Friends, I am delighted to bring you this post. Vegan fish & chips made with an epic new product called Banana Blossoms!
Unlike many other vegan recipes that wrap a slice of tofu in seaweed and call it a day, this vegan fish & chips recipe has a flaky, uber-realistic texture.
I also spent a lot of time researching and testing the absolute best frying methods to ensure this vegan fish & chips is perfectly golden and crisp.
It’s soooooooo delicious!
This is another recipe brought to you by my dear friends at Nature’s Charm! I have loved working with them on my last few recipes, like the Vegan Butterscotch Bourbon Bread Pudding and the Jackfruit Carbonara I posted last week!
I don’t do a lot of sponsored posts, but I am so pleased to be working with this company! I love all of their products I’ve tried and they are even helping me test recipes for my upcoming cookbook- How cool is that?
Back to this vegan fish & chips- the banana blossoms look and taste so much like fish filets- it’s crazy! Definitely worth trying, especially if you’ve got a craving for vegan British pub food!
The easiest way to find the banana blossoms is probably ordering through Amazon since it’s such a new product. I buy my kelp powder from the bulk spice bin of my local health food store, but you can also find it online or at an Asian market.
You could also pulverize a few sheets of seaweed snacks if that’s easier for you!
If you’re looking to win over friends and family to the dark side (aka trying to get them to go vegan)- this is the perfect recipe to try! If you give it a whirl, please be sure to rate it in the comments so I know how yours turned out!
Don’t forget to snap a pic of your epic vegan fish & chips for Instagram with the hashtag #carrotsandflowers! I just love seeing your creations. It always makes my day!
To save this vegan fish & chips recipe for later, Pin the photo below!
- 1 (18oz, 510 g) can Nature's Charm Banana Blossoms
- frozen french fries
- Oil for frying
- Marinade:
- 2 cups (470 ml) water
- 1 tbsp (7 g) kelp powder
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (1 g) chopped dill
- Batter:
- 1 cup(120 g) flour (chilled)
- 1 tsp (4 g) celery salt
- 1 tsp (2 g) paprika
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Pinch garlic powder
- 1 cup (236 ml) ice cold IPA or other beer
- Vegan Tartar Sauce:
- ¼ cup (58 g) vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp (10 g) minced cornichons (small pickles)
- 2 tsp (20 g) caper, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) white vinegar
- ½ tsp dijon
- 1 tsp (2 g) fresh dill, chopped
- Pinch salt and pepper
- Drain the banana blossoms then shape them into filets. Wrap the blossoms in clean kitchen towels and squeeze out all of the brine.
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Submerge the banana blossoms in marinade. Cover and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Wait 40 minutes. Place the beer and flour in the freezer for ten minutes to chill. This will help the filets stay extra crispy when frying. Once it's chilled, mix the flour with the rest of the batter ingredients except for the beer. Slowly add the beer to the flour mixture while stirring. Cover and place the batter in the freezer for ten minutes so it is extra cold.
- Bake the fries according to package instructions. Make the sauce. Cover and place in the fridge. Add the flour to a plate.
- Heat the oil in a large deep skillet to 365F. Meanwhile, take the banana blossoms out of the freezer and drain. Gently wrap the blossoms in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze all of the water out. Press the leaves together tightly to form a filet shape, then coat them in the flour, getting in all the crevices. Dunk them in a thick coating of batter then fry them in the hot oil until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip halfway.
- Fry the banana blossoms in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. If the temperature of the oil drops, the filets will become greasy. I recommend heating the oil back up between batches so the second batch is perfectly crisp.
To test if the oil is hot, add a bit of salt. When it sizzles, it's ready!
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Oh my goodness, I saw a video on YT just the other day about vegan fish and chips and I am so very excited! Of all the things I’m surprised not to miss as a vegan, fish and chips is one that I cannot shake. I will be making these for sure, and soon! I’ll let you know how I fare. Thank you for this recipe!!
I think I’ll try these in an air fryer to eliminate the oil.
what are banana blossoms. are they artichokes?
That’s what I thought so I looked it up:
“Common in South-East Asian cuisine, banana blossoms (aka banana flower or banana heart) are tear-shaped maroon or purplish flowers hanging at the end of banana clusters. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are used primarily in salads, curries or soups”
From the Veganmiam website
Oh I must find the Banana Blossoms immediately! I’ve been craving fish ‘n chips of late but have only Gardein fish and I find the texture wrong but the taste not bad. This looks so much better. This is the first time I have found or even heard of your blog. I will definitely be following you, not trolling but following… LOL
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I am gluten free. Will using GF flour make a difference?
Is there a replacement for the beer. Making it now
another recipe call for sparkling water
could you make this in an air fryer or convection oven instead? If so, what would the adjustment be? TY
Hi Nikki,
I’ve never used an air fryer before so I can’t speculate. I’d love to hear how it goes if you decide to give it a whirl!
I made them in a convection oven, which isn’t exactly an air fryer. But it was terrible. The blossoms never softened and the batter didn’t really get crispy. Maybe my blossoms were too thick? I tried cooking them at a higher temperature for a short time and a lower temperature for a longer time. No dice. I gave up and fried them in oil and it was better buy they still didn’t really soften. I was really hoping for some melty-soft fishy texture but it was tough and a bit stringy. The flavor was great though.
I have freah banana flowers how do i use rhem in rhis recipe?
My local Asian Market sells fresh banana blossoms. How do I prepare the fresh blossom for this recipe?
Hi Lorri!
I’ve never used fresh banana blossoms before but I did find a helpful link for you! Please note, the part of the banana blossoms used in this recipes is the heart. Hope this helps!
https://veganmiam.com/how-to/how-to-prepare-banana-blossom
Megan
It states put fillets in the freezer for a hour?.wouldnt this would turn the whole thing into a ice block .or did you mean fridge?
Hi Sarah,
The water won’t freeze, but the filets will stay icy cold! The colder the item is that you’re frying, the faster the water is expelled into the hot oil, which makes for the crispiest crust. I found this method to be the best. Hope you enjoy!
Thanx 😉 gonna try this tonight
Would Soda water work for batter?as I don’t drink
Alcohol and don’t own or buy any too expensive.
I would so love to try this – but am allergic to bananas so I am worried that the blossom will have the same effects ? Anyone got any ideas on this ??
Hi Soo,
I would check with your doctor! I think it’s safe to assume the blossoms will have the same effect otherwise. Can you have artichoke hearts? The flavor and shape will be different but I think it will still be delicious!
have you tried baking the “fish”. I want to cut down on the oil. I tried it for the first time, and used coconut oil. it was delicious. Can I freeze the leftover, made two batch. and PS. i look for the can without preservative, just blossom, water and salt. thanks
I’m slightly confused. Should there be two separate lots of flour? One for the batter and one for putting the fillets in before coating in the batter?
No you not confused. I would say there should be two lots of flour – one for the batter and then a separate flat dish with flour to coat the blossoms in. The dry flour helps the batter stick
Where is the flour for the plate in the list? Is it just plain flour or seasonings in it as well?
I made these today for dinner and followed the recipe exactly. We ended up having only chips because the filets tasted of absolutely nothing. The batter had a nice crunchy texture though. I’m sad to say this was a waste of time and ingredients.