Battered Fried Fish
Batter slides off fish for one reason: it is clinging to a wet surface, and that surface turns to steam in the oil and pushes the coating away. So the fish gets dried, then dusted with plain flour, and only then dipped.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 10 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 440 kcal
Ingredients
Fish
Batter
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What to use instead
Cold light beer instead of sparkling water gives an even thinner crust with a faint malty note.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prepare the fish
Cut the fillets into 3 cm strips, dry them thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Leave 10 minutes, then blot off the moisture that beads up.
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Step 2: Mix the batter
Whisk the eggs with salt, pour in the ice-cold sparkling water and add the flour. Stir briefly, just until combined; overworked batter turns rubbery as the gluten develops.
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Step 3: Rest the batter
Cover and chill for 30 minutes. The gluten relaxes while the gas bubbles stay put, and those bubbles are what make the crust light.
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Step 4: Heat the oil
Pour the oil 3 cm deep and heat it to 175 °C. A drop of batter should rise and sizzle at once; in cooler oil the fish simply soaks up fat.
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Step 5: Dust and dip
Dust each piece in dry flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the batter and let the surplus drip back.
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Step 6: Fry in batches
Add 4 or 5 pieces at a time so the oil stays hot, and fry for 3 minutes a side to an even gold.
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Step 7: Check doneness
Break the thickest piece open: the flesh should be white, matt and separating into flakes. A thermometer reads 63 °C.
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Step 8: Drain and serve
Lift onto a wire rack rather than paper towel, which steams the underside soggy within a minute. Serve hot with lemon.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Skim the burnt batter crumbs out between batches: they turn bitter fast and tint the next pieces brown.
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Swap
Cold light beer instead of sparkling water gives an even thinner crust with a faint malty note.
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Tip
Pollock and hake hold a lot of water. If the fillets feel wet, leave them uncovered on a rack in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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Storage
Best within the first half hour. Next day, bring the crunch back in a 190 °C oven for 8 minutes; a microwave cannot help here.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 440 kcal | 1,760 kcal |
| Protein | 29 g | 116 g |
| Fat | 25 g | 100 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g | 100 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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