Beer Battered Fish
Wisconsin Fish Fries are legendary, and the prime attraction is beer-battered cod. Follow this recipe and enjoy a good ole’ Wisconsin Fish Fry at home. Our recipe uses a dark lager, yet you can pick your favorite beer.
What makes this battered fish stand out is the counter-intuitive battering technique. First, you batter the fish and then coat it in flour. This creates a perfectly light, airy beer batter that stays put every time.
Wisconsin Supper Clubs and Friday Fish Fries
Wisconsin’s supper clubs started as taverns, resorts, and dance halls where fried fish and chicken were served along with a beer. Eventually, these places transformed their selections, and as a result, the classic menu we know and love came into being: Friday fish fry, Saturday prime rib, and the all-loved Sunday broasted chicken. These clubs also brought us relish trays, cracker baskets with butter, and the undisputed cocktail: a hand-muddled brandy old-fashioned.
But it’s not only the food that draws people back. Plenty of nostalgia is served with each visit, including memories of dressing up for dinner with the family and having your first kiddie cocktail.
With these recipes, you can bring the Wisconsin Fish Fry into your home and wow your guests with a supper club-worthy experience. Serve Pumpernickel Rye Rolls, Creamy Coleslaw, and the ultimate condiment to fried fish, tartar sauce. Yet a Wisconsin Fish Fry would not be complete without the potato. Some supper clubs offer baked potato or French Fries; I have always searched for the clubs that offer traditional crispy Potato Pancakes served with applesauce. Yum.
Beer Battered Fish
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds cod fillets skinned with bones removed. Cut into 2 X 3 squares.
- 1 12 ounce beer bottled dark lager or other beer of your choice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- oil for frying Peanut or Canola
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat oil two to three inches in depth to 375 °F. Preheat oven to 225 °F.oil for frying
- In a large bowl, our in 1 bottle of beer. Sift 1 ½ cups flour into the bowl, whisking in gently until just combined. Stir in seasonings.1 12 ounce beer, 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Pat the fish dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.1½ pounds cod fillets
- Coat one piece of fish at a time in the beer batter, then dredge in the remaining flour. Slide the coated fish into the oil. Repeat until three pieces are cooking in the oil.
- Fry fish, frequently turning, until deep golden and cooked through four to five minutes. Transfer the fish to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Batter, coat, and fry the remaining fish in batches returning the oil to 375 °F between batches. Serve warm.
Nutrition
De Froid Tip: Condiment Bowls
Create a particular mood by serving your condiments in individual-sized bowls and serving vessels. Serve your ketchup in restaurant-worthy metal condiment cups and quickly transform an ordinary meal into a special occasion.
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