What type of beer is best for beer battered fish?
I was looking for a beer battered fish recipe the other day when I noticed most of the recipes don't state a style of beer to use.
Some of the recipes use a significant amount of beer so I assume that some of the flavor profile from the beer will carry over to the fish.
So I'm wondering, which style is ideal? Porter? IPA? Maybe a Hefeweizen?
Best Answer
The primary use of beer in a beer batter is its alcohol, which disrupts gluten formation and needs less heat than water to evaporate, improving the texture of the final crust. For flavor, most recipes using beer do best with a malty, low-bitterness beer, like a marzen, scotch ale, or (maybe) amber ale. Highly-hopped "put hair on your chest" IPAs are a bad idea: you don't want that bitterness. Hefeweizen would be fine.
A couple of commenters mentioned the carbonation as being an important factor. I suspect that it isn't. The volume of gas generated by evaporating the water in the beer will dwarf the amount of CO2 being released, even in the most highly carbonated of beers.
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Quick Answer about "What type of beer is best for beer battered fish?"
Best beer for Beer Batter You can use any beer other than dark, heavily flavoured beer like stouts or porters as they will discolour and flavour the batter excessively. Any pale-coloured beer works fine for Beer Battered Fish. Just avoid dark, strong flavoured beer like stout and porters.Can I use any beer for fish batter?
Paprika \u2013 gives the batter a nice flavor, while also helping give a nice golden brown color. Seasoned Salt \u2013 feel free to adjust salt levels to taste. Egg \u2013 helps to create a nice texture and bind things together. Beer \u2013 the type of beer doesn't really matter, I like to use a dark amber beer like Dos Equis.Does type of beer matter for beer batter?
A little beer in your batter makes the world a little better. However, not all beers are created equal when it comes to beer batter. The style of beer is important \u2014 an IPA for something a little bitter, for example, or a Belgian Tripel for something sweeter \u2014 but so is the brand.Is Bud Light good for beer batter?
Beer does some amazing things in batter for deep-fried foods. The CO2 gas in a can of Bud keeps things light and airy, and helps the batter cook fast, meaning the cod underneath can emerge moist and properly \xe0 point.Can you use Heineken for beer batter?
As for the beer, use whatever beer you'd like to drink. But I prefer a lager type of beer (like Heineken for instance) for the fish batter. Cold beer somewhat results in a lighter and crispier batter though, but feel free to use those at room temperature, too.Crispy Beer Batter Fish \u0026 Chips - Food Wishes
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Answer 2
I don't think the alcohol affects the tase in this kind of perparation. The point is to create surface of contact by using the gases in the beverage.
Usually in restaurants that serves this kind of dish they use sparkling water or any cheap beer. And for a extra crispness you can add the batter into a whipped cream dispenser charged with CO2 cartridges
Save the good beers to use in roasted beef, where the sugar in the beverage do affect the flavor of the dish.
Answer 3
There are several considerations. First off, anything you deep fry will take on a different flavor. I can attest specifically to hops in beer batter tasting wildly different and, in my and my dinner guest's opinions, disgusting. I would likewise be concerned with a heavier malt like a porter or stout.
Flavoring is really not the responsibility of the beer in the beer batter. The desired flavor (in my opinion) is that "deep fried breading" flavor that makes fried food so delicious. Other flavors just distract from that. In addition, you may also be concerned with imparting flavor to your oil. If you reuse oil repeatedly, then you want to fry things with as little flavor as possible, seasoning them afterwards, if at all. (Though note for beer battered fish! Once you deep fry fish you can't re-use the oil for anything that is not fish! However, I use beer battered vegetables as a side-dish frequently for big summer cookouts).
So, all in all, if you deep fry for larger groups several times a summer, you want a light American lager. Little flavor, plenty of carbonation, enough alcohol, and cheap to boot. I use Budweiser.
Answer 4
The beer batter works because of the alcohol and the CO2 in beer. Bitter flavours aren't really welcome there.
For that effect, I recommend using carbonated water with vodka. You just get sparkling alcoholic water that way, without any of the flavours in beer that I don't think are suitable for battered fish.
If you do like a beer-like flavor with your fish, just go for whatever you like.
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