Crispy Batter For Chicken Or Fish Recipes

CRISPY BATTER THAT STAYS CRISPY (FOR A LONG TIME)

Steps:

• Place the flour/starch, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix everything. Only prepare your batter when you are ready to fry your food.
• Pour about 1 1/2 to 2-inch of oil into a stainless steel pot or Dutch oven. Preheat the oil to 330 F. It helps if you have deep-fryer thermometer if not, dip a stick end of wooden spatula, bamboo skewer, or chopsticks into the oil. If there are steady bubbles around it, the oil is most likely more than 330 F, but the temperature will drop once you put in the things you are going to fry. As long as it doesn't bubble vigorously, if it is, lower the heat a bit and test again
• Pour in the ice cold water into the flour mixture and use a chopstick to stir. Do not over stir with all-purpose flour. It's okay to have some lumps in the batter. If you over mix the flour batter, it will turn out gummy and absorbs too much oil. If you are preparing gluten-free batter, this is not an issue because cornstarch doesn't have gluten in it
• Coat the food with the batter and fry the food. Another important note is not to overcrowd and frying too many. If you lower the oil temperature too much, the batter will be greasy, soggy, and almost definitely will not stay crispy (if at all). This step is to cook the food inside the batter. Depending on what you are frying, follow the instruction on the time
• Remove from the oil to a rack. Let them cool down for at least 10 minutes before you go for the second frying. You can even stop at this step if you are prepping ahead. Keep the half-fried food in the fridge and do the second frying just right before serving, whenever that is
• Remove any crumbs from the oil and bring it back up to hot again over high heat. This time we need about 375 F. Use a thermometer if you have one. If you don't have one, again, use the stick end of wooden spatula, bamboo skewer or chopstick to test the oil. The bubbles will be steady. When it's ready, fry the food for the second time. This round should be quicker. The food will turn golden brown too. This step is to crisp up the food further
• Place the fried food on a rack set on a baking sheet. You can keep the rest warm in an oven at around 200 F and serve when you are done with frying all

CRISPY BATTER FOR FISH & CHIPS

Steps:

• Mix ingredients together.
• Dip cod into batter.
• Deep fry at 425F until cooked.

CRISPY BATTER FOR CHICKEN OR FISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or large cast iron skillet. You'll want at least a couple inches deep of oil in the skillet. The oil should be heated to 325°F A frying thermometer is usful in keeping the oil at a constant temperature.
• Prepare your chicken or fish by cutting into thin strips, about 1/2 thick; the width is not critical. Pat dry with a paper towel.
• In a shallow quart container, whisk together the dry ingredients well. Stir in the water and whisk until very smooth.
• Using tongs, dip the fish or chicken pieces into the batter, covering LIGHTLY, and letting some batter drip off.
• Immediately place the fish or chicken in the preheated oil. Fry to a deep golden brown, turning once. This should take a total of 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Remove one piece and cut into it to check for doneness.
• Drain on fresh paper toweling and keep warm in a low oven till serving time - or serve immediately!

CRISPY BATTER-FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of waxed paper. Pound to 1/2" thickness using a meat mallet. Set aside.
• Place egg whites and tarragon in a shallow bowl. Beat with a fork until frothy. Combine flour, garlic powder, cornstarch and baking soda in another shallow bowl and mix well. Dip the chicken in flour then egg white mixture and turn to coat. Dip in flour again and coat completely.
• Heat the oil to 350 F in a deep medium skillet. Add 2 chicken breasts to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken.