Beer battered fish is a delicious treat, perfect in a homemade burger – and it’s so simple! The key to getting these burgers perfect is not overcooking the fish – I always do a small test piece first. If the oil is too hot, the batter will brown quickly but won’t cook though – raw batter is not a good thing! Not hot enough and you’ll get a soggier piece of fish. Fresh fish like this deserves to be treated with respect, so I recommended avoiding the usual heavily refined burger buns and choosing lovely fresh bakery buns instead (like ciabatta buns or wholegrain rolls) – it makes a huge difference. Filet ’o’ fish can walk the plank. Yarrr.
Serves 4–5
Ingredients
Fish
3-4 large fillets tarakihi or snapper, skin and bones removed
1 ½ cups self-raising flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 bottle chilled beer
Salt & pepper
Neutral oil (such as grapeseed or rice bran) for frying
4-6 burger buns
Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp capers, drained
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs – choose from parsley, dill, chives, coriander, basil
To assemble
Cucumber, lettuce, red onion, avocado etc.
Method
To make the beer batter, place flour in a bowl. Add the egg and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the beer until batter is mostly smooth. (If there are a few tiny lumps it doesn’t matter – these pop in the hot oil and create little air pockets). Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the mayo, combine everything in a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Add enough oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 2-3cm. Heat to about 190°C over a medium-high heat (when oil is ready, a cube of bread will turn golden in 10-15 seconds).
Cut the fish to size and season with salt and pepper. Dip 2 pieces of fish, one at a time, into the batter to coat. Drain off excess. Fry for a couple of minutes each side until golden brown and the batter is cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining fish and batter, reheating oil between batches.
To serve, toast the halved and buttered buns under the grill, top with lettuce, onion, cucumber, snow peas, a piece of fish and a big dollop of the mayo. Heaven!
12 years down the track and this continues to be my go to sauce for fish.
“Repeat with remaining fish and batter, reheating oil between batches.”
Does this mean you take the oil off the heat whilst the fish is cooking?
How deep does the oil need to be for frying
Have made these 3 times now, and again today for lunch, People think I am a great cook for making these, but I do point out they are Chelseas.
Omg! This was so delicious!!! Thanks Chelsea. I will be making this again for sure!!! The flavours together were excellent! :)
Caroline
This recipe may sound simple but it’s the mayo that makes it (and fresh fish of course)! After making a few of your recipes now I’ve come to the conclusion anything you’ve come up with is going to be wonderful. Can’t wait to get my hands on the cookbook!! Thanks for all your inspiration in the kitchen :-) P.S Your AMAZING roast potatoes have been a hit many times over – thank you, thank you!
Thanks Mary, you really have just made my day! I’m so glad you and your family enjoy my recipes – it’s exactly what I’m here for! x
Tried this recipe on Sunday night as the local fish and chips shop was closed for the Easter break. Was a resounding success!! As it was my first ever attempt at battered fish, was surprised to find how easy it was and how well it turned out. Thanks for a fantastic recipe Chelsea :)
Hi Chelsea just wondering where the capers fit in, are they for the mayo
Thanks
Robyn
Hi Robyn, yes they are – sorry I had them in the wrong place on this list. All amended now. Thanks for pointing that out!
Will definitely be giving these a crack over Easter. It just so happens that I have some gurnard and cod fillets in the freezer just waiting to come for a special treat! :-)