Description
This Crispy Beer Battered Fish recipe delivers perfectly golden and ultra-crispy fish fillets with a light, airy batter made from a blend of plain and rice flours and ice-cold beer. Ideal for serving with tartare sauce, lemon wedges, and crispy fries or baked wedges, it’s a fantastic take on classic fish and chips with an extra crunchy twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Fish
- 700 g white fish fillets, skinless and boneless (flathead, snapper, whiting, cod, tilapia, flathead)
Dusting
- 1/4 cup rice flour
Crispy Fish Batter
- 3/4 cup plain/all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup very cold beer (lager or pale ale, avoid dark beers)
Cooking
- 4 to 5 cups peanut oil (or vegetable, canola, or cottonseed oil)
Serving
- Tartare sauce
- Lemon wedges
- Homemade crispy French fries
- Baked potato wedges
Instructions
- Dry & cut fish: Pat the fish dry thoroughly using paper towels or a tea towel. Cut into 7 x 3 cm (3 x 1¼ inch) batons or larger fillets if preferred. For thick fillets over 3 cm, slice horizontally in half to ensure even cooking.
- Dusting bowl: Place 1/4 cup rice flour in a shallow bowl for dusting the fish pieces before battering.
- Heat oil: Heat 6 cm (2 to 3 inches) of oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 190°C (375°F).
- Salt & dust: Lightly sprinkle 3 or 4 fish pieces with a pinch of salt, then coat each in rice flour, shaking off the excess. This can be done up to 10 minutes before frying.
- Cold batter: Just before cooking, whisk together the plain flour, rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the very cold beer while whisking gently until combined. The batter should be fairly thin, able to coat the back of a spoon. Add more beer 1 tsp at a time if too thick. Do not over-mix; some lumps are fine.
- Dredge fish: Dip each piece of fish into the batter, allowing excess to drip off briefly.
- Fry 3 minutes: Carefully lower battered fish pieces into the hot oil one at a time, away from you. Fry in batches without crowding the pot. Cook for about 3 minutes, flipping after 2 minutes, until deep golden and crispy.
- Drain: Remove fish with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat the frying process with the remaining fish pieces.
- Serve: Serve the crispy fish hot with tartare sauce, lemon wedges, and a leafy green salad dressed with classic vinaigrette. Accompany with crispy French fries or oven-baked potato wedges.
Notes
- Keep the batter cold at all times for the crispiest results; refrigerate between batches if necessary, especially in warm environments.
- Rice flour is essential for crispiness; if unavailable, substitute with cornstarch or potato starch for a slightly less crispy but still good texture.
- Use ice-cold pale ale or lager beers, avoiding dark beers like stout or porter, which affect batter color and flavor. Non-alcoholic substitute: soda water plus 1/4 tsp extra baking powder.
- Do not over-mix the batter to prevent gluten development; lumps are expected and desired for a lighter crust.
- For large batch cooking, consider double frying: first fry at 190°C for 2½ minutes until golden but not deep golden, drain, then fry again at 200°C for 1 minute until deep golden and crisp.
- Oil can be strained and reused up to two more times for frying similar savory foods.
- This recipe cannot be made ahead as fried fish will become soggy if reheated; batter needs to be freshly prepared every time.
- Nutrition estimates include a conservative allowance for oil absorption but actual calories may be lower due to batter loss and draining.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 175 g fish with batter)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
