Beer Batter or Not

Everybody loves fried foods.  OK, almost everybody.  With the exception of catfish, I've been using a beer batter for everything.  After all, every fish and chips joint in the UK batters their fish.  Catfish gets done differently because I'd have to turn in my Southern card if I fried catfish coated in anything but cornmeal.

Why use beer to make your batter?  Flavor.  Yes, the carbonation in the beer helps lighten the batter so you don't have a cake like mass on your fish when it's done frying.  Mostly it's flavor and a little impact on the final color.  You can vary the flavor impact by varying the type of beer you use.   A Pilsner gives just a hint of flavor and helps the crust turn a light golden brown.  I tend to use a darker beer like Sam Adams Oktoberfest or Boson Lager.  The maltiness of those boosts the flavor of the batter though it will make the crust a bit darker.

Of course, some people for one reason or another will not want to use beer in their batter.  Those  people can use Club Soda for the carbonation but will need to add more seasonings to the batter to make up for the lack of flavor provided.

One thing to keep in mind with your fish is that you want each piece to be the same thickness so they cook at the same rate.  Some, like white bass and similar fish, have fillets that are fairly uniform in thickness.  Others, like cod, will be thick at the head end of the fillet and fairly thin at the tail.  Cod needs to be cut up into smaller pieces.  I typically get 3 pieces from a cod fillet.   We did fish and chips last week and I did onion rings this weekend for the 4th.

Beer Batter Fish and Chips

This batter is good for anything you wish to fry.  I've used it on fish, shrimp, onion rings, and asparagus.  Yes, you read that right, asparagus.  That was an experiment that turned out quite well.   I think this would work with just about any vegetable.



Beer Battered Asparagus

Beer Batter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 egg
salt
ground white pepper
garlic powder
12 oz beer

Put flour and corn starch in a bowl.  Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.(start with  1 Tbs each).  Mix well.  Beat the egg and pour into the flour mixture.  Add the beer and stir till well mixed.  It should be a fairly runny batter, like thin pancake batter.

As an alternative, substitute 12 oz club soda for the beer.

To fry fish, roll the fillets in flour and shake off the excess.  Dip in the batter till well coated.  Let the excess drain off.  Place in 350 F oil and fry until done.

Beer Battered Cod

For onion rings, cut the onions in 1/2 inch section and separate rings.  Toss the rings in flour then put in the batter.  Pull the rings out of the batter 1 or 2 at a time, let drain a bit and put in the hot oil.  Be sure not to over crowd the onion rings as they'll end up sticking together.

Beer Battered Vidalia Onion Rings

For shrimp, either roll them in flout or dry them with a towel.  I tend to dry them.  Put the shrimp in the batter and fry the same as the onion rings.

Beer Battered Shrimp

If you want a surprise kick, you can season your fish or shrimp with season salt or Korean fine pepper powder before putting them in the batter.  Use your imagination to kick your fish up a notch.

Don't forget to drizzle some of the batter in the oil to make the crunchies like the chip shops do.  Top your fish with malt vinegar and you're good to go.

If you end up with leftovers, they reheat very well.  Put them on a rack, like above, and put them in a 370 F oven for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Uncle T