Ingredients
-
fish of your choice
-
375 millilitres beer
-
2 cups sifted plain flour
-
sea salt flakes
-
pepper grinder
-
plain flour
Directions
The English have somewhat of an unfounded reputation for being a country with very little to offer the culinary world. A belief that may have been partially true 20-30 years ago, but certainly not now. Nowadays not many cities in the world can top London’s cuisine and many of the best Chefs I have worked with have been English. Maybe they’re such good Chefs because of the diverse food scene they come from, or maybe they are trying extra hard to shake off the remnants of that unjustified reputation. Whatever the reason I have learnt many things from English colleagues, and this recipe is one of those many things. As in most great recipes, what really makes this recipe is its simplicity.
- Preheat deep fryer or a pot of oil to 180 degrees (350 fahrenheit).
- Sift the flour into a large bowl.
- Stir through a liberal amount of crushed sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Make a well in the centre.
- Using a large whisk, start stirring in the middle of the well and slowly pour in the beer, incorporating more and more flour as you add more beer.
- Stir out any lumps and allow the batter to stand a few minutes.
- Dredge the fish fillets in flour.
- Shake off the excess flour and drag the floured fish through the batter until it is well coated.
- Allow some of the batter to drain off of the fish and place the fish in the hot oil.
Tip: When putting the fish into the oil allow a slight crust to develop on the submerged part of the fish before releasing the entire fish into the oil. This will prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom of the fryer or pot. I recommend that you use a pair of tongs for putting the fish into the oil.
