Beer Battered Fish | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

Should I put an egg in my beer batter? ›

Beat in one egg.

Some people leave this step out and just stick to a basic beer-and-flour batter, which is perfectly effective. But, beating in an egg helps to add a little body and golden richness to the batter, helping it to crisp up a little more nicely.

What is the best beer for fish batter? It's best to save your craft beers for drinking, and use a simple light beer. Anything from very light (PBR) to a mild British ale (like Newcastle Brown Ale) will work well.

The yeast in the beer acts like yeast in bread, making the batter thin and puffy. Just make sure your beer is extra cold — when the cold batter hits the hot oil, the reaction ensures the coating is nice and crispy when it comes out of the fryer.

The carbonation will help give the batter an airy texture. Slowly add a bit more club soda and continue to mix. Do this until the batter reaches a nice smooth yet thick consistency.

Gastropub legend Trish Hilferty, writing in Lobster & Chips, her celebration of the magical union of fish and potato, uses fresh yeast for her traditional beer batter, as well as the eponymous beer. It must rest for at least an hour before use, by which time it's risen obligingly, like an over-eager bread dough.

Amber ales are relatively sweet, but in a batter surrounding the right food (fennel or zucchini slices, for instance) it tastes exactly right. Fish and chips taste extra-English when you pop a bit of this in the batter.

Old, stale beers do just fine in breads, chili, beer can chicken, for tenderizing meat before grilling, or for a beer batter for fish or seafood.

Dip the fish in the batter until it's completely covered, roll it back in the rice flour, and then gently drop it into 375° oil. Cook until golden brown, about four to five minutes. Your eyes and ears are the best way to tell when it's done.

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

If the wet batter is too thick (in consistency) your cooked batter will be thick (in depth) around the fish and tends to soak up too much oil. Too watery on the other hand and it won't coat the fish properly, and will go soggy quickly. Aim for a batter that runs but fully coats the back of a spoon – see video.

Should you put egg in fish batter? ›

When ready to fry fish (I use cod or halibut) pieces, bring egg whites to room temperature then beat them until stiff; fold beaten egg whites gently into beer batter. Blot fish pieces dry with paper towels; dredge each lightly with flour then dip into batter to cover completely.

Using milk in this recipe has different functions. As well as acting as an adherent, the milk sugars help the batter to brown while frying. Also, the lactic acid in milk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda in the self-raising flour to produce carbon dioxide.

Cold water slows the development of gluten, and that allows the oil to get into and around the batter. That's also why you want the batter to be lumpy - you don't want to work it too much.

Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, they add moisture to cakes and other baked goods, and can even act as glue or glaze.

Egg white adds viscosity and mouthfeel to co*cktails and drinks such as sours only taste their best when made with added egg white. Egg white can also add an attractive foamy head to co*cktails and the amount of foam produced can be extenuated using a Dry Shake.

Eggs also add a golden colour to batter through their yolk, so an eggless batter may have a different hue than you are used to. An advantage to eggs in batter is that their protein helps seal the moisture into the food, keeping it succulent and keeping as little oil from getting in as possible.

Batters made with beer or soda water are leavened by the carbonation in the liquid. Eggs, dairy ingredients, sugar, turmeric or paprika an all help the batter develop a richer golden-brown color. Batter should be light, crisp and not taste of oil.