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I think I finally figured out why I love fries so much, I grew up eating Beer Batter Fish & Chips! I remember how excited I used to get when my dad would make this meal for dinner. Okay, I may have been more excited when we went to the Fish & Chip shop in Westlake, CA for lunch. They served the Fish & Chips wrapped in real newspaper!!
I thought that was the coolest thing ever! As an adult, it kind of freaks me out, LOL. If you look closely, you will see a sheet of waxed paper between my food and the newspaper. 😉 I have no idea when the OCD kicked in, it's actually quite annoying.
I am pulling this recipe out of the vault for St. Patrick's Day, which is kind of odd considering the fact that I use Newcastle Brown Ale. I have tried making this batter with Guinness, and Corona, but it just wasn't the same. My mom is from Newcastle, and that is the beer that I remember from my childhood. It just doesn't taste right when I mess with the recipe. 😉
How to make Beer Batter Fish:
Heat about 1/3 gallon of peanut oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven until it reaches 350 degrees.
Mix 1 cup of flour with salt and white pepper on a large plate, and set aside.....
Whisk 2 cups of flour with salt, baking powder, pepper, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beer, and whisk to create a smooth batter.....
I made my Homemade French Fries first, so my oil was ready to go. Dredge the cod pieces in the flour mixture.....
Coating all sides. Then dip cod into the batter making sure to completely coat.....
Carefully slide the battered cod into the heated oil.....
The fish like to sink to the bottom, so use a pair of tongs or a wire scoop to keep the fish floating. Continue with the remaining fish, cooking until the fish is golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Serve with Homemade "Chips", lemon wedges, and/or malt vinegar.....
I personally do not dip my fish into any kind of sauce. Nor do I use the lemon or vinegar, but it's the traditional way to serve authentic Fish & Chips. That bottle of vinegar will remain unopened until my dad shows up to use it, or it goes out of date and I toss it in the trash, LOL
Light, crispy perfection.....just like I remember.....
Some additional British/Irish recipes that you should try:
Homemade French Fries "Chips"
Guinness Steak Pie - my take on the British Steak & Ale Pie.
I pulled my fish out of the freezer 2 days before I needed it, and it was still frozen! I used it anyway and it worked perfectly. From now on I may just go ahead and use it frozen, one less thing to worry about. 😉
Enjoy!!
Beer Batter Fish
Ingredients
For Dredging:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
For the Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups dark ale beer (I used Newcastle)
- 2 large eggs
To Cook:
- 2 pounds cod (cut into 2-inch strips)
- peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large, heavy pot {or Dutch oven).
- Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large place, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, pepper, and sugar. Add the eggs and beer, whisk to combine.
- Dredge cod in the flour mixture, then dip in the batter; turn to completely cover.
- Gently place the battered cod in the hot oil. Use tongs to keep fish from sticking to the bottom. Continue with additional pieces of fish.
- Cook until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- Serve with homemade "chips", lemon wedges, and malt vinegar.
Sharlee@mynewlines says
I'm visiting from the Pretty Pintastic Link-Up! These look SO good...actually a lot of your food on here looks so good! I'm glad I found you!
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you so much Sharlee!! I am glad you found me as well!!
marcie says
You had to go and fry fish in beer batter! This just looks too good, Lisa. I don't fry often at all, but this is seriously tempting me!
heather @french press says
your beer batter looks absolutely perfect! just like my grandma used to make
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
That batter looks perfect .... and I'm a malt vinegar kinda gal! I love it on fish! Too funny about the wax paper - I never would have noticed had you not mentioned it! 😉
Shelly says
I LOVE fish and chips - but I'm quite frightened of the deep frying part - did it make a huge mess?
Found you through Made from Pinterest - thanks for sharing!
Lisa Johnson says
Yes Shelly, it does make a mess. The oil will bubble and splatter, but it's really easy to clean up. Deep frying is something that I only do once or twice a year, but this fish is worth it!! 🙂
Catherine says
Dear Lisa, this looks delicious!! This kind of food reminds me of the warm summer months. Pinning for later. xo, Catherine
Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T says
Mmm....one of my comfort foods! Just about the only time I get beer-battered fish is on vacation. We're headed out of town next week which means I may get it! Looks perfect. Shared on FB.
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you Julie! Have a great time on vacation, I am totally jealous! 🙂
Claire @ A Little Claireification says
Looks ahhhmazing. We love fish & chips. And I'll take your malt vinegar & lemon too! lol Pinned!
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you Claire, the vinegar is all yours my friend! 🙂
Amanda says
I love beer battered fish... and I'll definitely be trying this soon 😀
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you Amanda, enjoy!!
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says
Wow, Lisa! That fish looks better than something I could order in a restaurant at the beach! I'm literally drooling right now. 🙂
Lisa Johnson says
Awe, thank you Blair. 🙂
K says
Lisa- WOW this looks fantastic. Man do I love a good fish fry (and beer for that matter). I'm always a little hesitant to try frying things at home because it seems to always come out soggy? *sigh* I'd love for you to share a post at my Tuesday link party today, if you're interested!
xoxo K
http://peeledwellness.com
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you K. Is your oil hot enough? If not your food takes longer to cook and soaks up more oil. If you keep it at 350 you should end up with nice, crispy fish. 🙂
Jessy @ The Life Jolie says
I love fish and chips! This is perfect for me right now with Lent going on (fish on Fridays!)- I think it's awesome that you chose a dark ale. It seems like everyone goes for lighter beers for a dish like this, but I love dark beer, so this is a recipe after my heart. Thanks for sharing!
I stopped by from Wow Me Wednesday.
Lisa Johnson says
Thank you Jessy! I think dark beers add more depth to the flavor, so you should love it. 🙂
Hollie says
I would very much like to be eating that right now.
Marsha says
This looks so good! I've got it pinned for later. Thank you!
Kimberly says
I'm loving this! You always bring such amazing things to our party. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you tonight at 7. I can't wait! Lou Lou Girls
Sharon says
Hi. Glad you posted this recipe. I hope it will encourage folks to make this at home. I HAD to resort to making my own fish & chips ever since "fear of fat" has gripped this nation. We used to have at least a couple of fish & chips shops around town, but not anymore. There's not a one left. And I live in a big city! About once a year I fire up my cast iron dutch oven and treat us to crispy, beer battered fish. Such a treat! I strain and filter the oil and keep it in the fridge for any future frying. If you do this you can re-use it 3 or 4 times. Just be careful not to burn food in it. What stops most of us from doing an occasional deep fry is the fact that we just don't happen to have a large quantity of oil just hanging around. Keeping and re-using a special stash for just that purpose makes it easier. Oh, and I make my own blend of Old Bay Seasoning and add a pinch of it to the flour. Delish! Glad I found you. Thanks!
I_Fortuna says
When I had fish and chips in England, I was served an enormous amount of fish. More fish than chips often. The portion of fish I was served was a good 8 to 10 inches long and wonderfully battered. It is not fish and chips unless there is malt vinegar handy. I douse mine so that it is virtually swimming in it. Hubby just salts his , ick. He is a picky eater and does not like anything acidic.
If you don't want to use the traditional beer, soda water works very well. It is important to use the batter right away before the bubbles dissipate. Beer keeps the bubbles longer and this is what makes your batter crispy and fluffy.
Instead of baking powder alone, I would add some baking soda too. It has a tendency to bubble up better. : )
Kristen says
We're giving this a try today! Your pictures look mouth watering!
Cheryl says
I love fish and chips as long as the fish is mild, which I think cod is! I have always been afraid to cook it but you make is sound easy so maybe I will try it soon. Pinning it also!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Ann says
Yum! This looks wonderful. Thanks for posting!