CRISPY BEER BATTER FISH & CHIPS

Crispy Beer Batter Fish & Chips image

Virtually every beer-battered fish recipe looks crispy coming out of the fryer, and some even stay crispy for a few minutes, but then the inevitable sogginess sets in. Well, with this simple formula, and a few easy tricks, you can achieve a fried fish where the last bite is as crisp as the first. The keys are keeping your batter really cold and patting your fish really dry. Serve over a bed of salt 'n vinegar chips with tartar sauce and lemon.

Provided by Chef John

Time 25m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons rice flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 (6 ounce) cod fillets, fully thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons rice flour, or as needed
salt to taste
1 cup lager-style beer, or more as needed
vegetable oil for frying

Steps:

Whisk self-rising flour, rice flour, and baking powder together in a bowl. Freeze until ready to use.
Pat fish as dry as possible. Cut pieces lengthwise to get eight 1-inch thick strips. Place rice flour on a plate and season with salt. Dust fish lightly with the mixture and shake off excess. Cover a plate with crinkled foil to make a quick drying rack; place fish on top.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour beer into the flour mixture and whisk, adding more as needed, until batter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. Dip fish pieces into the batter to coat; lift out and let excess drip off.
Fry fish in batches until golden brown, dunking occasionally if needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 503.1 calories, Carbohydrate 42.7 g, Cholesterol 66.3 mg, Fat 22.1 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 27.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 590.6 mg, Sugar 1 g