Fish and chips are a classic combo and, if you are in the UK, tend to be served with mushy peas. These may not sound fantastic, but paired with crispy, salty, beer-battered fish they are fantastic. Authentic mushy peas are made with marrowfat peas, which I did not have on hand, so I created a cheat version with frozen peas. If you are looking to make them traditionally, check out this recipe from The Spruce Eats.
Now to focus on the main attraction - beer battered fish. The recipe is pretty straight forward. All you need to do is combine your ingredients, wait 15 minutes, then fry! You will see that I did not include an egg in my recipe, as many others do. I found that an egg makes the coating "cakey" and softer. I prefer a crunchier, crisp coating and therefore omitted the egg.
Main things to remember when frying are:
- Dredge your fish in flour before you dip into the beer batter and;
- Keep your oil at a consistent 375F (350F if you have thick fillets).
The flour step is what adheres the batter to your fish. Miss this step and your innards will fall right out of the breading right after the first bite. Keeping a consistent oil temperature not only ensures that your fish is cooked properly, but also that your breading does not end up soggy (temp too low) or burnt (temp too high). When I first tried this recipe I did not have an oil thermometer (a meat thermometer will not hold up here) and instead Googled workarounds. While these tricks were able to give me a decent idea of the heat level, I found the breading of my fish to be inconsistent. Therefore, I tried again with a proper thermometer which resulted in perfect fried fish each time! What the workarounds do not take into account is the temperature fluctuation of the oil during the frying process. Sometimes you need to wait for the oil to reheat before dropping in another piece. Long story short, the oil thermometer was worth its $9 price tag.
This recipe is great year-round, whether it be a sunny summer day or cold winter night. Serve with a pint and some chips and you are set!
Beer Battered Fish with Mushy Peas
Ingredients
- FISH
- 2 lb cod fillets, cut into 5in long strips
- 2 c. vegetable oil
- 12 fl oz beer
- 1 c. flour (+ additional for coating)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ---
- MUSHY PEAS
- 10oz frozen peas
- 1/4 c. half and half
- 1 tbl unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Directions
- Step 1 FOR YOUR BATTERED FISH. In a medium-sized bowl, combine your beer, flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and baking powder with a fork. Mix well and set aside for 15min.
- Step 2 While your batter is resting, pour your oil into a cast-iron pan (or other shallow fry-safe pan) and heat to 375F (350F if your fish is quite thick). Use an oil-safe thermometer for accuracy.
- Step 3 Get ready to bread your fish. First, put a good handful of flour into a shallow dish. Then take each fillet and first dredge in flower, then your beer batter. Place away from you into the hot oil. Make sure not to crowd your pan!
- Step 4 Fry your fish on each side for 3-4 minutes, until crispy brown and fish is cooked (145F). Remove and set on paper towels to drain access oil.
- Step 5 FOR YOUR MUSHY PEAS. While your fish is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add in your frozen peas and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Drain and place in a blender with half and half, butter, salt and pepper. Whiz up until your desired consistency.
- Step 6 Serve your fish and mushy peas hot with a cold beer and (ideally) a side of chips!
