beer battered fried fish

Fried fish is one of Ed's favorite foods. Well, really. Anything fried is Ed's favorite food. Dip it in oil and simmer it for a while and he's all about it. So this was a give in. Fried fish. I did have a moment in the grocery store where I couldn't remember if Ed like tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. So, I bought both. Turns out he likes both. That makes it a win-win.

The key to fried fish is to use a hearty white fish like cod, haddock, halibut... or tilapia. That's what I'm using here because it was on sale. Tilapia is hearty enough to handle the batter, and light enough to still be flaky. Another win-win.

Even though this is a batter, you'll still want to dust the outsides of the fish with cornstarch to help it stick even better.

Have you ever felt cornstarch? I mean, really feel it? It's one of the strangest sensations... just rub a little between your fingers. It creeps me out, kind of. In a good way.

Here's the dry stuff for the batter... regular flour, black pepper, paprika, all seasons salt, garlic powder and salt. That's it! Now time for the liquids.

Beer! That's all you need. Beer solves all problems... when it comes to batter that is. The addition of beer will add a hoppy flavor, some bubbly texture (that's a technical term) and just a touch of sweetness.

This is the beer I used. Keep in mind that any beer that you choose will add a distinct flavor to the batter. If you have any questions about this particular beer, you can visit their website here... or you can ask Ed and he'll tell you all about 'em.

Prepare your fish for the plunge...

Aw yessss... so messy! Let the excess drain off a bit before plopping the fish into the hot oil. And by plopping, I mean gently lowering it into oil as to not splash any on your hands.

This isn't going to take long to fry at all... just about 5 minutes of fry time. I do flip mine over just to make sure each side is nice and golden brown. You'll want to fry each piece at a time to make sure they don't stick together in the pan. To keep them nice and warm and crispy while waiting for them all to fry up, place the finished fillets on a sheet pan and keep them in the oven on warm.

Look at these handsome boys! They love watching me cook... and they love it even more when I slip them little bits of food to snack on.

Look how crispy and lovely this is. Begging for malt vinegar. You'll make this again and again. I had requests for more fish before I even served it.

Beer Battered Fried Fish
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon all seasons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 oz. light beer
1 1/2 lb. white flaky fish
Cornstarch, for dusting
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
Kosher salt

In a large stock pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine together flour, all seasons salt, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Whisk in beer until a cake batter consistency forms. Dust each fish fillet with cornstarch, then dredge them through the prepared batter. Drop each fillet, one at a time, in the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes, turning once halfway through. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat until all fillets are fried and enjoy!