Freshly caught snapper in a light semi-tempura beer batter. PHOTO HEATHER CARSTON
MY daughter returned home with the day’s limit of snapper last week, beautiful big pannies which were a welcome addition, thanks to the great charter guys out at Kāwhia.
There are many ways to eat fresh fish, but the only way is fresh – it should never be frozen or otherwise preserved. The sublime taste of the sea, still there the day of the catch, is simply an intrinsic part of the taste and texture.
For us, there are many ways to cook it, but the best remains a semi-tempura beer batter passed down by my mother and tweaked over the years by me. Neither of us like a heavy batter; it should be golden, slightly crisp and complement the fish it lightly encases.
The secret to the taste comes two ways; the herbs in the batter, and the lemon. If you don’t have a deep fryer, use a deep-sided frypan, or as I do, a wok on the highest setting, half-filled with a light cooking oil.
Any fish fillets will do for this, although white fleshed like snapper, tarakihi or gurnard is best. These fed our wider family for two nights – and frames and heads to someone in Te Kūiti, so no waste.
Ingredients 4 snapper fillets 1 cup plain flour, placed in a large ziplock bag 1 cup of plain flour ¾ tsp baking powder 1 large egg or 2 small ones 1 can lager beer 1 tsp dried tarragon ¾ tsp garlic herb salt ½ tsp lemon pepper
Method Do each fillet one at a time.
Preheat oven to 70C to keep fillets warm once cooked, layer a dish with absorbent paper.
Get oil in pan or fryer up to frying heat. In a bowl, measure cup of flour, add in other dry ingredients, whisk to combine. Add eggs, then beer, whisking till batter is smooth. If too thick, add more beer. (Drink the rest while cooking).
Put one fillet into bag of flour and coat. Shake off excess. Dip the fillet into batter, making sure it’s well covered.
Let excess drip off for a few seconds, then quickly transfer into oil, laying it in. Cook each side for a few minutes, turning once or twice. A reasonable sized fillet should only take five to eight minutes to cook.
When both sides are golden, lift from the oil and let drain for a moment or two before removing to oven to keep warm.
Serve with lemon wedges and tartare sauce, salad and chips.
