Mains

Beer Batter Fish Fry

Author: Mary DiSomma

One of the best things about summer is the opportunity to cook outdoors. Believe it or not, we do a fish fry every single week during fishing season. We’ve been doing it for over 15 years! We enjoy a small menu that somehow never gets old—and it all starts with farm-caught fish. We are fortunate to have lots of fresh water out on the farm. Some places, you can fish all day and not get a single bite. That doesn’t happen here. 

Once we catch some fish, we fry them and serve ‘em up with some of my Homemade Buttermilk Hush Puppies, my famous No-mayo Nutty Coleslaw with Crunchy Ramen and Sunflower Seeds, french fries, my Traditional Homemade Cornbread Muffins, and scratch-made tartar sauce. With fresh relishes, piccalilli, and a cold Modelo Negra, this is some of the best food you’re ever gonna get. I really mean that.

When everyone gets to participate, it’s a true bonding experience. It just brings the family closer together. Besides eating and drinking, we like to play deuces and Rummikub. Eating local food outdoors, you really get to know the weather and nature. In Chicago we don’t have that many months of beautiful outdoor weather so you gotta enjoy it while it lasts! 

Beer Batter Fish Fry

Beer Batter Fish Fry

Add the ultimate light and crispy fish fry batter to your summer repertoire with this super easy recipe. It doesn’t matter if you caught the fish yourself—I promise everyone’s gonna love it!

Yield
6 Servings
Prep Time
20 minutes 20 min
Cook Time
20 minutes 20 min
Total Time
40 minutes 40 min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except the cornstarch. Whisk in the beer and mix until the batter is smooth. If the batter seems a bit thick, simply add a drizzle of cold water. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter. Set aside.
  2. Place the pieces of fish on paper towel and pat gently to remove excess moisture. Place 1 cup of cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Line a baking sheet pan with paper towel. You can add more cornstarch as needed when you start frying your fish pieces.
  3. In a deep, heavy pot, heat enough oil to reach a 3-inch height in the pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Use a cooking thermometer to check the oil temperature. You can also use a deep fryer.
  4. When the oil reaches 350 degrees, begin preparing the fish pieces for frying. Working in batches, coat the individual fish pieces with cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Now dip the fish into the batter, letting any excess drip off. Using metal tongs, place the fish pieces in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the fish. If the fish pieces touch during frying they may stick together.
  5. Turn the fish as they cook so they are evenly browned. The total frying time for each piece should be about 2 minutes (one minute per side). Remove the fried fish from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on the paper towel-lined pan.
  6. Continue with the remaining fish, adding additional cornstarch to your dredging bowl as needed. Remember to check the oil temperature between batches. You may need to reheat the oil between batches to ensure the 350 degree temperature is maintained.
Beer Batter Fish Fry

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Tartar Sauce with Fresh Dill

After making your first batch of homemade tartar sauce, you may never go back to the store-bought kind. Add some horseradish for more depth of flavor!

Yield
1½ Cups
Cook Time
0 minutes0 min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickle, lemon juice, dill, mustard, capers, and horseradish, if desired. Mix until combined.
  2. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Remember that the capers will provide some salt to the sauce so taste before seasoning! Refrigerate the sauce for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Tartar Sauce with Fresh Dill

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