Zurie's Light Beer Batter for Fish Fillets

Submitted by Zurie

"I know, I know ... there are 98 recipes for "beer batter" on this site, I checked! This one is slightly different. It's the variation I came up with after much experimenting. I can vouch for its lightness, as we dislike thick batter. If your oil is hot enough, and you follow the instructions, you should have light-as-a-feather fish fillets. It's hard to give a cooking time, as I do one fillet at a time because I use a wok, so I give an approx. time for frying 1 medium fillet."

 

• Ready In: 16mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 4 1⁄2 ounces cake flour (130g, please weigh this ingredient)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (10ml, not baking soda)
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt (10ml, I use "Sweet Piquante Pepper & Garlic seasoning")
• 2 teaspoons garlic and herb seasoning, dry mixture (salt free)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 2 teaspoons turmeric (10ml)
• 3 tablespoons butter, very soft
• 1 cup beer (250ml, see note about foam)
• 1 egg white (jumbo size)

directions

1. Mix the flour and all the seasonings, up to the butter, in a roomy bowl.
2. * NOTE: I mention a dry seasoning which is to die for, with all-natural ingredients. The brand name is Peppadew, and from what I see on the label it is exported. But if you cannot find it, use your own preferred brand.
3. Add the soft butter, and carefully measure out the beer in a measuring cup -- you want BEER, not foam!
4. Whisk mixture with electric mixer until quite smooth.
5. Clean the electric beaters, then whisk the egg white until very stiff. Fold into the flour-beer mixture, or whisk in lightly by hand. Your mixture should be the thickness of double cream -- more or less.
6. Dab the fish fillets dry with kitchen paper (else the batter won't adhere).
7. Use a deepfryer OR a wok (I use the latter). In the wok I heat 2 - 3 inches of oil, and heat until a drop of batter sizzles and browns when you test it.
8. Scrunch up enough kitchen paper to drain the fillets on. Then dip the fillets (one at a time) in the batter, slide into the hot oil, fry only until the batter turns golden-brown, and remove with slotted spoon to the kitchen paper to drain.
9. Do the same with the rest of the fillets, then either serve immediately, or keep briefly in a low oven with the door not-quite-closed (so the fish do not steam, which will ruin the crispy coating). Do NOT overcook the fish -- it's done in a minute.
10. The batter is enough for 6 - 8 normal-sized fish fillets.