Beer Batter...crispy?

[Zebedee]

Does anybody have a good CRISPY recipe? I used the standard one from my wife's good housekeeping cookbook and it came out soggy (the breading soaked up the grease). Tasted ok but I would like to find a recipe where you get that light crispy breading.

[JASTER]

I don't use beer batter,flour dip in egg and then coat with Italian bread crumbs and deep fry!!!!The best tasting fish I ever tried.

[JASTER]

Progresso Italian bread crumbs proffered!

[HOLY DIVER]

the key is to get the veg oil up to 375-400 and it will make anything crispy

[Tim Bromund]

Agreed. If the batter/breading soaked up the grease, the grease wasn't hot enough. 375-400 sounds about right to me too.

Tim

[Jax]

It is important to check the temperature before frying.

Even if it was preheated oil, fry them in small batches and let that oil come back up to temperature in between batches. Clean oil is a must also. dry on a rack over a tray to let air move around the food. All good tips to keep crispy anything when deep frying.

[Just Fishin']

All of the above. Also, I use a batter called "Shore Lunch" from either Gander or Dicks (can't remember) and love it. Best beer batter I have found.

[Mick]

Your favorite beer, flour, favorite seasonings, and a little baking powder is what I do. Oil must be at least 350. Too hot and it will burn it quick. Any fish battered will not be as crispy unless eaten ASAP after frying. Like everyone else said Breaded fish is always crispy and will stay so longer. I've probably fried over 100 thousand pounds of fish in my lifetime (so far). - Mick

[Zebedee]

Awesome tips...thanks guys. Now I just need to get the shakedown cruise under way to try them out!

[CC25]

Wal-mart carries the House Autry brand of fish breading. I've been using that for the last year or so. While its not a true "batter mix" the fished fish coating is a little more firm. Prior to this I was using the McCormics fish batter mix. The batter was good, but we liked it better if we used it dry as a breading without the beer mixed in.

It was one of those critical decision one makes when there's only 5 or 6 beer left, and no one wants to run to the beer store while dinner is being prepared. The thought of pouring a beer into a bowl at the time just didn't make sense, and it turned out pretty darned good!

[THE TRADESMEN]

I have always loved the Italian bread crumb method too. However rencently we have been using "Zatarains Fish-Fri" lemmon pepper fish coating and man is it good. Available at any grocerie store. Try it.

[irishbailey86]

now all u guys gotta do is fry ur fish in peanut oil and u will never have a problem again!

[potsie225]

I agree with the Zatarains Fish Fry, I buy it at Sam's. I add 1 cup of the mix to 1/4 tsp of baking power, add beer to thin the batter. Deep fry in canola oil at 375 temp is a must. Zatarains is like $6 for a large container.

[711skwerlz]

Temp is key. House autry is good but don't forget Uncle Buck's at bass pro.

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[King Slammin]

Crushed ritz crackers, old bay, garlic powder, and a little cayenne. Or same spices but Panko bread crumbs for the crunch. When done frying, place the fish on a rack so grease doesnt soak into it. I ice fish so there is ALOT of panfish hitting my cast iron. Never tried fried salmon though. Maybe this year.

[overthelimit]

I make a batter with bisquick pancake mix, corn meal, salt, pepper, and beer and its crispy, lite and very tasty

[kappy]

All of the above. Also, I use a batter called "Shore Lunch" from either Gander or Dicks (can't remember) and love it. Best beer batter I have found.

they sell the shore lunch at topps also, I like to mix the cajun with original best batter out there IMO

[kappy]

The guys are right.. hot oil 375 a little too hot I think, key to the beer batter also, is dipping, you have to let some drip off

then you have a nice thin coating= crispy. with the oil not hot and the batter too thick on the fish u are doomed.. another tip. dry the fillets before you cook them.. I lay them out on paper towels pat dry with another towel. if you want some fries or tater tots with your meal.. take them out of the freezer put in the microwave, on defrost or low. then you will not get the big splatter mess, like when you throw frozen anything in hot oil.. works great..

[stoutner]

Jason,

Hot oil just as they said. Also, try Panko Bread Crumbs. Here is the description.

Panko flakes are Japanese bread crumbs. They're irregularly shaped and coarser than regular bread crumbs. When used for frying, they produce a lighter, crunchier coating. They seem to absorb less oil and stay crisp longer than regular crumbs. Use with vegetables, chicken and seafood.

[Gator]

Two secret ingredients: grated parmesan cheese and dark mustard. They make any batter better...just ask Pujols

[DJ 17]

New Hope Mills pancake mix, old bay or smoked paprika, garlic powder, panko. Like mentioned numerous times already, dry on a rack, not paper towels!!

Cocktail sauce:

Ketchup

Horseradish

Sriracha asian hot sauce

Adjust amount of heat to your tastebuds

[master baiter]

Best way to fry fish for me has been:

Dredge in seasoned white flour, then drop into egg wash, then throw a couple hand fully of corn flakes into a food processor and use for your coating then deep fry. So good it should be illegal!

[Sk8man]

Stoutner is right on the money PANKO breadcrumbs ...been using them for years on just about everything....once you try them you'll never use regular bread crumbs again....

[Sanitarium]

I have gotten pretty good results mixing golden dipt beer batter with louisiana seasoned fish fry (both at wegmans). I use 50/50 ratio with enough beer to get the right consistency fry in 350-375 oil. its the best of both worlds!

This was a big batch of Walleye cut fillets into large fish sticks. It was awesome!

[Gator]

This may be redundant, but temperature is the most important thing. We bought a ceramic-coated cast iron Dutch Oven from Gander a couple of months ago. It allows us to heat up enough oil that the temperature doesn't drop much when we put in some fillets. And it doesn't spatter oil everywhere. We fry the fish in small batches of 4-6 fillets at a time, which is fine since there's only three of us.

The importance of temperature was driven home when I accidentally had the oil thermometer touching the bottom of the pan. The reading was 50 degrees higher than the actual temp, and the fillets were crap. Same batter, 50 degrees hotter...voila! Perfect. We've tried everything from tempura to beer batter to Panko to an egg dredge. They're all delicious and they're all crisp, cooked at 375 degrees.