A crisp, malty-tasting, beer batter elevates the humblest fish to another plane. Achieving the perfect coating, however, is easier said than done. More often than not, the coating is bland tasting and leaden textured. What’s the secret to success? Here’s what we discovered:
Liberally season the batter with salt and spices; otherwise the fish will taste bland. And use a light-colored beer, like lager, so that the hop flavor doesn’t come on too strong.
Make the batter thin. Thick batter makes for a dense coating that turns gummy once fried.
Allow as much excess batter as possible to drip off the fish before frying.
Keep the oil hot to ensure the crispest coating and moistest fish. Make sure that the oil is 375 degrees before adding each batch of fish.
Don’t overload the oil. Adding too much fish at once will drop the temperature precipitously and the coating can turn greasy.
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