Savory, golden brown, beer-battered cod fillets served with french fries, coleslaw, lemon wedges, and tangy tartar sauce. #British #PubFood #GlobalStreetFood #FriedFish #30MinuteMeals #KitchenDreaming
4cod fillets(about 6 oz. each), or haddock, thick end
4cupscanola oilfor frying
ground black pepperto taste
saltto taste
cayenne pepperoptional
Fry Batter:
2cupsall-purpose flourplus a little extra for lightly dusting the fish
1tbspbaking powder
12ozpale ale or other light beer [See Note 1]
water, as needed to thin batter
1/2tspsalt, more or less to taste
1pinchcayenne pepper, optional
Optional Garnishes:
1lemon, cut into wedges
malt vinegar
tartar sauce
mushy peas
Instructions
Fill a heavy-duty 6-quart pot about one-third full with oil. Using a candy or frying thermometer, heat the oil to 350 to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, beer, and water, if needed. The batter should have the consistency of pancake batter.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (optional) to taste on both sides. lightly dust fish on both sides with flour making sure to lightly shake off any excess flour. This light coating helps the batter stick to the fish.
One at a time, dip two of the fillets in the batter and turn to coat well. Allow excess batter to drip off. Gently add the fillets to the oil, placing the fish into the oil with the end your holding facing away from you so that any oil splashes will land behind the pot and not on you.
Fry the fish until crisp, turning once with tongs or a slotted spoon about half-way through the cooking time, about 5 to 7 minutes total.
Transfer the fillets to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and then transfer to the baking sheet in a 225 degree F oven to keep warm. Let the oil return to 350 to 375 degrees F and repeat with the remaining fillets.
Serving Suggestions: Serve the fish with chips, tartar sauce, lemon wedges, mushy peas, and malt vinegar.
Notes
The pale ale may be replaced with a dark lager or omitted altogether and replaced with an equal amount of water or seltzer. It should be noted that replacing the beer with water or seltzer will significantly change the flavor of the fish fry batter.