Crispy Beer-Battered Fish

June. Four months until the wedding. The heat is proper now and I have shifted my morning walks to six-thirty and have the cold brew going every Sunday to last the week. Tyler walks with me three mornings a week and the other mornings I walk alone, which is not less good, just different.

I have been on a summer cooking binge: grilled things and cold soups and the watermelon granita that has become a summer staple. I also made a whole roasted fish for the first time, a red snapper from the fish market, stuffed with lemon and herbs and olive-oil-rubbed and roasted at high heat until the skin crisped. I was nervous about it and it came out perfectly and I ate it over a bright tomato salad and felt the specific pride of the first time you do a thing correctly that you were afraid to try.

Crystal and I spoke this week about something new. She asked if she could come to Prattville sometime. Not for any specific reason, just to see where I live. I held that question for a moment and then I said: yes. She said: not right away. I said: when you are ready. She said: when we are both ready. I said: yes. That seems right. Two people deciding together when they are ready for the next step. That is how this should work. That is how I want it to work.

That roasted snapper was the whole reason fish has been on my mind — the nervousness going in, the relief and pride coming out, and then the clean bright flavors over tomatoes in the June heat. I wanted to stay in that fish mood a little longer and do something with the same spirit of trying, so I made crispy beer-battered fish the following weekend: simple, golden, the kind of recipe that rewards you for showing up and doing it. It felt right for the summer, and it felt right for a season where Crystal and I are both deciding, slowly and together, when we are ready for the next thing.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs firm white fish fillets (cod, haddock, or tilapia), cut into strips
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for finishing
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup cold beer (lager or pale ale)
1 large egg
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 2–3 cups)
Lemon wedges, for serving
Tartar sauce or malt vinegar, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the fish. Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels and cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 3–4 inches long. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate.
Make the dredging base. Place 1/4 cup of the flour in a shallow bowl. Toss the fish strips in this flour, shaking off any excess. This dry coat helps the batter adhere.
Mix the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add the cold beer and egg and whisk until smooth. The batter should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable. Keep it cold — this is what makes it crispy.
Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F. Use a thermometer if you have one — the right temperature is the difference between crispy and greasy.
Fry the fish. Working in batches, dip each flour-dusted fish strip into the batter, letting excess drip off, then lower carefully into the hot oil. Fry for 3–4 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown and cooked through. Do not crowd the pot.
Drain and season. Transfer fried fish to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Season immediately with a pinch of flaky salt while still hot.
Serve. Arrange on a platter with lemon wedges and your choice of tartar sauce or malt vinegar. Serve immediately — crispy fish waits for no one.

Nutrition (per serving)

Crispy Beer-Battered Fish — The First Time You Do Something Right