Off Topic batter for deep frying

Trevor M said:
The trick to prevent that is to blanche it off first, (until it just starts to float then flip it let it cook for another minute ) then I take it out of the oil and let it sit on a drip rack, then I put it back in to finish just before I'm ready to serve. Crispy and light every time. (unless your oil temps aren't correct. I do mine in oil heated up to 320F according to my deep fryer. All totaled it takes 8-12 minutes cooking time depending on the size and quantity of fish I'm doing at any given time.)
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Hi Trevor....Do you think 320-F is little cool? ...I always see temps in the 360 to 375 on food sites...Just saying...
 
Thirstystone said:
Hi Trevor....Do you think 320-F is little cool? ...I always see temps in the 360 to 375 on food sites...Just saying...
Click to expand...

IMO anything under 350 is not hot enough. With smaller fillets like perch you need to have the oil nearly smoking at 375 or so in order to get a crispy coating without overcooking the fish. 350ish for thicker fillets like walleye to avoid overcooking the batter before the meat is cooked.

Easiest way to tell if you’re doing right is to take a look at the paper you’re putting the cooked fish on or take a peak under the cooling rack. There should be almost zero oil coming from the cooked fish if you did it right.

Some people do like greasy fish though. I know a guy who intentionally uses a thick batter and lower temps so when you take a bite there’s oil running down your chin. Yuck!
 
I use

2 bags of regular fish crisp
1 bag of Cajun fish crisp
2 cups of buttermilk pancake milk ( just add water stuff)
2 tsp of celer salt
Mix all this together

Put some in a bowl add fish (as is , no egg dipping) and coat the fish

Then deep fry

When done , sprinkle with lemon pepper
 

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I prefer the coating mix vs batter..although Tempura perch are to die for.
Here's what I use..
1 box no name shake and bake(2 bags)
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C corn starch
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

I mix the fillets in a bowl with 1 egg to moisten. Dredge fillets in the coating..shake off extra..into the deep fryer.
With bigger walleye, I split the back loins in half thickness so all the pieces are relatively uniform for frying.
 
Thirstystone said:
Hi Trevor....Do you think 320-F is little cool? ...I always see temps in the 360 to 375 on food sites...Just saying...
Click to expand...
I set the temp of my deep fryer according to the table that came in the instruction booklet it came with. I tried it once at the highest setting and wasn't happy with the result. High heat, although having its advantages when cooking, isn't always the best way to cook as what you're cooking might be done on the outside sure, but the middle could still be raw.

For example when you're cooking a steak, you could find the outside of your steak looks like its done, but when you cut it, it's not anywhere near the desired doneness you were seeking. Eventually though, through trial and error, and lots of repetition and practice, you learn how long it takes to cook it so it's done to your desired taste, (BR, R, MR, MW, W, bottom of a shoe.) and the best method to get it there whether cooking that steak on a bbq or in a frying pan. If you like your steak R to MR, you don't and most likely won't put it on at the same time as a steak for someone else who likes their steak W, or like the bottom of a shoe and you're likely going to have a slightly thicker cut than they will because it'll take longer to cook theirs to their taste (W), than it will yours to that R or MR you like. When I cut my own steaks (which I'll most likely be doing later this week after I get paid and go get a loin) I always cut my steaks at approx 10 oz, and my wife's at 8oz, because she likes her steak W, and I like mine R to MR, so hers always goes on first because it's not as thick a cut, and it'll cook faster, so when I flip hers the first time, that's when I put mine on and that way they're done at the same time, and cooked the way each of us like.

What you're using too cook also makes a difference. We have a gas stove, my son has an electric. Cooking times will be different because our gas stove cooks faster than his electric because gas cooks hotter than electric elements do. Likewise, cooking a steak in a frying pan on the stove will cook the outside of the steak much faster than cooking it on the BBQ. Smaller surface, but the middle won't be anywhere near what I'm looking for as a finished product, so if I'm cooking a steak inside in a frying pan, I'll start it in the frying pan, then finish it in the oven.

Each fryer is different as well. My current deep fryer is substantially deeper than my last one, and that makes a big difference in how much oil you can put in it, how long it takes to get up to temp, (and then reheat once you've taken the product out if you have more to do) and how much product you can cook at one time and how that product will cook, but you still don't want to overload it during cooking or it's not going to cook evenly which will result in some being overdone, some potentially being raw still in the middle, and that's when you might find you're batter is greasy. If that's the situation, cut back on how much you're cooking at one time, you might be overloading the fryer and the product won't cook evenly.

That said, as I indicated, when I do batter fish and deep fry it, I always just blanche it first and then take it out to sit until just before I'm ready to serve, then I put it back in to finish and when I'm finishing it, I always make sure to use one of the other smaller baskets the fryer came with (1 big, 2 small) to hold the fish completely submerged in the oil so its cooking evenly as it finishes. It doesn't take long. It always comes out nice and crispy and I haven't had any issues with the fish I cook being greasy at all, but I also haven't used any of that store bought "pre mixed" batter or "fish crisp" kind of stuff. I make and season my own batter using the recipe I posted and the seasonings I want to use, same thing if I decide just to bread it instead of using a batter. I'll season the breading according to what I feel like at the time.
 
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Trevor M said:
I set the temp of my deep fryer according to the table that came in the instruction booklet it came with. I tried it once at the highest setting and wasn't happy with the result. High heat, although having its advantages when cooking, isn't always the best way to cook as what you're cooking might be done on the outside sure, but the middle could still be raw.

For example when you're cooking a steak, you could find the outside of your steak looks like its done, but when you cut it, it's not anywhere near the desired doneness you were seeking. Eventually though, through trial and error, and lots of repetition and practice, you learn how long it takes to cook it so it's done to your desired taste, (BR, R, MR, MW, W, bottom of a shoe.) and the best method to get it there whether cooking that steak on a bbq or in a frying pan. If you like your steak R to MR, you don't and most likely won't put it on at the same time as a steak for someone else who likes their steak W, or like the bottom of a shoe and you're likely going to have a slightly thicker cut than they will because it'll take longer to cook theirs to their taste (W), than it will yours to that R or MR you like. When I cut my own steaks (which I'll most likely be doing later this week after I get paid and go get a loin) I always cut my steaks at approx 10 oz, and my wife's at 8oz, because she likes her steak W, and I like mine R to MR, so hers always goes on first because it's not as thick a cut, and it'll cook faster, so when I flip hers the first time, that's when I put mine on and that way they're done at the same time, and cooked the way each of us like.

What you're using too cook also makes a difference. We have a gas stove, my son has an electric. Cooking times will be different because our gas stove cooks faster than his electric because gas cooks hotter than electric elements do. Likewise, cooking a steak in a frying pan on the stove will cook the outside of the steak much faster than cooking it on the BBQ. Smaller surface, but the middle won't be anywhere near what I'm looking for as a finished product, so if I'm cooking a steak inside in a frying pan, I'll start it in the frying pan, then finish it in the oven.

Each fryer is different as well. My current deep fryer is substantially deeper than my last one, and that makes a big difference in how much oil you can put in it, how long it takes to get up to temp, (and then reheat once you've taken the product out if you have more to do) and how much product you can cook at one time and how that product will cook, but you still don't want to overload it during cooking or it's not going to cook evenly which will result in some being overdone, some potentially being raw still in the middle, and that's when you might find you're batter is greasy. If that's the situation, cut back on how much you're cooking at one time, you might be overloading the fryer and the product won't cook evenly.

That said, as I indicated, when I do batter fish and deep fry it, I always just blanche it first and then take it out to sit until just before I'm ready to serve, then I put it back in to finish and when I'm finishing it, I always make sure to use one of the other smaller baskets the fryer came with (1 big, 2 small) to hold the fish completely submerged in the oil so its cooking evenly as it finishes. It doesn't take long. It always comes out nice and crispy and I haven't had any issues with the fish I cook being greasy at all, but I also haven't used any of that store bought "pre mixed" batter or "fish crisp" kind of stuff. I make and season my own batter using the recipe I posted and the seasonings I want to use, same thing if I decide just to bread it instead of using a batter. I'll season the breading according to what I feel like at the time.
Click to expand...
whew after reading all that calls for a beer:ROFLMAO:👍👍
 
Thirstystone said:
I have used this recipe for as long as I can remember....
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
2 Tsp. baking powder
1 Tsp. baking soda
2 Tsp. salt or what you like...
1 cup of room temp. water or leftover beer. LOL...
! batch will do also do 20 shrimp...31-40 count
12 whole mushrooms..
20 onion rings that you cut yourself
375 F. Deep Fry....I find them nice and crisp.....ditto on Trevor's post...👍👍
Oh ,,,by the way I hope to use this batter on some fish this year....
Click to expand...
Left over beer...who has left over beer?🍻🍻🤣🤣
 
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