Beer-Batter Fish [1]

Fish Suitable

Shark, Whiting, Garfish, Flathead, Snapper, Mulloway, Trevally, Cod, Coral Trout

Cooking Utensils

Wok or Deep Pan, Metal Tongs, Spatula

Cooking Time

5-10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup of beer
• 1 egg (for heavier batters - see Tips below)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 1/2 cup plain flour

1.	Place the flour, corn flour, pepper and salt in a mixing bowl.
2.	Whisk in the beer until the mixture is thick and creamy. You won't need all the beer, so you can drink the rest of it.
3.	Prepare your fish fillets by picking them over for any remaining bones or skin. Cut them into small pieces no thicker than 3/4 inch and no longer than 6 inches or so.
4.	Pat them very dry with paper towels. This will reduce splattering.
5.	Heat at least 2 inches - but preferably 4 or 5 inches - of oil in a large sturdy pan or wok to 350°F.
6.	Dust the fish lightly in some extra flour and shake off the excess. This helps the batter adhere to the fish and reduces splattering.
7.	Dredge the fillet pieces one at a time in the batter, letting excess batter drip off.
8.	Slowly submerge the pieces in the oil. This is a tricky process. If you drop in the battered fish too fast, sometimes the batter doesn't have time to seal and it sticks to the pan. Use metal tongs to submerge them slowly, or let them slide off a spatula.
9.	Fry the fillets two or three at a time. It's important not to crowd the pan.
10.	When the fish turns golden, remove the fillets and drain well on a generous amount of clean paper towels.