Crispy Fried Fish in Beer Batter

Beer batter makes a crisp and light coating for fish fillets, leaving them moist and succulent. Rapeseed oil is fabulous for deep-frying, it is one of the few oils that can be heated to a high temperature without losing its nutty flavour, colour and antioxidants. Rapeseed oil has many health benefits, it is high in mono-unsaturated fats, low in saturated (less than olive oil) and rich in omega 3.

It is important to use a shallow, heavy based frying pan, pour in just enough oil to fry the fish in without overflowing.

The oil can be re-used several times, simply filter when cooled.

people_outline
6 portions
access_time
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Fish

  • Six 150 - 175g boneless fillets of white fish eg. haddock, plaice or lemon sole
  • 100g rice flour or corn flour
  • pinch maldon or cornish salt
  • Fussels cold pressed rapeseed oil or vegetable oil (for frying)

Beer Batter

  • 250g self raising flour
  • 300ml cold light beer eg. lagar

Tartare Sauce

  • 200g Fussels classic mayonnaise or another good mayonnaise
  • 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

To Serve

  • 6 handfuls of watercress, washed and dried
  • lemon wedges
  • vinegar
  • home-made tartare sauce (optional)

Method

  1. Tartare Sauce (optional): Place all the ingredients in a bowl mix together until well combined. Serve or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  2. Batter: Place the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the beer in it. Whisk the mixture together until you have a smooth batter.
  3. To Cook: Preheat an oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2. Pour just enough rapeseed oil into a shallow heavy-based frying pan, to fry the fish in without the oil over flowing (enabling you to shallow fry). Place over a high heat until the oil is very hot. To test if the oil is ready place a small cube of bread in it, the bread should rise to the top and of the oil and be crisp and golden. Season the rice or corn flour with salt. Coat the fish fillets in the flour and shake off the excess flour. Dip two fillets in the batter so that they are well coated. Lower into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Drain and place on a baking tray lined with grease proof paper and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining fish.
  4. To Serve: Serve battered fish with watercress, a wedge of lemon and a container of vinegar and/or tartare sauce for guests to help themselves.