I think this was originally a copycat for Long John Silver’s fish and chips batter. I’m not sure if really does taste like a copycat because I think I’ve only eaten there once in my life, but it’s a great recipe. It’s flaky and crisp like a fish and chips coating should be–flakier than say a soft sweet and sour chicken breading. Although, I have used this to make sweet and sour chicken as well, and it’s still delicious.
Make sure to use a nice white fish–I generally use cod–and squeeze the extra water out of the fish before dipping so the coating will adhere nicely to the fish. Otherwise it can get gooey and come off easily after it’s cooked. Also, if you’re frying fries to go with your fish, you’ll probably want to do those before frying the fish so the oil doesn’t taste fishy for your fries or have pieces of fish stuck to the fryer basket.
If you’re making this gluten free, all you need to do is use gluten free flour. I’ve made it a few times, and it’s delicious–I can’t tell that it’s gluten free. Note that gluten free stuff often doesn’t get as dark golden brown as regular, so you may want to cook it a little more “blonde” than usual so the fish doesn’t shrink and overcook. The recipe picture is gluten free.
Make it a meal with:
- Tartar Sauce
- French Fries
- Orange Cottage Cheese Salad or Oranges
- Green Salad
Fish and Chips Batter
Make sure to use a nice white fish and dry it before coating.
Ingredients
- Oil for frying
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3-4 Frozen Cod filets, thawed
- 3/4 c. Flour (or gluten free flour with xanthan gum)
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 c. Water
Directions
(Fry your fries before your fish so the oil doesn’t taste fishy. To thaw the cod, place it in a water bath in the wrappers for 30 minutes.) Preheat oil in deep fryer around 350. On a cutting board, place paper towels below and on top of cod filets, then gently press out as much extra water as you can. Lightly salt and pepper the fish, then cut the filets into chunks for frying (generally 4 or so per filet). In a medium bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients to form the batter. When the oil is heated, place the fish chunks in the batter to coat. Using tongs, drop the fish in the oil. You may want to hold onto each chunk and let it cook for a few seconds before dropping, just so the batter doesn’t cook into the basket and get stuck. Cook fish until the coating is golden brown, generally 3-5 minutes. Serve with fries and tartar sauce.
Mitchell Meals 