3 lb Cod fillets, firm, white
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup milk -- or more as needed
2 cup flour
3 cup pancake mix
2 cup club soda (approx.)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cooking oil
Directions
Note:
There are many variants of the traditional UK Fish batter, and many US based retailers passing off their products as being 'English' or 'traditional'.
For example, Arthur Treachers - claiming to sell "old England's national snack" - but who at one time substituted the traditional Cod with the much inferior pollock.
Arthur Treachers is now just another franchise, and not a very big one judging from the figures
It is no surpise that their chain has been much troubled, including bankruptcy along the way - I sampled the fish and it wasn't even close to the 'real thing' served in the UK.
Rest assured, this recipe is for the real thing, NOT a copy of Arthur Treacher's Fried Fish - this uses authentic batter and real Cod, and can't be beaten by the poor grade imitations served up by franchise chains.
The Preparation:
Cut fish fillets in half, making triangular shape. Cover with milk and
lemon juice and refrigerate 3-4 hours. Drain off milk. Dip fillets in
flour to coat each piece lightly. Let dry on a cookie sheet, making
sure pieces do not touch.
Add oil to deep fryer or heavy pan to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat oil to 425~. Combine pancake mix, basil, pepper, garlic salt and enough soda to make a thick batter, about the consistency of buttermilk. Dip floured fillets in batter and add to the hot oil one at a time. Fry 4-5 minutes. Remove filets to cookie sheet, again, not letting them touch and keep warm in a 250~ oven. Deep fry remaining filets, keeping the depth of the oil at least 3 inches.
NOTE: Do not heap fish as this creates steam in the oven and makes coating soft.
Better than Teacher's Fish Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Fish; Seafood
The History of Recipes
Recipes as an idea can be traced back into the far past, certainly as far back into recorded history as early Egypt, and maybe even further. In practice though, these, ancient records were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for meal preparation.
During the time of the Romans a man called Apicius created a few documents detailing recipes prepared by the Romans. In his works, he tells us how the roman meals were split into starters, main course and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. This early Roman chef informs us how the cooks of his times used a good variety of spices, including a few you will know like basil, rue and dill. Over the next few hundred years, the rich families of Wesstern Europe competed to lay on the most exotic meals, and as a result chefs and their recipe collections were at a premium. However, it was during the nineteenth century the formal cooking and cookery books became popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated their lives to collecting, testing, and writing down recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. The arrival of TV brings us TV cooks and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everyone to search through thousands of recipes such as those found on this web site. |
