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HOW
TO MAKE BATTER
 This
week I am answering questions originally proposed by Ms Susan
Anderson, an ex-Pat now in the USA. The question of how to
make a great batter for making UK style fish and chips at
home.
While
these recipes can be used for fish, they are equally good
for any deep fried foods; banana fritters or vegetables (try
battered cauliflower sometime . . . mmmmm delicious!) To compliment
these recipes, in my cooking tips this week, I cover the issue
of deep frying in general.
First
let me say when it comes to batter recipes . . . NO eggs!
With the exception of egg whites in the tempura batter (which
I will cover at a later date), eggs are the enemy of a good
batter, they make them soggy, spongy and more like a cake
mixture. So if you have a batter recipe with eggs in it, do
me a great favour and ceremoniously burn it!
All
of these recipes will produce a nice light, crispy batter
that gives that wonderful mouth feel of crunch as you bite
into it and as long as you keep the mixture thin, the fish
inside will not be overcooked and remain moist and tender.
I do much prefer the baking powder batter, it is quick and
I think makes a better, bit of batter than the yeast version.
If
any of you are luckily enough to be flying with Air New Zealand
this month be sure to read their in-flight magazine, where
you will find me and my website featured! So without further
ado, let's get cooking . . .
If you were looking for How
to make Pancakes
then <click here>
Baking
Powder Batter
Ingredients
for Baking
Powder Batter
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Flour
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150
|
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gm
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|
Hercules
baking powder
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15
|
|
gm
|
|
Water
|
|
|
sq
|
How
to make Baking
Powder Batter
- Sieve
the flour and baking powder at least twice to evenly
distribute gluten content and the baking powder
- Add
enough water to form a smooth batter; the mixture
should be kept quite thin or the batter will take
too long to cook and the fish will dry out
- For
aesthetic purposes a little yellow food colour may
be added if preferred
- This
batter may now be used without resting
Chef's
Tip for Baking
Powder Batter
There
are two types of baking powders
- slow
activating : that must be allowed rest and 'ferment'
- instant
heat : these activate immediately on contact with
heat and are best recommended for batters, such
as the Hercules brand
Beer
Batter
You
make Beer batter as above but replacing the water
with a good yeasty beer.
Yeast
Batter
Ingredients
for Yeast
Batter
|
flour
|
150
|
|
gm
|
|
yeast
|
15
|
|
gm
|
|
water
|
|
|
sq
|
|
sugar
|
|
|
sq
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How
to make Yeast Batter
- Sieve
the flour at least twice to evenly distribute gluten
content and place in a cool oven to warm
- Dissolve
the yeast in a little warm water with a pinch of
sugar
- Make
a well in the flour and pour in the yeast
- Sit
in a warm place (not over 37ºC) until the yeast
starts to bubble
- Combine
the flour and yeast with enough water (approx. 200
ml) to form a smooth batter
- To
allow the yeast to fully activate, allow the batter
to rest for at least 30 minutes
- It
is recommended that the batter is tested before
using, as the warmth of the kitchen, the water,
the flour will all effect how quickly or slowly
the yeast ferments
- Add
seasoning at this stage, if added earlier the salt
may destroy the yeast
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Chef's
terminology:
|
| |
lt |
=
|
litres |
|
tsp |
= |
teaspoon |
| |
ml |
=
|
millelitres |
|
tbs |
= |
tablespoon |
| |
kg |
=
|
kilograms |
|
sq |
= |
sufficient
quantity (add to taste) |
| |
gm |
=
|
grams |
|
pc |
= |
piece,
meaning a whole one of |
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Enjoy
your great batter and bon appetit . . . .
Recipe
from professional
Chef Tallyrand
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