Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
This is the preparation method most closely associated with “fish and chips,” though undoubtedly the predominant method in any given area may differ. The beer batter puffs up around the fish, enrobing it in a lovely crispy shell. Some aromatic ingredients are added to the batter to keep it from being plain, but they do not generally register all that strongly, nor should they.
The batter is very similar to tempura batter. The components should be kept cold up until the very last moment, so that the batter itself will stay cold for as long as possible. And of course, the mixing process should be as gentle as possible, to preserve the fizziness of the beer. Rather than double the batch, make a second if you run out of batter, as one tall-boy of beer will make two batches. Just keep the beer cold in the meantime.
For the crispiest fish, drain it on a rack. In the absence of a rack, crumpled or pleated paper towels will provide a minimal-contact surface to allow excess oil to drain out of the batter without pooling around it. Lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce and malt vinegar may all be desirable condiments to go with this, depending on the side dishes.
Makes enough for x people, roughly n units.
Equipment:
• large mixing bowl
• large, high-sided skillet or dutch oven, for frying (high sides reduce spatter)
• rack and/or paper-towel-lined tray
• tongs or spider (a spoon w/ more slots than spoon) for handing fried items
• pie tin or similar for dredging flour
Ingredients:
12 oz lean white fish cod, haddock, catfish, tilapia, halibut, etc.
1 cup cake flour (AP flour w/ 2 Tbsp swapped for cornstarch)
1 cup flour for dredging; any type will do
1 cup cold beer - something light
1 ea egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard or paprika
1-3 litre cooking oil
Procedure:
1. Set up the fry pot and let it get up to temperature, which will generally take some time. Stir the warming oil every so often to help it along.
2. If your fish requires butchery, get that done first. Gut, filet, skin, and reduce it to portions suitable for your fry pot.
3. Set up the dredging pan with its flour so it will be ready.
4. Put the cake flour into the mixing bowl.
5. Beat the egg with the salt and mustard.
6. Add the egg and the beer to the flour, and combine until a cottage-cheese consistency is achieved. It is not necessary to eliminate all the lumps.
7. Once the oil is hot (~360F), dredge each piece of fish in flour and then dip it in batter, and fry it. If using a shallow-fry technique, try to turn the fish over exactly once, about 2 or 3 minutes into the cooking time.
8. Don’t crowd the fry pot. Mine can only cook one portion of fish at a time, which was two pieces.
9. Season the fish immediately after getting it settled on the draining tray.
10. Allow fish to rest for about 5 minutes before attempting to eat it. It stays hot a long time, so frying two or even three portions in sequence should not create a situation where someone’s food is cold.
11. Strain the oil once it has cooled down, and retain it for future re-use to fry things. Oil can be used until it starts to have unpleasant or incompatible aromas.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
This is the preparation method most closely associated with “fish and chips,” though undoubtedly the predominant method in any given area may differ. The beer batter puffs up around the fish, enrobing it in a lovely crispy shell. Some aromatic ingredients are added to the batter to keep it from being plain, but they do not generally register all that strongly, nor should they.
The batter is very similar to tempura batter. The components should be kept cold up until the very last moment, so that the batter itself will stay cold for as long as possible. And of course, the mixing process should be as gentle as possible, to preserve the fizziness of the beer. Rather than double the batch, make a second if you run out of batter, as one tall-boy of beer will make two batches. Just keep the beer cold in the meantime.
For the crispiest fish, drain it on a rack. In the absence of a rack, crumpled or pleated paper towels will provide a minimal-contact surface to allow excess oil to drain out of the batter without pooling around it. Lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce and malt vinegar may all be desirable condiments to go with this, depending on the side dishes.
Makes enough for x people, roughly n units.
Equipment:
• large mixing bowl
• large, high-sided skillet or dutch oven, for frying (high sides reduce spatter)
• rack and/or paper-towel-lined tray
• tongs or spider (a spoon w/ more slots than spoon) for handing fried items
• pie tin or similar for dredging flour
Ingredients:
12 oz lean white fish cod, haddock, catfish, tilapia, halibut, etc.
1 cup cake flour (AP flour w/ 2 Tbsp swapped for cornstarch)
1 cup flour for dredging; any type will do
1 cup cold beer - something light
1 ea egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard or paprika
1-3 litre cooking oil
Procedure:
1. Set up the fry pot and let it get up to temperature, which will generally take some time. Stir the warming oil every so often to help it along.
2. If your fish requires butchery, get that done first. Gut, filet, skin, and reduce it to portions suitable for your fry pot.
3. Set up the dredging pan with its flour so it will be ready.
4. Put the cake flour into the mixing bowl.
5. Beat the egg with the salt and mustard.
6. Add the egg and the beer to the flour, and combine until a cottage-cheese consistency is achieved. It is not necessary to eliminate all the lumps.
7. Once the oil is hot (~360F), dredge each piece of fish in flour and then dip it in batter, and fry it. If using a shallow-fry technique, try to turn the fish over exactly once, about 2 or 3 minutes into the cooking time.
8. Don’t crowd the fry pot. Mine can only cook one portion of fish at a time, which was two pieces.
9. Season the fish immediately after getting it settled on the draining tray.
10. Allow fish to rest for about 5 minutes before attempting to eat it. It stays hot a long time, so frying two or even three portions in sequence should not create a situation where someone’s food is cold.
11. Strain the oil once it has cooled down, and retain it for future re-use to fry things. Oil can be used until it starts to have unpleasant or incompatible aromas.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
