Best fish batter

[Bushman]

Some of you eat more fish than I do and have some decided preferences for a good commercial fish batter. We have been using Shore Lunch, but I see Senior Coot mentioned Zatrains Fish Fry up in the fishing forum and I have not heard of that. I did call one of the local restaurants and they would sell me 5 pounds or so of what they buy from their wholesaler. What do you guys like for a batter to dip fish in before frying? Thanks.

[Bill Gunn]

Here's what we always use...

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/1527241/366038179.jpg http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/tongue/tongue0027.gif

http://www.amazon.com/Frying-Magic-Season-Coating-12ct/dp/B0002IMT9U


You can add some panco Japanese bread crums if you want even more crunch.
We like it as it is...

Bill

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Zatrains Fish Fry

It's hard to beat this stuff.

Corn meal, salt, black Pepper, red pepper, parika. Mix it and shake the fish in a ziploc. When all the fish is done, stick the bag in the freezer for next time. I don't use a batter but I will coat the fish in mustard sometimes before I shake it in the corn meal mix.

Alan

[Bill Mc]

My wife uses all of that except for the red pepper.

[Altjaeger]

Used Zatarains (Cajun brand out of New Orleans) for the first time Sunday and enjoyed it. Alan's mix sounds good though you may want to mild it down. I have used half flour/half corn meal seasoned to taste and A regional mill called Pioneer makes a "frying flour" that is reported to be good.

Its kind of hard to get it terrible wrong.:)

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Actually, I use a different mix (I was just too lazy to dig around for it at the time I posted) that Ralph Nestor, aka our own "SeniorCoot", posted some years back. He said it was the original "Emeril's Essence", that he divulged before he got famous and found out he could sell the stuff, which I will reproduce. It may or may not be the same, only the SeniorCoot knows for sure.

E’s Essence (PreFame)

2.5 TBS PAPRIKA
2 TBS SALT
2 TBS GARLIC POWDER
1 TBS BLACK PEPPER
1 TBS ONION POWDER
1 TBS CAYENNE PEPPER
1 TBS OREGANO
1 TBS THYME


I make this stuff by the 5# coffee can load and use it on nearly everything that requires such seasoning. I personally use it in place of salt and pepper. For fish fry (backstrap fry, anykinda fry) you just have to season corn meal and/or flour to suit your own tastes.

You'll notice that all measurements are in Tablespoons. I just use ounces in the same proportions. The 5# coffee can will last me about a year and I keep it in the freezer.

Again, SeniorCoot is the benefactor of this recipe and he attributes it to Emeril Lagasse. I figure I'm in pretty good company on this one.

Alan

[SeniorCoot]

These all look like dry coatings--I used Zatrains last night and like Alan/Bill added some cajun seasoning and corn meal(yellow) it was super on fresh fish- Some times I also add Panco or Mashed Pot flakes--both give a good crunch-
BUT I would like a bit of a change and hoped as post is titled that someone would post up a good Beer Batter recipe for fish--
As for E's essence--all i know is dat's what de article said--it is nice when hints/recipes get used- no matter from whence they cometh.

[Bushman]

Mom #2 used to substitute pancake flour for regular flour in her home made batter because it browned up better. Some of you Southern guys have more of a taste for Cajun, cayenne and peppers than we do up here. I'll need to go looking for Zatrains and I've seen the Fryin' Magic around here . Are you guys dipping the fillets in egg first to get the coating to stick better? I drive the boat, clean the fish and do the dishes. If my buddy could cook better, we would make a better team. We have a lot of blackened fish and blackened everything come to think about it, but it is always the frying pan's fault. "Just the way I like it" is a phrase that I need to use often or I'd be doing the cooking too.

[dave-t.]

I go with 2 cups corn meal, 1/3 cup flour, (rough portion estimate) season to taste with salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, a little garlic salt, and heavy on lemon pepper.

I put it together in a "few shakes of this, a few of that" style without measuring, so its a little different every time. My wife loves it and won't season fish anymore if I'm around.

I don't dip the fish in anything before dredging them in the dry mix. If they are in a bowl soaking in water, I pluck them out and then right into the mix. My mother and grandmother would dip in milk or butter milk before dredging. I've also heard that 7-up or sprite can liven up the taste, but I've never tried it.

The wife has made a good beer batter before, but it's been a while since we've had it.

I imagine a japanese tempura batter would work, although some additional seasoning may be desired. It looks easy enough to try.

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tempura/r/tempurabatter.htm

He's another.
http://fishcooking.about.com/od/crablobsterrecipes/r/tempura_recipe.htm

[SeniorCoot]

I do dredge fillets in egg/milk wash before putting them in Breading mix--
Bushman- you be smart guy-- in all our camps I cook- BUT anyone who complains about anything- has the job then and for always till i get me a bottle of Alberta Premium.
Still looking for fish BATTER recipe.

[Bushman]

Okay, I found the Fryin' Magic and got that. The Zatarain's Fish-Fri I got says Lemon Pepper on it. Is that the right stuff? Any others that should be in the shoot out?

[ncboman]

We use House Autry breaders around here.

http://www.house-autry.com/food/breaders.aspx

House Autry sponsored the Southern Sportsman (http://wwwcache.wral.com/wral-tv/video/1416204/) when it was showing and we've always liked and supported Franc White (http://francwhite.com/), and therefore use House Autry.

Watch the video. He's a good cook. ;)

ncboman

[SeniorCoot]

Try it! I use Zatrain's seasoned Fish Fri--Crispy Southern

[Altjaeger]

Try it! I use Zatrain's seasoned Fish Fri--Crispy Southern

I am just now trying Zatarains fish fry. We have both the "Crispy Southern" and "Wonderful". So far I will vouch for "Wonderful" and expect as much from "Crispy Southern".

[Bushman]

I just pulled up their web site www.zatarains.com and see Crispy Southern, Garlic, Lemon Pepper and Seasoned for fish. I had to scroll down their product list to find the Wonderful for fish, but I'll look for that one now too.

NC, thanks for that link to House Autry, but so far I have not seen that one up here yet. I thought I was doing good finding the Zatarains and now it turns out that I got the wrong flavor. I do like lemon pepper on our fillets though, so we will sure give it a try. This seasons thing is like an epiphany to me and it surly will be to the "cook" because he is still in the flour, salt and black pepper stage.

[SeniorCoot]

Well if you want to get fancy-- try flour- s&p and egg wash-- fry in Butter- remove fish- add some lemon Ju- white wine,Gran garlic-deglaze pan and reduce till a bit thick--pour over fish-- can also add some toasted almond slices-- then it's super.

[Bushman]

What are your plans for the week of the 14th? We could pick you up on the way through? Corey is a pretty fair bar tender, but getting fancy in the kitchen is not in his plan. Some of those meals makes a guy look forward to doing the dishes and putting that one behind us.

I did find the Zatarain's Fish-Fry Crispy Southern. It only took me 6 places to find it. The Lemon Pepper was more popular from the number of boxes gone. Time will tell. The garlic was not moving at all and unless one of you guys tells me that it is the best of the best, I'm not buying it either.

[SeniorCoot]

If you are inviting me--Thanks but i am going to SD fopr a prairie dog shoot.

[Bushman]

SC, Yes, I think that I read about your pd shoot in another thread. It is just that I get a little frustrated with the culinary "skills" of my fishing partner. One year my father-in-law came along and we kept it a secret that he was going to be the cook until he got in the car.

I've heard that those pd's carry some bad diseases or is it their fleas? Anyway, do not ever handle a pd.

[Bushman]

Dave, there is a bunch of info on that link you put up, thanks. I was just reading how fish need to be iced. We happened on that some years back when we used to drag fish around on a stringer in the warmer upper water. Sometimes they died and you would see those black blood veins in the meat. We used to cut a gill to bleed them out, but I didn't like that either. Since we have unlimited ice, what I found works the best is just to carry a cooler with some water and ice in it and that way the fish go dormant, but stay fresh and live a long time so that you can sort them for the best eaters.

[SeniorCoot]

Pd's known to have plague--Monkey fever etc-- we never get close to them--Have a good trip

[Bushman]

Back to the best batter so far this week. I'm posting from fish camp and so far we have had three meals of 15-17" walleye fillets.
First one was with Zatarain's Crispy Southern. My take on it was that it was pretty bland and needed more spices and it was not as crispy as I thought it would be. We will try it again later in the week to make sure that it was not cooking error.

Next we tried the Fryin' Magic and thought that was better, but the crispy came from corn meal in the mix I think.

Yesterday we did the meal with Shore lunch and so far I have liked that the most. Crispy without the corn meal texture.

I've got more walleyes ready to cook, but my buddy fell getting out of the boat today, so he is wounded and he didn't want to cook so I did hamburgers on the grill instead.

We still need to try the Zatarain's Lemon Pepper.

[SeniorCoot]

OK Guys-Forget my request for a FISH BATTER--Not Breading!--Wife and i are off this Friday on our 29th annual fishing trip out of Juneau AK. with friends from there--we did this even when we klived in Fai. I have friend who operates salmon bake in AK and has great batter for his Haklibuts-never got recipe before cause i had it there- now I will also will get one from folks in JNU who operate Thrane Ore House bake.

[Bushman]

We did up four more walleyes last night with the Zatarain's Lemon Pepper and liked that about on the par with the Shore Lunch. I put lemon pepper and lemon on my fish anyway and drink Crystal Light Lemonade to go along with it, so I like lemon flavoring to go with fish anyway.

SC, have a good trip. Sounds like fun.

[SeniorCoot]

Thanks Bushman

[SeniorCoot]

Here's a BATTER recipe from the Moose Club, Juneau,AK.
1 egg
1tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
12 oz beer
1C flour
Beat egg well-add other ingredients and beat until smooth and batter coats spoon- dip dry fish pieces in batter and deep fry @ 375F til golden brown.