Pub Style Beer Battered Fish

You don’t have to visit The Big Smoke to get a taste of authentic pub style beer battered fish with this Dan good recipe. This is an incredibly easy way to make crispy, airy and flavor packed beer battered fish in every bite. Dan-O’s Spicy works to give this just a slight twinge of heat to really round out the experience but you could always use Dan-O’s Original if you’re looking for something more classic. We call these pub style beer battered fish because they’re just a classic comfort food. These are the perfect dinner before a night out on the town, and you can make them in just about 30 minutes depending on how fast you move.

What is Beer Batter, and Why do we Use It for Pub Style Beer Battered Fish?

Beer is an incredibly versatile ingredient and not just because it comes in a variety of styles, each with their own quirks. But because beer is a great and easy way to add depth, moisture, and great flavor to a recipe. Typically, beer batter is just a mixture of flour, seasoning, sometimes egg, and beer whipped together to form a thick pancake-like batter. This thick mixture is critical for the protection of softer foods like fish while giving it deep flavor, and a crispy airy texture. The 3 ways beer does this in something like beer battered fish is: Foaming agents, alcohol, and carbon dioxide. 

Let’s break it down into how these factors contribute to the perfect pub style beer battered fish. First, we have the foaming agents. These act as insulators in the batter, meaning these agents take in the high heat of oil to allow the inside, the fish for example, to cook to perfection while the outside becomes that golden crisp texture we love. Next, we have the alcohol which helps speed this along without overcooking. This happens because alcohol evaporates faster than other liquids. Finally, we have carbon dioxide. This is arguably the most important factor because the bubbles it gives off work double-time to expand the batter to make it that light texture we look for.