Let it fry.

[Oldsarge]

Friday night I tried to do a crispy fried fish in the Chinese manner and it came out rather well. It certainly was easy!

I took a fresh tilapia, dredged it in 1/4 cup cornstarch into which I had put salt pepper and a 1/8 teaspoon 5-Spice. Deep fried in peanut oil, it came out very tasty and with a truly splendid crispy skin. I'll have to do this again sometime.

Should go really well with Thai fried rice, come to think of it.

And lots of cold beer, of course.

 

[ReefTroll]

Sounds very nice. Have to try it sometime!

 

[Mr. X]

Frying tonight!

Good timing Sarg, I recall a University Professor extolling the virtues of peanut oil for cooking on the radio - supposed to be v. good for stir fries. Wouldn't have thought of corn starch (corn flour might be interesting).

I've been thinking of doing a little fish frying myself. Bass fried in butter, as suggested by Firefox for one. I also have some pollock fillets in the freezer and had been thinking of frying them, either in batter (a la Hugh Fernley-Wittingstall/River Cottage) or bread crumbs.

I seem to recall Hugh coated the fish with something before battering it, can't recall if it was flower or egg, both or something else. Also, can you fry batter fish in a frying pan or does it have to be deep fat fried (don't own a chip pan). I think there is already a thread on batter, will have to look up some recipes!

 

[Oldsarge]

I used a wok but so long as the oil comes up at least half way on the fish the skillet will work. I used a beer batter recipe for fish tacos a while ago. Lemmee see . . .

Ah, here we are:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer

To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about a few lumps).

It's heavenly but filling.

 

[settingsteel]

Indeed peanut oil is superb as is safflower oil...their is a japanese breading Sanzo I think that is off the chain for deep frying I use 1/2 italian bread, 1/2 Jap and its just the right amount of flavor and crunch...hmmm 1/2 Italian 1/2 Japanese:inlove

 

[agbiv]

Panko is a good Japanese bread crumb as well.

 

[settingsteel]

yeah, yeah^^^thats the one:head

 

[agbiv]

Have any of yall tried rice flour? That's my next experiment on both fish & shrimp.

 

[Oldsarge]

We'll expect a report on that one. Sounds good. I tried oat flour once. Don't do that.

 

[settingsteel]

I tried oat flour once. Don't do that.

guess them oats is a no goroflrofl

 

[mishu1984]

rice flour was nice. puffy and crisp. u wont regret it.