Wisconsin Friday fish fry
Battered cod with rye bread, coleslaw and potato pancakes
AmericanEvery Friday night in Wisconsin, supper clubs, taverns and church halls hold a fish fry, a Catholic Lenten tradition that became a year-round social event. Beer-battered cod, perch or bluegill is fried crisp and served with rye bread, coleslaw, tartare sauce and a lemon wedge. Many taverns use lager in the batter; it contains alcohol, which mostly cooks off, so for an alcohol-free version use sparkling water, which gives the same light, crisp coat. Chef's tip: dust the fish in flour before it goes in the batter, so the batter clings instead of sliding off.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb cod or haddock filletsskinless, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 oz cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
- ½ cup tartare sauce
- 1 lemonin wedges
- 4 slices rye bread (optional)buttered
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pat the 1 ½ lb cod or haddock fillets very dry with kitchen paper and season lightly with salt. Heat the 6 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F.
10 minStep 2: Whisk the 5 ½ oz plain flour, 1 oz cornflour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp paprika and 1 tsp salt, then whisk in the 1 cup ice-cold lager or sparkling water to a batter like double cream.
3 minStep 3: Toss each piece of fish in the 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, shake off the excess, then dip in the batter.
3 minStep 4: Lower in gently, 3 or 4 pieces at a time, and fry 5–6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden; the fish inside is opaque and flakes easily. A common mistake is crowding, which drops the oil temperature and makes a greasy, pale batter.
20 minStep 5: Drain on a rack and serve straight away with ½ cup tartare sauce, 1 lemon and 4 slices rye bread bread.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wisconsin Friday fish fry take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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