Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Making beer batter
• Part 2 of 2: Deep-frying food in beer batter
• Tips
• Warnings

Beer batter is used as a crunchy batter for deep frying. It locks in flavor and quickly fries the contents with hot steam created by the alcohol in the beer that boils away. Root vegetables, whitefish, minced meat, hard cheeses, and shellfish are all perfect for baking in beer batter. In this article you can learn how to make a basic beer batter and how to fry with it.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Making beer batter

1. Use 350 ml of a beer that you like to drink. Beer batter can be made with any kind of beer, so feel free to experiment with different styles to see what you like best. If you have Heineken on hand, it works just as well in beer batter as a craft IPA.
   • Pilseners and lagers are generally used to make beer batter. The lighter and more sparkling the beer, the lighter the batter. If you're not a big fan of beer flavors, use a lighter lager or lager.
   • Darker beers are also great for making beer batter, and will add a rich malt flavor to the batter. These beers are sometimes much less carbonated, so it can be a good idea to replace half of them with sparkling water.
2. Mix beer with equal parts water if desired. It's okay to use only beer in the batter, but some people prefer to replace half of it with an equal amount of water to make the batter go a little further, and to save some beer to drink while eating. .
   • While beer batter is similar to pancake batter in some ways, you should never add milk to beer batter. Milk added to beer will curdle unless a small amount of lemon juice is added.
   • If you're wondering, all the alcohol from the beer is boiled during frying. Your food will not become more alcoholic by adding more beer.
3. Add one egg. Beat an egg directly into your beer mixture until it foams. Some people skip this step and just stick to a basic beer and flour batter, which works perfectly fine. However, adding a beaten egg helps to add some fullness and a golden color to the batter so that it gets a bit nicer and crunchy.
4. Add some flour with a whisk. Hold your whisk in one hand and start adding flour to the beer mixture, a few tablespoons at a time. Stir well to avoid lumpiness. Mix all the flour before adding more.
   • If you are using 350ml of beer, you will need about 240g of flour to make the batter. This will make enough batter to cover about 20 fillets of fish.
5. Add three quarters of a teaspoon of baking powder. If you want a lighter, more cakey batter, it is also a good idea at this point to add about 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder. If you don't have this on hand, then it's okay to leave this out as well.
6. Keep adding flour until you reach the desired consistency. Depending on how much batter you are making and what you are using it for, you may want the batter to be thicker or thinner. Some people like a thicker, firmer batter covering, while others prefer a thinner and lighter version, which can be crunchier. This is entirely up to you.
   • Some people recommend that you keep adding flour until the whisk can stand upright in the bowl. Match the batter to the dish you are making. If you are making a very light, fluffy fish, try to keep the batter a bit lighter as well.
7. Season the batter as desired. Generally, beer batter is seasoned with only salt and black pepper, but you can use the spices that suit the dish you plan to make.
   • If you are making fish, add some "Old Bay" (available at international supermarkets) or Cajun seasoning.
   • If you're making vegetable chips or potato wedges, try adding a little curry powder or turmeric with some spicy herbs.

Part 2 of 2: Deep-frying food in beer batter

1. Have a fitting station ready. After you have made your beer batter and prepared the food you are going to cover with it, have a batter station ready next to your stove so that you can put the food in the oil and get it out of the oil effectively. It is easier to fry with a helper as there are many steps to be done quickly.
   • On the left, prepare your raw fish, sliced ​​onions, or other vegetables, then place the bowl of batter between the food and the oil. On the other side of the stove, have a plate ready with some paper towels on it to put the fried food on when it's ready.
   • It's a good idea to wear gloves and long sleeves while doing this and to pull your hair back. It is not the cleanest process. It's also a good idea to open a window as the cooking oil smell is strong.
2. Heat an inch to two inches of sunflower oil in a sturdy cast iron pan. The best pans for even frying food are large cast iron pans, as they will distribute the heat evenly and fry food more evenly.
   • If you don't have one, use a flat-bottomed pan, which is as heavy as you have, or a deep fryer.
3. Heat the oil until it starts to shine. Vegetable oil must be heated to 190 ° C in order to fry food effectively. If the temperature is too low, the batter will absorb much of the oil and become extremely greasy and soggy. If you don't have a food thermometer, the best way to tell if the temperature is in the "Goldilocks zone" is to see if the oil is shining on the surface.
   • It is also a good idea to add a little batter on its own to the oil while it is heating. When you see that the batter quickly starts to sizzle, you know it is time to fry.
4. Cover your food with the batter. When the oil is ready, and not before, dip a few pieces of fish, vegetables, or whatever you will be frying in the batter, then immediately put the pieces in the hot oil.
   • Make sure the food is dry before putting it in the wet beer batter. If your fish fillets are very delicate or moist, it is a good idea to coat them lightly with flour before submerging them in the batter. This will help the fish and shellfish hold the batter a little better.
   • Do not soak the food in the batter. It should collect enough batter to create a crust when only quickly submerged and then removed from the batter.
5. Add the batter-coated food to the oil. Gently place your food in the hot oil by very gently letting it fall away from you. Drop one end of each filet or piece of vegetable into the oil, then lean it toward the back of the pan, away from you. This way, the oil will splash in that direction.
   • The temperature of the oil will drop slightly when you add the food to it, so you want to make sure not to overfill the pan. You can add a few pieces depending on the size of the pieces you are frying, but usually no more than 3-4. If you stuff the pan completely full, nothing will cook properly and the food will be greasy.
   • When the oil is hot, it will splash slightly, even if you don't put anything in it, so you have to be very careful to avoid getting burned.
6. Use metal tongs or spatula to turn the food. Leave the food alone while it fries, checking for brownness on the underside every few minutes. When the piece is golden brown, turn the piece over and then let the other side bake.
7. Bake for 5-7 minutes on each side, until the piece is golden brown. Fish and vegetables will fry quite quickly in the fryer, so you can usually remove them when the crust is golden brown. Remove them immediately with your metal spatula or tongs, and place them on the plate you prepared with paper towels.
8. Read other articles about deep frying. If you want to know what to batter with and are looking for more specific guidelines on how to make fried foods, check out these wikiHow articles that can also be used with beer batter:
   • Making onion rings
   • Making fries

Tips

• Make sure your oil is hot enough before you put the batter on it.
• Make sure to clean the surface used for frying. Oil build-up is usually dirty and difficult to remove once it has hardened.

Warnings

• Do not overheat and overfill the oil. You can get splashed or burned by the hot oil if you're not careful.
• Fat burns are more common when there is a previous build-up of fat. So it is a good idea to scrub the frying surface thoroughly once the oil has cooled but not yet hardened.