Thin potato slices in a light, crisp batter
Potato scallops are battered slices of potato, not seafood. This fish-and-chip-shop favourite is also known as a potato cake in parts of Australia. This home version uses briefly parboiled potato and a flour–cornflour batter for a tender centre.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 25 mins
- Rest
- 15 minutes cooling and drying
- Total
- 1 hour
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
The recipe
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Before you start
Slice the potatoes evenly, briefly parboil, then cool and dry thoroughly. Mix the batter only when the oil is ready. Fry in small batches and serve immediately. The total time allows for cooling and several frying batches.
Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Heavy deep saucepan paid link
- Frying thermometer paid link
- Slotted spoon or spider paid link
- Wire rack and tray paid link
- Mixing bowl paid link
- Sharp knife or mandoline with guard paid link
Method
Cut the peeled potatoes into even 4–5 mm slices. Put them in a pan of gently simmering salted water and cook for 3–4 minutes. They should just begin to soften but remain firm enough to lift without breaking.
Lift out the slices with a slotted spoon. Spread them in a single layer on a clean towel, pat dry and leave for about 15 minutes. Remove surface moisture before battering.
Heat the frying oil to 175–180°C in a heavy, deep saucepan. Use enough for a depth of about 5 cm, but never fill the pan more than one-third full. Set a wire rack over a tray nearby.
Mix the 150 g flour, cornflour, baking powder and 4 g salt. Stir in 250 ml ice-cold sparkling water just until combined. A few small lumps are fine. The batter should coat a potato slice in a thin layer; add a little of the reserved water if it is too thick.
Dust a few potato slices lightly in the extra flour, shake off the excess and dip them into the batter. Let excess batter drip back into the bowl. Lower each slice carefully into the oil, away from you.
Fry a small batch for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Check that the potato inside the first piece is tender; thicker slices may need longer. Keep the oil between 175°C and 180°C and allow it to recover between batches.
Lift onto the rack, season lightly and repeat with the remaining potato. Serve hot with lemon wedges. Do not cover or pile them up while draining, as trapped steam softens the crust.
Chef’s notes
Even slices cook more reliably than a mixture of thick and thin pieces. A frying thermometer is more useful than guessing the oil temperature. Dry the parboiled potato well so water does not splutter in the oil. Keep the batter cold and avoid beating it smooth.
Tips and variations
Use a floury potato that holds together during the brief parboil. Do not cook the slices until fully soft at this stage. Still cold water works if sparkling water is unavailable, although the coating may be a little less light. For a beer batter variation, replace the sparkling water with the same volume of cold beer; this changes the allergen and alcohol considerations.
Serve with
Serve as a small side portion alongside grilled fish or a vegetable salad. Offer lemon, malt vinegar or tomato sauce separately so the batter stays crisp. This recipe makes six side servings; the number of pieces depends on potato size.
Storage
Best eaten immediately. Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container at 5°C or below for up to 24 hours. Reheat on a rack in a 200°C conventional oven until hot throughout and crisp, about 8–12 minutes. The coating will soften in storage. Do not keep used batter that has been left beside the hot fryer.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
Not calculated. Oil absorption varies with batter thickness, frying temperature and draining, so a reliable per-serving value needs measured recipe analysis.
Allergens
Contains wheat and gluten. Check the baking powder and any sauces. If beer is used, check its gluten and other allergen information. Shared frying oil may contain traces of fish, crustaceans or other allergens.
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Questions
Are potato scallops made with seafood?
No. In this recipe, scallop describes the thin slice of potato.
Why parboil the potato?
A brief parboil helps the centre become tender before the batter browns. Keep the slices firm and dry them thoroughly.
Why is the batter greasy?
Oil that is too cool or an overcrowded pan can produce a heavy coating. Check the temperature and fry fewer slices at a time.
