Beer Battered Fish

Today was the first day of Lent and to bring it in with a bang, I made Abe beer battered fish.  I'm not big on frying foods, but he's been asking for this for a while.  So I gave it a go.   And with much success!

I would suggest using either peanut oil or vegetable oil for this recipe, as olive oil doesn't get hot enough to fry without smoking terribly.  Plus, I think you need the clean taste that the lighter oils give you.

The recipe calls for using a dutch oven, but if you're like me and can't quite swallow paying $100+ for one (I can dream though), a large frying pan works just as well.  And if you have a Fry Daddy, you're even more golden.

Serve this recipe with french fries or oven fries, with lemon wedges and tarter sauce.

I got this recipe from FoodNetwork.com.

Beer Battered Fish
Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, skinned with bones removed, and fish cut diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips (5 to 6-inches long)

In a large bowl, pour in 1 bottle of beer. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into the bowl, whisking in gently until just combined, stir in House Seasoning. Pat fish dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper and coat the fish in the beer batter. Dredge the pieces of fish in 1/2 cup of remaining flour and slide into oil as coated. Fry fish, turning over frequently, until deep golden and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Fry remaining fish in batches, returning oil to 375 degrees F between batches.

Enjoy!