Fried fish: Achieving the seafood lover’s holy grail

If you love fish and care about how it’s cooked, you’re probably “mildly obsessional” about achieving a perfectly crisp exterior, said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher in The River Cottage Fish Book. There are few gastronomic sensations more pleasing than biting through a fillet’s crispy skin “to find tender, delicate, lightly steaming fish flesh within.”

You can attain that holy grail when simply frying fish in a shallow pan, or when shallow-frying after first dusting the fish in flour or batter. But some of us can’t resist heating up some oil for deep-frying and attempting to “reproduce the chip-shop effect at home.” Beer is a key ingredient in the batter; it adds lightness and flavor. Get the consistency right and the batter will work for deep-frying almost any fish or shellfish, including calamari or scallops.One tool we highly recommend for every chef who deep-fries on a stovetop: “a built-in sense of self-preservation.” Choose a wide, heavy saucepan that’s at least 8 inches high, and never fill it more than a third of the way with oil.

Recipe of the week

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Fish in beer batter

1½ cups all-purpose flour

Peanut or sunflower oil—enough for deep-frying, plus 2 tbsp

About 1 cup good beer (anything, really, including stout, but preferably not cheap lager)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mixed fish of your choice

Sift flour into a bowl, or put unsifted flour in a bowl and whisk to remove lumps. Add 2 tbsp of peanut oil, then gradually whisk in beer, stopping when you have a batter with the consistency of high-emulsion paint. Beat well to get rid of any lumps, season generously, and let rest 30 minutes or so.

Place a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on stove. Fill no more than a third of the way with oil, and heat until it reaches 320 degrees, or until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in 1½ to 2 minutes.

Dip fish in batter so it is thoroughly immersed, then hold over bowl for a few seconds so any excess batter drips back. Lower the battered fish into hot oil. Fry one piece at a time if large pieces, so as not to crowd pan. Fry large pieces of fish for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. (Smaller items, such as squid rings, need just 2 minutes or so.) Scoop fish out with a wire skimmer and transfer to a warm dish lined with paper towels. Keep warm while you fry remaining fish, then serve right away, with ketchup or perhaps some tartar sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

A note on the used oil: Frying oil usually can be used multiple times before it’s discarded. Just use a coffee filter to strain it before putting it away. The next time you need it, taste-test it by heating a tablespoon and frying a cube of bread in it.