Thread: how do you do a good beer batter??

Try a lighter flour, like rice flour or cornflour.

Simon

Try it with the beer icy cold. If you want a light batter tike a tempura for fish and veggies use corn flour. Make it and use it straight away. Beer batter does not work for me if you let it stand and warm up.

Also make sure the oil is really hot, not smoking but close.

When I make a beer batter I mix it up, when its to the consistancy I want, place the fish fillets in the batter and spoon batter to cover, now place in freezer for an hour before cooking
cheers
blaze

I saw a bit of heuy's cooking show the other day, he was making beer batter for banana fritters, and he said use the beer warm, and freshly opened. He also said to start with the liquid mixture first and add the flour bit by bit, constantly mixing.
It's on his website, he was making it for the "chinese toffee bananas" but you have to sign up and I can't be bothered!
Huey's Cooking Adventures - Weekdays on Channel 10 at 3:30pm

try lemonade or soda water, much better than beer batter

If its for fish and chips try this...

Fish & Chips
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
1 ½ - 2 cups dark beer
Water (as needed)
1 tbsp yeast
Salt
Potatoes (allow 1-2 per person)
Canola oil (for frying)
Flathead fillets (2 per person)

Preparation
In a large mixing bowl place the flour. Make a well in the centre and pour the beer into it. Start whisking in the flour with the beer and while whisking pour water into the mix little by little to avoid lumps forming in the mix. Keep whisking until all the flour is incorporated into the batter and the batter is a smooth consistency.

Then add yeast, salt and whisk to combine. Leave the batter to settle for 1 to 1½ hours in a warm place.

To make the chips, peel and slice potatoes, pat dry then cut into 1.5cm wide fingers. Place into boiling oil in a deep saucepan for 5 minutes. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a metal rack to cool for 10 minutes. Reheat the oil then cook chips again for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden with a crunchy outer layer. Season with salt.

Flour and lightly coat the fish filets in batter. Into a deep frying pan of boiling canola oil place the fish and cook for up to three minutes, turning regularly to cook evenly. Remove the fish from oil, place onto paper towel to absorb excess oil, season with salt and serve with chips.

thanks for the tips things worked alot better will try the other ideas out next time now that im a bachelor again can make mess in the kitchen going to do a roast on monday and make the gravy using some red wine last time i did this it was blooming nice

the icy cold comment is spot on, was watching a cooking show on pay tv and that is the trick to it they said. They even had ice cubes in the batter as it was sitting on the bench. Its the icy cold batter coming into contact with the piping hot oil that does the trick apparently.

I have been making the same sort of thing but instead of using beer i use carbonated mineral water to get the fizziness, and then i add a small amount of curry powder to the batter, only a little but you dont want curry flavoured batter, but the small amount makes a huge difference to the taste.