Best Fish Batter

[Rugbyguy]

Looking for people's favorite fish batter for frying fish. Store bought or home-made.

Also, what are some other methods of cooking fish other than deep frying them?

[mskyfshntchr]

I like Shorelunch the best when doing the batter dry. If I make a beer batter I like Golden Dipt's Beer Batter the best. Don't use light beer!! I also give my fish a squeeze to remove some water and soak them in beer for 10 minute prior to cooking. They soak up the beer and it adds a little more flavor. Both work great on any kind of fish.

As for another method, I will grill them. I have a metal bacon tray that works great for this. Put the tray on the grill rack with the back end propped up a 1/2" or so with aluminum foil. Have the grooves of the rack so the juices will drip off. Lay fillets across the grooves. I spread melted butter mixed with lemon juice and garlic onto the fillets. Cook about 1-2 minutes and re-apply the mixture, keeping the fish moist. Do that about 4-5 times and if the fish flakes it is done. Usually do on medium heat on the middle rack of my grill. Can add whatever spices you like in the butter mixture.

Good topic, hope you get lots of posts, I am always looking for new ways to cook fish!

[smg04]

i use "fry crisp" brand cajun fish fry, its the cheepest stuff hy-vee had 98cents per box n its the best stuff ive tasted, kinda spicy but a really good flavor

[Deitz Dittrich]

I make my own.. here is what I do... Soak fish in evaporated milk with some lowreys seasoning and pepper mixed in.. enought to make the milk a little pink...

Dry mix..

1 box of cracker meal(blue box at store)

Season salt(I like Crazy Janes mixed up salt)

Pepper(fresh ground of coarse)

and to kick it up a tad, Lowreys with tabasco mixed in...This is a dry salt you can buy, I am not mixing in the tobasco in a bottle.

Let fillets drip dry for a sec and coat in dry mix and fry at 350 till golden brown.

Recipee #2 I have shared on this board many times.. but well worth it!

lightly coat fillets(small fillets seem to work best IE perch, sunfish, smaller crappie) in mayo... I use my hands just lightly coat is all, and place on baking sheet.

Salt and pepper to taste,

sprinkle REAL parmesean cheese(not the can stuff) real greated permisean.

Broil till golden brown... takes about 7-9 mins in my broiler!.

YOWZA good!

[Hotspotter]

I make my own too:

Dry Mix

-equal parts flour and corn meal

-Spike (natural seasoning, seasoning salt works) to taste

-Old bay seafood seasoning to taste

-parsley (fresh is best) to taste/color

-fresh coarse-ground pepper

Soak filets in milk for awhile if they've been in freezer awhile or could be "fishy". Dip in batter and fry in light olive oil. Frying in butter is better, but doesn't help my girlish figure.

Beer Batter - winging it here

-1 cup flour

-1 egg

-dark beer (if you want the beer to impart alot of flavor)

-OR light beer (if you want it to impart less)

-old bay

-spike

-parsley

Basically use as much flour as you'll need to coat quite a few filets. Mix in enough beer/flour until you have the right runny consistency.

To make the filets crispier, coat in dry batter above first, then coat in beer batter. Last time I made the beer battered fish, everybody wanted the recipie. It's different each time I tell them!

Joel

[Woollman99]

If you like the flavor of almonds, try this with your next walleye fillets. Needs:

-Walleye fillets (smaller fillets work the best)

-"Floury" Coating Mix (regular or cajun flavor). Do not use a course mix (corn meal, etc). I use Sturdiwheat brand.

-Egg wash

-Box of Saltine Crackers and finely crush them.

-Package of finely sliced almonds

-Canola Oil

In a large flat dish or pan, mix the crushed saltines with a generous amount of sliced almonds. Take your fillets (make sure they are not wet) and place them in a zip bag with your favorite "flour" based coating mix. Coat well. Let them sit on a plate for few minutes and then take the coated fillets and dip them in a egg wash. Place the fillets in a large dish with the crushed saltines and almonds and cover them well with the mixture. Use your fingers to press the mixture onto each fillet. Let them sit for a few minutes on a plate and then fry them in hot Canola Oil. Be careful when frying, as the almonds may burn.

'Delish almond crusted fish.....yum. It's still a frying method, but provides a different taste.

[maj330]

Interesting. I also try to avoid coarse breadings and have switched to a half and half mixture of flour and corn starch. then season with whatever. It seems an egg dip before battering provides a better texture as well. This is for panfrying. For baking, I use a sprinkled layer of seasoned chopped almonds. Great for all kinds of fish from cod, walleye, tilapia, catfish, and salmon.

[Tyler Holm]

Andy,

All jokes aside... Andy's is one of my personal favorites. I've found it at our local walmart South. Its comes in a bag and is priced reasonably.

[J Smith]

Try this...Dip fillets in Flower and Lowrys mix, then into beaten Eggs, then into finely crushed Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips. Fry in a 1/4 of Canola Oil till done.

J.

[Dave B]

Not to split hairs, but isnt "batter" liquid and "breading" dry?

It seems that most of the responses here are for breading. We used to always use shore lunch, but my last couple I have started to use a real light (thinner) beer batter and deepfry in a turkey fryer. My fish has never tasted better. Also-cheap white ocean fish like pollock, cod, haddock, all taste very good like this. 1-2lb of fish and 1lb of shrimp makes quite a meal for the family.

[KOBANON]

ROSEMARY THYME SAGE MARJORAM SUGAR SALT PEPPER. HARD TO BEAT.

[BillP]

My wife makes a beer batter for deep frying fish. I think it's just beer, Bisquick, salt & pepper. Seriously, it makes a difference in the texture what beer you use. We like to use lite beer but even that varies depending on the brand.

[Jim Uran]

A package of saltines crushed to a powder, mix that with a little flower, season with whatever you like. Dip it in eggs then into your cracker mixture and then right into the pan. I always use crisco shortening for frying fish, Sometimes the butter flavored crisco gives it a good flavor for something different. Just make sure the oil is hot before throwing the fish in, the hotter the better in most cases.

[Matt Johnson]

My favorite fish batter/breading is made by one of our very own Pro Staff... Jason Boser. It's called Fishing Fever All Purpose Fish Batter and it's very tasty. Jason's version is seasoned, and I prefer it with a little kick, so I usually get the seasoned instead of the regular.

Just soak your fillets in a little milk, then take them out and throw them in a bucket with the batter mix and shake it up. Next stop the fryin' pan! Very good stuff!

[CNY Tim]

My two favorites are Walmarts Zatarin's fish fry blue bag. I always soak walleye fillets overnight in 7 up. When I need to cook pounds this is my favorite way. Also a Air Force buddy of mine from West Virginia got me hooked on crushed ritz crackers, delicious...

Crappies - flour, egg, italian bread crumbs. To firm up fillets if you have stored them for a period of time, overnight in milk or buttermilk to firm up.

The babies favorite is Aunt Jamima pancake mix. I pretty much deep fry all my fish in peanut oil.