🌡 Cook to 145°F (63°C). The FDA figure for finfish. Halibut is lean and firm and turns to cotton if you take it much past this, so pull it as soon as the centre flakes.
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Ingredients
- 1½ lbs halibut fillet, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus ½ cup for dredging
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup cold lager, straight from the fridge
- Neutral oil, for frying
- Lemon wedges and malt vinegar, to serve
Directions
- Pat the halibut dry and keep it cold until the moment it goes into the batter.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper and paprika together in a bowl.
- Pour in the cold beer and stir just until it comes together. Lumps are fine and lumps are the point — over-mixing develops gluten and gives you a tough, bready shell.
- Heat 2 inches of oil to 365°F. Below about 350°F the batter drinks oil instead of crisping.
- Dredge each piece in the reserved dry flour, shake off the excess, then dip it in the batter and let the surplus run off.
- Fry two pieces at a time for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Frying all four at once drops the oil temperature and gives you pale, greasy fish.
- Check the thickest piece reads 145°F, then drain on a rack rather than paper — paper traps steam and softens the underside.
- Serve immediately with lemon and malt vinegar.
Notes
Everything here is about temperature difference: cold batter meeting hot oil is what flashes the surface into a crisp shell before the fish overcooks. Some cooks add a splash of vodka to the batter, which evaporates faster than water and crisps it further. A rack and a hot oven at 200°F will hold the first batch while you fry the second.
Kit for this recipe
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- Instant-read thermometer Every recipe here is written to a temperature, not a time.
- Deep-fry thermometer Batter goes greasy below 350°F and dark before it is cooked above 375°F.
- Dutch oven for frying Deep sides and steady heat beat a thin pot for frying.
