Beer Battered Fish

Published on 12 May 2020 | In | By
    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes
    • Yield
    • 4

Beer battered Fish & Chips and an ice cold beer – need I say more!  And when I say fish, I mean hake.  Hake is a fish that is often relegated to being the second cousin, but in all honesty it is such a delicious tasting, delicate fish.  I have a few recipes using hake (which I will share at a later stage).

I do this recipe with my “Thrice-Cooked-Chips“.  If you want to do these chips with the battered fish, make sure you read the chips recipe first, because it does take a bit of effort…whereas this recipe is easy-peasy!

I do this recipe by shallow frying the fish, but it is obviously much easier if you deep fry it!

RECIPE TIP: If you you are shallow frying, make sure you use a heavy based pan (cast iron works well).  The pan should be large enough to take the length of the fish.

RECIPE TIP: Your oil should be at least 2-3cm deep in the pan, so make sure you have enough oil for your size pan.

RECIPE TIP: Your oil should be at least 180°C – if you are uncertain, use a sugar thermometer to get your temp right.  If your oil is not hot enough your batter will not get crispy.

Ingredients

  • 4 filleted Hake sides
  • 1 cup all purpose Flour (extra flour for dusting)
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3 tsp Paprika powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 250ml Beer (more if required) - open a bottle, make the fish and swig what's left :)
  • Vegetable oil for shallow frying (the oil needs to be 2-3 cm deep in your pan)
  • 4 filleted Hake sides
  • 1 cup all purpose Flour (extra flour for dusting)
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3 tsp Paprika powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 250ml Beer (more if required) - open a bottle, make the fish and swig what's left :)
  • Vegetable oil for shallow frying (the oil needs to be 2-3 cm deep in your pan)
  • 4 filleted Hake sides
  • 1 cup all purpose Flour (extra flour for dusting)
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3 tsp Paprika powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 250ml Beer (more if required) - open a bottle, make the fish and swig what's left :)
  • Vegetable oil for shallow frying (the oil needs to be 2-3 cm deep in your pan)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the flour, the beer, the baking powder, the paprika and the salt, working it until completely free from lumps. You are looking for a consistency like very thick heavy cream. You definitely want it thick enough to really get a good coating on, but if it’s too thick it won’t be as crisp.
  2. Let it sit for a20 minutes for the baking powder to activate.
  3. add 2-3cm oil in heavy, high sided pan that’s sure not to slip around on the stove (cast iron is the best). Get the temperature of the oil up to 180°C (see recipe tip above). If you do not have a thermometer drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as it is heating. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches 180°C
  4. Once the oil has come to temperature, dredge a few pieces of fish in the flour set aside for dusting. Shake off any excess before transferring the floured pieces of fish to your batter.
  5. Dip each piece of fish in the batter and then gently slide it into the waiting oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan here—if you have a large-sized pan, you’ll probably want to do this amount of fish in batches
  6. Let the fish cook for a minute or so and then flip it over to finish cooking. It is done once the batter is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. 1cm thick fillets (before frying) will take 3 or 4 minutes to cook through.
  7. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain and hold in a warm oven while you wait for the remainder of the fish to finish frying.
  8. Whisk together the flour, the beer, the baking powder, the paprika and the salt, working it until completely free from lumps. You are looking for a consistency like very thick heavy cream. You definitely want it thick enough to really get a good coating on, but if it’s too thick it won’t be as crisp.
  9. Let it sit for a20 minutes for the baking powder to activate.
  10. add 2-3cm oil in heavy, high sided pan that’s sure not to slip around on the stove (cast iron is the best). Get the temperature of the oil up to 180°C (see recipe tip above). If you do not have a thermometer drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as it is heating. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches 180°C
  11. Once the oil has come to temperature, dredge a few pieces of fish in the flour set aside for dusting. Shake off any excess before transferring the floured pieces of fish to your batter.
  12. Dip each piece of fish in the batter and then gently slide it into the waiting oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan here—if you have a large-sized pan, you’ll probably want to do this amount of fish in batches
  13. Let the fish cook for a minute or so and then flip it over to finish cooking. It is done once the batter is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. 1cm thick fillets (before frying) will take 3 or 4 minutes to cook through.
  14. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain and hold in a warm oven while you wait for the remainder of the fish to finish frying.
  15. Whisk together the flour, the beer, the baking powder, the paprika and the salt, working it until completely free from lumps. You are looking for a consistency like very thick heavy cream. You definitely want it thick enough to really get a good coating on, but if it’s too thick it won’t be as crisp.
  16. Let it sit for a20 minutes for the baking powder to activate.
  17. add 2-3cm oil in heavy, high sided pan that’s sure not to slip around on the stove (cast iron is the best). Get the temperature of the oil up to 180°C (see recipe tip above). If you do not have a thermometer drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as it is heating. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches 180°C
  18. Once the oil has come to temperature, dredge a few pieces of fish in the flour set aside for dusting. Shake off any excess before transferring the floured pieces of fish to your batter.
  19. Dip each piece of fish in the batter and then gently slide it into the waiting oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan here—if you have a large-sized pan, you’ll probably want to do this amount of fish in batches
  20. Let the fish cook for a minute or so and then flip it over to finish cooking. It is done once the batter is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. 1cm thick fillets (before frying) will take 3 or 4 minutes to cook through.
  21. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain and hold in a warm oven while you wait for the remainder of the fish to finish frying.