Beer Battered Fish

Who doesn't like cooking with fine spirits:). Beer, for instance, goes well with a lot of ingredients, giving dishes an unique flavor that is sure to keep your guests guessing :) 

The key here is using cold batter, hot oil and quality ingredients which results in moist, soft fish enwrapped in a light, airy, crispy crust. Absolutely delish !! If you want to skip the alcohol, you could use plain soda, non-alcoholic beer, or sparkling water instead.

Today we have fish that is battered in beer, garlic, paprika and deep fried. Doesn't that sound inviting??? This fish fry can be served on some sandwich bread, with potato chips or simply enjoyed with some tartar sauce on the side.

Ingredients
1- 12oz Bottle Beer, add the required amount to reach the right consistency of the batter (Refer notes)
1 Lb - Fish (Refer Notes)
1 Cup - All purpose flour
2 cloves - Garlic
3/4 Tsp - Paprika or Red chilly powder (Refer notes)
Oil for frying
Salt
Pepper

Directions

• Clean and pat-dry the fish with paper towel to drain off excess water
• Cut the fish into long strips about 2 by 5 inches. Season with salt and pepper and keep aside
• Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic into a fine paste.
• In a bowl, mix together the All-purpose flour,  Paprika or Red chilly powder, salt and garlic
• Add beer gradually to this mix, whisking to make a smooth batter. It should not be too watery or else you wont get a nice thick crust. I used approximately 1/2 a bottle to bring my batter to the desired  consistency. The key here is that if you want a thin crust, use more Beer and vice-versa.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan
• Dip the fish in the batter and fry until golden color.
• Serve immediately. Goes well with tartar sauce. 

Notes and Tips

• Paprika will be less spicier than red chilly powder
• Use a good quality beer. I used a Lager
• Any white fish like Cod, Flounder, Whiting, Perch, Tilapia, Swordfish, Haddock,Walleye, Seabass, Snapper can be used for this preparation.You can even use it for shrimp, calamari or oysters. 
• You can use plain soda, non-alcoholic beer, or sparkling water instead of beer.
• Suggestions for side dishes are french fries, chips, hush puppies and coleslaw