How to Batter Fish

Posted on June 14th, 2009 by Marck

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There are very few ways to cook food better than to dip it in batter and deep-fry it. Batter can be used on just about any type of food, although you can’t go wrong with deep-fried, battered fish. Here are some batter recipes you can try on whole, filleted, or sliced fish.

Why Batter Fish?

Batter is the basis of many deep-fried dishes. A batter is a loose solution of a starch (like flour or cornmeal) mixed together to form a protective, flavorful coating around an ingredient cooked in hot oil. Fish is a delicate ingredient both in flavor and texture. Here are some reasons why fish is often breaded:

Protection. Many types and cuts of fish can withstand hot oil, but direct contact with oil can significantly alter the flavor and texture of the ingredient. The breading forms a crisp, protective layer around the fish that allows heat to cook the fish through, but does not alter the tender, flaky texture of the dish.
Flavor. Batter can add different dimensions of taste on food. Fish has a delicate flavor, and batter can be used to either complement the delicate taste, or contrast it with a stronger one.
Texture. One of the wonderful things about batter is that it adds a crisp complement to the tender, flaky fish meat once it’s deep-fried. Light or heavy batter can also add weight and volume to the dish.

Parts of Batter

There is no exact recipe for any kind of batter, but it is almost always composed of three ingredients:

Starch. Starch, like flour or meal, contains gluten. Gluten binds around the food, forming an intricate coating that protects the fish from drying out from hot oil. All-purpose flour is best for most recipes, but you can also use cornmeal, breadcrumbs, potato starch, or cake flour.
Liquid. The liquid keeps the batter fluid, and helps the starch coat the fish better. One advantage of liquid batter over dry breading is that the liquid in the batter helps to form a more solid seal around the fish, which protects it from burnt flavors or changes in texture. Some liquids in batter include water, egg, buttermilk, or beer.
Flavoring. To add a whole new dimension to the batter, you can add all sorts of flavoring before dipping the fish in it. You can add spices, herbs, fruits, or other ingredients to the batter to make interesting combinations of flavor when the fish is cooked.

Remember that thick batter forms thick crusts, and thin batter forms thin crusts. To enjoy the flavor and texture of the fish, it’s best to use thin, runny batter.

Popular Fish Batter

Here are some of the popular ways to make batter for fish dishes:

Beer batter. Beer is always a great compliment for fish, and is a common ingredient for batter. The carbonation in the beer causes the gluten strands to have a thinner bind, making a fluffy, crisp, flavorful batter.
Tempura. Tempura is the traditional Japanese method of breading foods, especially seafood like fish and shrimp. The ice-cold batter is mixed very lightly to avoid overworking the gluten. Fish cooked in tempura have a very crisp, delicate, and fluffy texture that is very hard to imitate, and very easy to consume.

Battered fish is terrific for just about any meal at any time of the day. With these tips, you can experiment with various batter recipes for just about any kind of fish you want to deep-fry.