Coat Your Fish In Potato Chips For A Delectably Flavorful Crust

When you think of fish and chips, your mind probably goes to the classic British dish featuring fried fish paired with French fries (referred to as "chips" in Great Britain). But it might be time to rethink that phrase and try fish that's literally made with potato chips. Coating fish in batter isn't a bad way to do it, but if you're looking for a unique flavor and crunch, coat the fish in seasoned potato chips instead.

There are a few ways you can utilize the potato chips. To help the coating maintain its crunch, you can combine crushed, flavored chips with plain breadcrumbs, which will give that exterior a crunchy texture, but still give you flavor from the chips. Or, you can use potato chips without the breadcrumbs.

Dip the fish into an egg wash first, to get the coating to stick. You can also create a mixture of chips and mayonnaise or sour cream, then lather this onto the fish. With this method, the extra moisture from the mayonnaise will prevent the chips from burning. Plus, the mayonnaise's fat helps crisp up the fish's exterior because as it heats, that fat causes water on the outside of the fish to evaporate, leaving you with a crispy coating.

Plain potato chips are fine here, but with so many flavors on the market, it doesn't hurt to experiment. Sour cream and onion chips would pair nicely with white fish and a little lemon juice, but you could go bold and choose jalapeño chips, or get cheesy and spicy with crushed cheddar horseradish chips. The chips will do best in the oven, so bake the fish rather than fry it in hot oil. Otherwise, the chips could burn.

For a heartier texture, you don't have to stick with potato chips at all. You can use crushed Fritos, which are thicker than potato chips, and have a salty flavor that will work well. Depending on how you're serving the fish, tortilla chips could work as well (especially if you're making fish tacos). To finish the dish, pair the tortilla-coated fish with some mango salsa to bring all of the flavors together. 

No matter the fish or breading you choose, bake it until it flakes easily with a fork. You don't want to overcook the fish, because you could burn the chips and give the seafood a chewy texture.