar Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/4 medium onion (diced)

  • 1 teaspoon drained capers (rinsed)

  • 6 cornichons (or small gherkins) diced

For the Hand-Cut Chips:

  • 1 to 2 medium potatoes

  • 2 cups vegetable oil (or sunflower oil) for frying

  • Salt to taste

For the Tempura Battered Fish:

For the Sandwiches:

Steps to Make It

Make the Tartar Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Tartar Sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, cornichons, onion, and capers. Set aside.

    In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, cornichons, onion, and capers

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Make the Chips

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    chips ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Thinly slice the potatoes and place them on a paper towel to dry.

    Thinly slice the potatoes and place them on a paper towel

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat to 350 F or 375 F.

    oil in a medium saucepan

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. In batches, place the potato slices in the oil and fry for about 1 minute or until golden brown and crispy.

    place the potato slices in the oil and fry

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Remove the chips with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue with remaining potatoes.

    chips on paper towels

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Make the Fish

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    fish sandwich ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Return the oil to a temperature of 350 F to 375 F.

    oil in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. In a mixing bowl, combine both the flours, baking powder, and water with a fork.

    combine both the flours, baking powder, and water

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Add the fish fillets and coat well.

    add fish to the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Gently lower the fish into the oil and fry about 3 to 4 minutes or until the batter is golden.

    fish frying in oil

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Remove and drain on paper towels.

    fried fish on a paper towel

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Make the Sandwiches

  1. Lightly toast the buns in a toaster or on a grill or pan over medium heat for a minute or so. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading a layer of tartar sauce onto one side of the buns, followed by mixed lettuce, a fish fillet, a bit more sauce, and then the bun top.

    toasted buns

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Deep-Frying Tips

There are a few important steps to follow when deep-frying to avoid oil-laden, soggy food, including the size of the pot, the type of oil, and maintaining the oil temperature. The pot should have a heavy bottom and be deep and wide enough so that the food can stay submerged in the oil. The best oil for frying is one with a high smoke point, like vegetable oil, and it needs to remain at the target temperature, which can be monitored with a deep-fry thermometer. It's also crucial to not crowd the pan as adding too much food into the oil will lower the temperature, which in turn causes the food to absorb too much oil.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
3260 Calories
268g Fat
129g Carbs
87g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 3260
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 268g 343%
Saturated Fat 25g 123%
Cholesterol 214mg 71%
Sodium 1530mg 67%
Total Carbohydrate 129g 47%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 87g
Vitamin C 23mg 117%
Calcium 288mg 22%
Iron 7mg 42%
Potassium 2862mg 61%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)