The Crispiest Coatings for Deep-Fried Fish

Published on Wednesday, October 27, 2010, by Sarah Perry / Edit Post

What makes the most shatteringly crisp breading for deep-fried fish? mamachef recommends a standard mixture of flour, cornmeal, and spices—but the magic is in the method of application. "The key is, you mix half the mix with water and batter the fish, and then roll it in the remainder of the dry mix," says mamachef.

Veggo uses a mix of finely ground cornmeal, Guinness stout, and powdered chipotle for a fish or shrimp batter that crisps up nicely. celeryroot likes to add rice flour to the batter for extra crispiness. Cornstarch is another popular addition—that's the secret ingredient that makes Japanese kara-age (fried chicken) so crispy, says Tripeler. And smartie likes a coating of crushed matzo meal.

mamachef has tried using potato flakes in the mix but doesn't recommend it. "It made for a decent texture vis-à-vis crispness, but it had an undertaste I didn't care for, and I think it was due to whatever preservative is used in the flakes," she says.

Discuss: Looking for a great crispy fish coating for deep fry

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POST A COMMENT |4 Comments

COMMENT

  • Jacques Pepin said on an episode of "Fast Food My Way" to dip in batter, coat in coating (flour, crumbs, whatever), shake off excess, THEN IMMEDIATELY PUT INTO frying oil. The longer one waits, the more the batter will soak into the coating, making it less likely to come out crispy.

  • I use the pancake/beer batter in my earlier message to batter and fry shrimp and scallops here in Southern Florida.

  • Oldunc: My father used pancake batter with beer and seasonings to bread and fry trout and crappies. He always had a crispy crust. Maybe that will help you.

  • My mother used to do something really simple that I can't quite remember; it involved buttermilk and one other ingredient, maybe flour. Not particularly crispy, but I throw it in in the hope that it will strike a chord with one of the fish freaks out there.