Beer Battered Fish

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 lb cod or haddock (fully thawed if frozen; counted as cod) Cod, Atlantic, raw
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging) All-purpose flour (enriched, bleached)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (for dredging flour) Salt, table
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (for dredging flour) Black pepper, ground
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for batter) All-purpose flour (enriched, bleached)
• 1/2 cup cake flour (for batter) Cake flour (enriched)
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder Onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt Salt, table
• 2 teaspoons baking powder Baking powder (double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate)
• 1 egg Egg, whole, raw
• 10 fl oz beer Beer, regular
• 6 pints canola oil (for deep frying) (optional) Vegetable oil (soybean)

Instructions

1. Make the batter: whisk the egg in a bowl. Sift in both flours, baking powder, salt, and onion powder. Whisk in beer to form a thick batter (consistency of heavy cream). Hold back some beer if it gets too thin.
2. Fill a Dutch oven to just under half full with canola oil. Heat to 375°F.
3. Season the dredging flour with salt and pepper on a plate. When oil is nearly ready, coat each piece of fish in the seasoned flour.
4. Dip the floured fish in the beer batter one piece at a time, letting excess drip off. Carefully lower into the hot oil using tongs.
5. Fry 5 minutes until golden brown, cooking 2–3 pieces at a time depending on pan size.
6. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and rest a few minutes before serving.
7. Serve with Irish chips. Drizzle with malt vinegar and dust with salt.