Do you know what batter is?This is a liquid dough (naturally invented by the French) for dipping products that you are going to fry. Do you know what is used to make batter besides flour? It is prepared on the basis of eggs and water, milk, kefir, mayonnaise, beer with the addition of spices, tomato paste and herbs. Do you know what can be cooked in batter? Vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, sausage and even cheese and fruits are fried in it. In short, this magic dough can turn almost any product into an exquisite dish. And if, for example, you do not know how to cook fish, then fry it in batter. As you know, you can’t spoil porridge with butter. So the same can be said about fish, which can’t be spoiled by batter. However, not every fish and not every batter can be cooked successfully. For example, batter with mayonnaise is considered suitable for fish. And the best fish for cooking in batter will be river fish without small bones or some types of sea fish. So, let's find out what fish to choose and how to cook it in batter with mayonnaise.
Choosing a Fish
If there are no problems with good water in your region,river fish, which you can catch in the nearest pond or buy at the market (in the store), then you are doubly lucky. Firstly, you will be able to prepare the freshest product that has not been frozen or stored for a long time. And secondly, as a result, you will get an amazingly tasty and juicy dish that you will not be ashamed to serve for a festive table, and you will not mind preparing it for an everyday lunch. Of the river fish, the most suitable for cooking in batter will be:
- catfish,
- carp,
- zander,
- stellate sturgeon,
- sturgeon,
- trout.
In general, if you consider batter as only liquidbreading, then you can cook any river or lake fish with it: pike, tench, carp, burbot. However, it is the fish fillet in batter that turns out tasty. Therefore, you should choose a large fish with white meat and without small bones. Sea fish in batter with mayonnaise will turn out no worse, and perhaps even better than river fish, even if you buy a frozen product. And if you have the opportunity to buy chilled sea fish, then a tasty and juicy dish is simply guaranteed. So, the following sea fish is suitable for frying in batter:
- salmon,
- salmon,
- coho,
- pangasius (marine language);
- cod,
- hake,
- flounder.
In general, almost any sea fish,with the exception of small sprats or anchovies, it is suitable for cooking in batter. Although, if you have an experimental spirit, then take a chance and fry these small fish in batter with mayonnaise. What if you like it?
Preparing the batter
The quality of the batter directly depends on its thickness.and viscosity. The taste is also affected by the main ingredients and special additives. For batter with mayonnaise, excellent additives are finely grated cheese, garlic (yes, fish with garlic!), black, white and lemon pepper, mustard and mustard seeds, white wine. Traditionally, batter with mayonnaise is prepared from wheat flour, but you can add potato or corn starch, rye, rice, oatmeal or corn flour to it. By the way, such flour can be used as an independent base. Naturally, you need to put eggs in the batter, which will give the dough the necessary viscosity and, by the way, batter with mayonnaise can be prepared without flour at all. Here are several options for making batter with mayonnaise.
- Clay with mayonnaise without flour
Perhaps the most dietary version of mayonnaisebatter. To prepare it, you will only need mayonnaise, eggs and spices. The proportions are classic: one to one. That is, for one egg you need to take one tablespoon of mayonnaise. If it is more convenient for you to measure in grams, then for one package of mayonnaise (200 g) you will need about four to five eggs. Break the eggs into a bowl, put salt there and beat with a mixer or fork until light foam. Put the mayonnaise in another bowl and now begin to gradually add eggs to the mayonnaise, continuing to beat. You should get a mixture like for an omelet. The crust from such batter will be crispy and thin. And you need to fry fish in batter without flour in an almost dry frying pan, pouring a little vegetable oil there.
- Simple batter with flour and mayonnaise
Take eggs and mayonnaise at the rate of one tablespoonspoon of sauce for one egg. Mix mayonnaise with flour, making a fairly thick dough, add salt, pepper and spices to taste. You need to take about as many tablespoons of flour as mayonnaise, or a little more. Now beat all the eggs intended for the batter into this mixture one by one. If the batter is not liquid enough, then add more mayonnaise or even just dilute it with warm boiled water to the desired consistency. You can adjust the thickness of the batter at your discretion. But keep in mind that the thinner the batter, the more oil it will absorb during frying. However, the crust from liquid batter will be thinner and crispier.
- Gluten with additives
For the basis of this batter we take mayonnaise, flour andeggs in equal proportions (count the eggs in pieces, flour and mayonnaise in tablespoons). Make the batter of the desired consistency and add, for example, the following additives: finely chopped onions, grated hard or processed cheese, sesame seeds, chopped fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro), chopped bell peppers. Keep in mind that batter with additives requires a thick consistency. Otherwise, pieces of added products will simply fall off during frying and fry on their own.
Fry fish in batter
The fish needs to be prepared.Defrost and dry the frozen fish, cut up, wash and dry the fresh fish: the batter does not stick well to wet fillets. It is also advisable to prepare the batter for the fish in advance, especially if you add flour to it. Chefs also advise not only to prepare the batter in advance, but also to cool it before cooking. So, cut the fish fillet into small pieces, heat up the vegetable oil in a saucepan or roasting pan and start cooking. Take a piece of fish, dip it in batter and lower it into hot oil. If you are deep-frying the fish (in a large amount of oil), then monitor the frying process visually. If you are frying the fish in a frying pan, then it must be turned over after the bottom side of the fish is browned. Do not try to put a lot of fish in a saucepan or roasting pan at once: the quality of the batter will suffer from this and it will not be crispy. Fry the fish in batter for about three to five minutes. We take the finished fish with a fork, slotted spoon or tongs and put it on a paper towel, which will absorb excess oil. Fish in mayonnaise batter can be eaten hot, or it can be prepared as a cold appetizer. Such fish will be an excellent dish for a festive table, it can be prepared as a lunch for work for your husband (or for yourself), it can simply be prepared for dinner and served with a light salad. By the way, such fish can easily be prepared for future use: the day before the celebration, for example. However, with long storage, the fish in batter becomes tasteless. Try different recipes, cook with pleasure, and bon appetit! We recommend reading:
