Best Beer Battered Fish
We enjoy our fish fry at least once a year, usually during Lent. This coating is light and crispy with that great beer flavor! I liven it up with some Old Bay Seasoning and garlic powder that give the filets just the right amount of interest that blends beautifully with a good beer. You will not regret giving up your best quality bottle of beer for this!
Serve up this up with French fries and my restaurant-style Hush Puppies. Accompaniments: malt vinegar or lemon wedges, tartar and/or hot sauce.
Notes and tips:
- The darker the beer, the more beer flavor. I find the darkest beers to be a little bit too much. My preference is for a good, full-bodied beer that's not dark.
- Batter should be loose, slightly thinner than pancake batter. You may need to add a little more beer if your flour is a bit dry.
- Try to cut the fish into consistently sized pieces. This way you can time their cooking and browning to get them just right.
- Invest in a candy thermometer so you can keep the fat at 350°F. A lower temperature could result in greasy fish; too high and the crust will brown before the fish has cooked. A thermometer helps you get it right.
- A Dutch oven is recommended for deep frying, if you do not have a specific deep fryer.
- I don’t use the frying basket when I use a deep fryer. I find that the fish and crust can stick to the basket of smaller home fryers so I put the fish directly into the grease and use tongs or a slotted spoon to turn and remove them.
- Test the first piece that you fry for desired doneness. You can adjust timing with the rest of the fish for a perfect outcome.
This coating is light and crispy with that great beer flavor! I liven it up with some Old Bay Seasoning and garlic powder. It blends beautifully with a good beer. You will not regret giving up a bottle of your best quality beer for this!
- 1 gal Canola Oil (or Safflower)
- 1.5 lb Cod Filets (or other firm, white-fleshed fish)
- 2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 12 floz Beer (good quality)
Turn oven on to 200°
Heat Canola or Safflower oil to 350°F in either a Dutch oven or deep fryer.
Cut cod into 1 inch wide strips. Make sure to dry the pieces with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Mix the cornstarch and spices together in a shallow dish. Dredge the fish pieces, a few at a time. Shake off excess.
Combine remaining dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer.
Immediately coat the fish in the beer batter, pausing a second or two to let excess batter drip off. Drop fish carefully into the hot oil, a few at a time. Be sure to watch the oil temperature and moderate it to maintain 350°
Fry fish for 5 to 8 minutes, turning to brown both sides.
When brown, remove fish from grease and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with newspaper and paper towel, or on a roasting rack that has been placed on the baking sheet.
Hold fish in warm oven until all fish is done.