Fish fries are delicious, but they take time to prepare. If you don’t want to spend hours frying up some tasty fried food, then try out these simple steps to create a quick and easy homemade fish fry batter.
This batter makes a crispy coating for fresh cod fillets, but you can easily adapt it to other types of fish too. The secret ingredient is baking powder, which gives the batter its light texture. Baking soda has similar properties, but the difference is that baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, which helps to leaven baked goods.
What Type of Fish is Best for Frying?
Fried fish is delicious, but it does take some finesse to ensure you don’t end up with dry, tough fish pieces. If you want fried fish to your menu, here are some tips to help ensure success.
How To Make a Batter That Will Fry Perfectly Every Time
The secret to frying perfectly every time is the right type and amount of oil. The best way to find out how much oil you need is to use an ice cube tray or another small container holding about 1/2 cup of oil.
Fill the container with water and freeze overnight. When the oil is frozen solid, pour off any excess water and measure the oil in the container. This is the amount of oil you’ll need for frying.
How To Make Fried Fish Batter
The key to making a perfect batter is using enough flour so that the breading sticks to the fish without being too thick. Too little flour results in soggy fish; too much makes the coating fall off before the fish cooks through.
How To Get Crispy Fried Fish Every Time
You know how you always hear about people getting great tasting fried foods like chicken wings, french fries, etc.? Well, it turns out that there are some simple things you can do to make sure that happens each time. Here are three tips that will help ensure that you get crispy fried fish every single time.
1.Use a Cooling Rack
If you don’t already have one, you’ll want to invest in a cooling rack. This will keep your fish from drying out while it cooks. You can use a wire cooling rack if you’re looking for something inexpensive. They come in different sizes and shapes, so you can find one that fits your needs perfectly.
2.Season Your Fish Before Frying
Seasoning your fish before frying helps prevent it from absorbing too much oil. When you season your fish, you coat it with salt and pepper. Then, you let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking. After that, you just need to heat up your oil to the proper temperature.
3.Don’t Overcrowd the Fryer
Overcrowding your fryer isn’t good for anything. It makes it harder for the oil to circulate properly, which leads to unevenly cooked foods. So, avoid putting multiple fish pieces into the same pot. Instead, cook one piece at a time.
Tips for Making Batters for Fish Fry
When you’re making batter for fish fry, be careful not to overmix the ingredients. That way, when you dip the fish into the mixture, it won’t absorb all the oil. Also, make sure to use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. If you don’t, the fish will stick to the pan instead of floating freely.
Gluten-Free Flour Mixes Are Often Made With Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Etc.
The ingredients list on many gluten-free flour mixes includes things like tapioca starch, rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, guar gum, agave nectar, sorghum syrup, molasses, honey, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and even beer.
These ingredients make up what we call “gluten-free flour blends.” But there’s one ingredient you probably won’t find on most lists: cornstarch. Why? Because it doesn’t work well with gluten-free baking.
Cornstarch Is Usually Added To Bread Recipes To Help Bind Dough Together
Cornstarch helps keep the dough together when making bread, allowing you to roll out the dough without tearing it apart. This works great for gluten-based breads because the gluten protein bonds the dough together.
However, since gluten isn’t present in gluten-free breads, cornstarch doesn’t hold the dough together much. Instead, it just creates a sticky mess.
Beer Adds Moisture To fried fish
While some people use beer to add flavor to their baked goods, others use it to moisten the finished product. When adding beer to a recipe, you’ll want to choose something light and low in alcohol. You could also try adding a small amount of water to your batter.
Tools for making Fish Fry
- Fish Fry season is upon us again. I know it seems like we just had one, but there are actually three different types of fish frys. This week I’m talking about how to make each type.
- First up is the classic fish fry. This is what most people think of when they hear “fish fry.” You’ve probably seen this recipe on Pinterest too. It’s simple and easy to do. Just use whatever cut of fish you prefer.
- Next up is the fried chicken style fish fry. This is similar to the classic fish fry except you’re frying pieces of breaded fish. This is great because it makes it easier to eat and less messy.
- Finally, there is the baked fish fry. This is very similar to the classic fish bake. You’ll still need some sort of baking dish, but you won’t need to pre-cook the fish. Instead, you’ll simply place the raw fish into the baking dish and cover it with foil. Then pop it in the oven for 20 minutes or so.
Conclusion
So now that you have an idea of how to make fish fry batter, go ahead and give it a try. And if you’d like more information on other types of fish fries, check out my recipe series here. Thanks for reading.
Meet our air fryer recipe expert, Jenny J. Brown. Jenny is a culinary enthusiast with a passion for creating healthy, delicious meals using the latest kitchen appliances. As an experienced home cook and food blogger, Jenny has spent years experimenting with air fryer recipes and perfecting her techniques to create meals that are both nutritious and satisfying.
