There aren't many foods that acclaimed foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay can't make better than average, but he is particularly dedicated to elevating fish and chips — so much so that he has his own restaurant chain named after the iconic dish. If you've always wanted to mow down some whitefish and fries in the comfort of your own home, but wondered how Ramsay makes his fish and chips so delicious — pay close attention. His secret ingredient is one no-nonsense addition, and we're not talking about the crème fraîche that Ramsay uses in his tartar sauce .
The secret is in the batter, and the magic add-in is curry powder. The curry powder in Ramsay's beer batter, which also includes beaten egg whites for texture, is earthy, smells great, and lends the crisp coating of the fish a gorgeous golden color. It's only a teaspoon, so the flavor doesn't overwhelm the delicate fish.
In the YouTube video on his channel where Ramsay makes his fish and chips (in ten minutes, no less!), he says that the curry powder "lifts the batter and makes it a little more spicy." Curry powder is a quintessentially British addition to food The top mistake you're making with homemade fish and chips is not flavoring the batter sufficiently. Fried foods are a sponge for flavor and salt, and it takes a lot more than you might think to keep your batter from becoming a tasteless, sludgy coating that detracts from the fish rather than making it delicious.
Curry powder ensures that the fish component of you.