Fish and chips may sound basic, but the comforting foundation of battered, fried fish and golden fries paired with a craveable dip consistently offers menu developers new reasons to apply on-trend twists to the classic dish.

Diving deeper into the foundational elements of fish and chips is where culinary discovery pays dividends. While chefs continue exploring signature batters and coatings and lean on established fish selections, the following value-added components are poised for rekindled interpretation. Pulling from flavor systems the world over, these ideas emphasize fresh looks at infusing global flavor inspiration into a simple, yet beloved, favorite.

1

Introduce a Nontraditional Side Pairing

Shake things up with a roasted vegetable update or venture into unexpected—and perhaps unorthodox—arrays of worldly side dish companions. Contrast the rich, fried dish with punchy pickled vegetables, light yet flavorful slaws (pomelo-fennel slaw, for example) or robust vegetable medleys (like a chilled Thai green bean salad). Alternatively, double down on decadence with the likes of fried squash rounds, fritters or flavored biscuits.

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• Southeast Asia: tempura tilapia + citrus-sea salt skinny fries + whipped cream cheese-coconut dip + hot and sour green papaya-herb slaw
• West Africa: classic crisp-battered cod + sea salt crinkle fries + smoked tomato mayo + spicy black-eyed pea fritters (akara)
• Italy: classic crisp-battered pollock + sea salt steak fries + limoncello aïoli + fontina-sun-dried tomato-scallion buttermilk biscuit
• Regional American: craft beer-battered cod + sea salt-dusted, natural-cut fries + smoked bacon aïoli + pickled shaved green tomatoes
• Mexico: cornmeal flour-coated flounder + jalapeño-sea salt skinny fries + avocado crema + hibiscus-pickled jicama wedges

2

Go Big on Chip Seasonings

Just as fries have a wonderment of styles and cuts, fry seasonings should evoke the same excitement. Theme fry seasoning and dip around a specific cuisine, or simply offer patrons customized globally flavored chip options to complement a classic crisp-battered fish and tartar sauce. Buck tradition and use flavored potato chips or a crispy mélange featuring fried plantains, taro root and vegetables. Roasted and seasoned fingerling potato wedges or crispy hash browns provide an additional alternative.

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• Japan: classic crisp-battered cod + furikake shoestring sweet potato fries + pickled ginger-wasabi mayo
• West Africa: panko-breaded pollock + suya-spiced waffle fries + caramelized plantain aïoli
• Spain: classic crisp-battered cod + tots tossed with crumbles of grated manchego, minced pepperoncini and crispy serrano ham + romesco
• Regional American: tempura flounder + Cajun ranch-seasoned, natural-cut fries + Pontchartrain sauce
• Mexico: classic crisp-battered tilapia + dirty steak fries (tossed with chorizo crumbles, queso blanco crumbles, charred nopales) + pepita-cilantro pesto

3

Cool Down With Dips

Chilled dips not only bring a cooling contrast to a warm dish, they can also pack a global punch that harmoniously flavors both the fried fish and the chips. Dips that highlight savory, spicy, herbaceous and textured creamy flavors are especially popular right now. These stylings provide chefs the culinary creativity to add new context to the fish and chips experience.

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• Thai: classic crisp-battered pollock + lime sea salt skinny fries + Sriracha tartar sauce
• North Africa: panko-coated flounder + sea salt-pink peppercorn crispy matchstick fries + chermoula
• Greece: spicy (cayenne or sweet paprika) crisp-battered cod + sea salt curly fries + tzatziki
• Regional American: honey butter biscuit-coated flounder + sea salt straight-cut sweet potato fries + barbecue comeback sauce
• Mexico: tortilla crusted tilapia + achiote sea salt waffle fries + creamy michelada cocktail sauce

4

Warm up With Sauces

While chilled dips are a staple, steadfast complement to fish and chips, warm sauces offer a tasty departure and open the door to exploring flavors not previously attached to the dish. These sauces, often anchored in butter, cream or gravy, can accommodate a number of global flavor systems, bringing unexpected nuance to a neutral comfort food.

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• Korean: classic crisp-battered flounder + sea salt natural-cut fries + warm ssamjang-tangerine butter sauce
• East Africa: classic crisp-battered pollock + sea salt skin-on wedge fries + warm suugo (Somali pasta sauce)
• Greece: classic crisp-battered tilapia + smoked sea salt curly fries + warm roasted garlic-goat cheese béchamel
• Regional American: potato-crusted cod + beer-battered steak fries + warm New England clam chowder sauce
• Mexico: tortilla-crusted cod + citrus-sea salt crinkle fries + warm chipotle brown gravy