FABULOUS FRIED FISH (AND OTHER THINGS)

FRIED FISH
This recipe comes originally from an Ojibwa guide in Minnesota. I got it from a book published by the people who make Rapala and Normark filet knives titled HOW TO CLEAN A MESS OF FISH WITHOUT MAKING A MESS OF THE FISH. It is wonderfully simple!

ingredients:

2 cps Aunt Jemima's Original pancake mix (do NOT use any of the just add water variety)
1/2 tsp Salt
flat beer
about 1 cup flat beer (perhaps a bit more)
enough flour or pancake mix to dredge fillets in


dredge fillets in flour/mix and place on a wire rack to dry for about an hour

Mix pancake mix and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in enough beer to make a thin batter. Batter should be just thick enough to cling to fish fillets.

In deep fryer, dutch oven or deep skillet, heat peanut oil to 360 degrees (if using skillet, you need at least 2" of oil). Dip fillets in batter then plunge into the oil, a few pieces at a time. When edges start to brown, turn the filets and cook a couple of mins more, until entire filet is nice and golden brown.

This recipe works particularly well with Haddock, Sole, Cod, White Perch, Yellow Perch and Smelt. It may over power Walleye a bit (I prefer my Walleye dredged in Martha Whites Self Rising White Cornmeal (with salt and pepper) and panfried.

This is also a marvelous Onion Ring batter. And try making " Specials", potato slices (about 1/4") dipped in batter and deep fried. My very English grandmother explained the name this way. Potatoes deep fried are just chips, but potatoes battered and deep fried are "special"

My sister has my grandmother Clarke's FISH AND CHIPS recipe. Perhaps she could be coaxed into publishing it!

posted by Mark