Preparing wet-battered fish by shallow frying

What this technique gives you, and when to use it

How do you make shallow fried battered fish? You dip dried, lightly floured fish in a wet batter and fry it in a thin layer of oil in an ordinary frying pan, turning it until the coating is cooked and the fish is done. You get battered white fish without filling a deep fryer or a large pot with oil. This guide follows a two-portion method published by Andrea of the Forking Foodie blog. It uses about half a centimeter of neutral oil in a small-to-medium nonstick pan. The method suits a small meal for one or two people, especially when your pan can only handle one portion at a time.

The method does not give an oil temperature, a fillet thickness or a total cooking time. That affects how you judge doneness. Instead of relying on the clock, use the sizzle test before frying and an instant-read thermometer at the end.

Ingredients for two portions

These quantities come from Andrea's Forking Foodie recipe, which is seasoned with lemon and herbs. She does not specify amounts for the lemon zest, parsley, black pepper or the flour used to dust the fish, so add those to your own taste.

Ingredient	Amount
Boneless white fish	2 portions, about 170 g each
Plain (all-purpose) flour	25 g
Cornflour (cornstarch)	25 g
Sparkling water, chilled	70 g
Egg white	1, about 30 g
Salt	1/2 teaspoon
Ground turmeric	1/2 teaspoon
Onion powder	1/2 teaspoon
Lemon zest	to taste
Chopped parsley	to taste
Black pepper	to taste
Extra plain flour	for dusting the fish
Neutral cooking oil	enough for a 0.5 cm layer in your pan

Equipment

Small-to-medium nonstick frying pan
Mixing bowl for the batter and a small bowl for the egg white
Paper towels or a clean cloth for drying the fish
Plate of flour for dusting
Greaseproof paper for draining
Instant-read food thermometer
Separate utensils and plates for raw and cooked fish

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the fish first. Pat each portion dry, then dust it lightly with flour. Keep the raw fish, and anything it touches, away from the plate you will serve on.
2. Mix the dry batter ingredients. Combine the plain flour, cornflour, salt, turmeric, onion powder, pepper, lemon zest and parsley in a bowl.
3. Heat the pan. Pour neutral oil into the nonstick pan to a depth of about 0.5 cm and set it over heat.
4. Finish the batter only when the pan and fish are ready. Gently stir the chilled sparkling water into the dry mix. Lightly froth the egg white and fold it in. Stop mixing as soon as everything is combined.
5. Test the oil. Drop in a little batter. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. If it sits quietly, give the pan more time and test again before adding any fish.
6. Dip and lower. Coat a floured portion in batter and lower it into the oil, laying it down away from yourself.
7. Turn. After roughly a minute, turn the fish. Keep turning it as needed while the coating cooks and the fish cooks through.
8. Check doneness with a thermometer. Push the probe into the thickest part of the fish (see the safety section below).
9. Drain. Lift the fish onto greaseproof paper to drain, using a clean utensil rather than one that handled raw fish.

When to change course

Pan too small for both portions: fry them one at a time, which Andrea's method allows. Check that the test batter sizzles again before you add the second portion.
Batter does not sizzle: the oil is not hot enough yet. Wait and repeat the test rather than adding the fish.
Batter mixed too early: the method calls for adding the water just before use. Plan your timing so you mix the liquid in after the pan and fish are ready.
Fish not yet at temperature: keep cooking and turning, then check again with the thermometer.

How to judge progress and doneness

Watch for three cues in order. First, a little test batter should sizzle when it hits the oil, which tells you the pan is ready. Second, look for the first turn at about one minute, then keep turning as needed. Third, confirm that the fish is cooked through. Andrea checks with a hot skewer. That is a qualitative test, and her recipe gives no number for it. For a measurable endpoint, use a thermometer: the FDA recommends cooking most seafood to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Food safety

Cook the fish to 145°F internally, measured in the thickest part.
Keep raw fish away from cooked food. Do not put cooked fish back on the plate or board that held it raw.
Use clean utensils to lift, drain and serve the cooked fish, not the ones used to dip or lower the raw portions.
Lower the battered fish into the oil away from your body.

Example: a batch card for repeat cooking

The recipe does not set a fillet thickness or cooking time, so a short written record can help you repeat a good result. The card below is an illustrative template, not a set of measured results. Fill it in each time you cook.

Fish portion:        ____ g, ____ cm thick
Batter:              25 g plain flour / 25 g cornflour /
                     70 g sparkling water / 30 g egg white
Pan size:            ____ cm
Oil depth measured:  ____ cm (target about 0.5)
Sizzle test passed:  yes / no
First turn at:       ____ (about 1 min)
Further turns:       ____
Internal temp:       ____ °F (target 145)
Fried:               together / one at a time
Drained on:          clean greaseproof paper