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Do you miss proper British fish and chips on a low-carb diet? Today, I have a solution to your fish and chips cravings! A lot of low-carb fish and chips recipes are made using nut flour based batters which can result in less than exciting breaded fish, dense and not very crispy.
These keto fish and chips on the other hand are awesome! A light, crispy batter with the perfect flakey fish waiting inside (you can use either cod or haddock), and served with the best low-carb fries!
We're using these low-carb fries which are made with parsley roots as opposed to rutabaga (swede), kohlrabi, celeriac or turnip meaning the carbs are much lower, and guys, they taste the best.
If you’ve not tried parsley roots before, here in the UK I get them from Ocado or Natoora. They taste a bit like a parsnip but not as sweet. Once you try them, I guarantee you’ll have them on repeat order in your shopping basket!
Can't find parsley roots? Try rutabaga, turnips or kohlrabi instead. Here's the full Low-Carb Parsley Fries recipe for more step-by-step photos and all the alternatives you can use instead.
Note that these fries won't taste like potatoes but they are by far the best vegetable alternative I've tried.
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Top Tips for the Best Low-Carb Fish and Chips
1. Pre-Cook your Fries
Parsley roots take longer to cook than potatoes so it's important to pre-cook them. Pre-cooking the fries before deep-frying them will ensure that they are cooked through on the inside and then when you fry them, they’re crisp on the outside too. Prolonged deep frying would make them too dry.
To pre-cook, microwave the parsley fries for 4 to 6 minutes before frying. Alternatively, you can boil the parsley fries. To do that, place in a saucepan filled with water. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Once cooked, pour through a colander to drain. They should be crisp tender so when you fry them they are cooked inside and crisped up on the outside without getting too dry.
You can find our step-by-step guide on how to make Low-Carb Parsley Fries here.
2. Use Sparkling Water For Fluffy Batter
Using sparkling water as opposed to commonly used cream in most keto recipes makes the batter super light. Traditionally, a fish and chip batter doesn’t use egg I know and if you can't eat eggs you can omit it in this recipe but to be honest, egg-free batter doesn’t stick to the fish as well as the one with an egg. It’s much better if you can use an egg. You could even use low-carb and gluten-free beer instead of just sparkling water.
3. Swap Protein Powder For Flour
Using whey protein to replace standard flour or nut flours results in a nice crisp, light batter! Make sure to use isolate (very low-carb), and not concentrate. I kept the flavouring of the batter really neutral for this recipe but you can always experiment with 1/4 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder or using low-carb beer instead of sparkling water for beer battered fish!
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Hands-on Overall
Serving size 1 fish fillet + about 85 g/ 3 oz fries
Nutritional values (per serving, 1 fish fillet + about 85 g/ 3 oz fries)
Net carbs5.5 grams
Protein54.4 grams
Fat40.4 grams
Calories582 kcal
Calories from carbs 4%, protein 36%, fat 60%
Total carbs10 gramsFiber4.5 gramsSugars0.2 gramsSaturated fat4.9 gramsSodium1,388 mg(60% RDA)Magnesium176 mg(44% RDA)Potassium1,084 mg(54% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 3 servings)
Chips:
- 900 g parsley roots, peeled and cut into fries (2 lbs) - see tips above for alternatives
- 3/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- enough frying oil for the fries and fish (avocado oil, ghee, goose fat or duck fat work best)
Fish:
Instructions
- To make the fries, you'll need about 900 g (2 lbs) parsley roots. Once peeled and trimmed, you'll get about 750 (1.65 lbs) of net weight which is what I used in this recipe. Peel and slice the parsley roots into 1 cm thick fries.
Note: Can't find parsley roots? Try rutabaga, turnips or kohlrabi instead. Here's the full Low-Carb Parsley Fries recipe for more step-by-step photos and all the alternatives you can use instead.
- Cook in the microwave for 4 to 6 minutes or until al-dente. (The length of time will depend how fresh your parsley roots are and also how thick you cut them so start at about 1 1/2 mins and increase in 30 second increments.) You want them almost cooked but with a good bite left so when added to the hot oil, you’re simply crisping the outside.
- Pour about 3 cups of oil in a small but deep sauce pan, or as much as you need to fully cover the fries and later to also fit the fish fillets, one at a time. (Note: I only included a small part of the oil in the nutrition facts as most will be discarded.)
- Heat the oil to very hot, about 180 °C/ 355 °F. When hot, add the parsley fries using a slotted spoon and fry for 5 to 10 minutes until golden. Once cooked, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate or tray lined with paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. When still hot, sprinkle with salt to taste.
- While the fries are cooking, prepare the batter to coat the fish. Combine the whey protein, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the egg and gradually add the sparkling water (or use low-carb beer), using a hand balloon whisk stir until well combined, then whisk through the egg.
- To fry the fish, dip each piece of fish, one at a time, into the batter to evenly coat. Fry for 6 - 8 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish) or until crisp and golden on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the hot oil.
- Repeat for the remaining fillets. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and repeat with remaining fillets.
- Serve with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt, lemon wedges and Mayonnaise or Sugar-Free Ketchup.
- This keto fish & chips meal is best served immediately. If needed, it can be reheated in the oven or microwaved.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 1 fish fillet + about 85 g/ 3 oz fries)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Parsley roots, fresh |
| 4.3 g | 5.9 g | 1.5 g | 29 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb) |
| 0.8 g | 19.7 g | 0 g | 83 kcal |
| Baking powder, gluten-free |
| 0.3 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Water, sparkling |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.1 g | 2.1 g | 1.6 g | 24 kcal |
| Fish, cod, Atlantic, raw |
| 0 g | 26.7 g | 1 g | 123 kcal |
| Avocado oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 36.3 g | 321 kcal |
| Total per serving, 1 fish fillet + about 85 g/ 3 oz fries |
| 5.5 g | 54.4 g | 40.4 g | 582 kcal |
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