January 03, 2011

Beer Battered Mahimahi and Chips



My favorite fish to eat is definitely mahimahi (except for the Misoyaki Butterfish at Roy's but that is another story.....).  Mahimahi is also known as dolphin fish - don't panic,  it is not related to an actual dolphin. In the Hawaiian language mahimahi means very strong.  It is a firm, white-fleshed fish that has a mild taste.  One of my favorite ways to enjoy this fish is to coat it in a coconut crust and then pan fry the fillets, but tonight I had other plans.  I was in the mood for fish and chips.


When we visit our relatives in Australia we always look forward to Friday night fish and chips.  I am partial to the grilled fish we can get there, but I also enjoy battered fish, potato scallops, and pineapple fritters.   Not exactly good for you, but oh so good if you know what I mean.



Frying battered fish is not as easy as it looks.  First you need a batter that is not too thick that it over-coats the fish and prevents it from cooking through, and not too thin that it just runs right off the fish into the oil.  It is a definitely a delicate balance.  Then you need to make sure that you have the oil just right  - not too hot that the outside burns and the fish is raw, but not too cool that the fish ends up a soggy mess.  I think we probably had out oil a little too hot but I couldn't find my thermometer to check out how hot it was.  Of course now that I don't need it I am sure I could find it right away.  Such is the law of the kitchen.


We served our fish with oven-roasted potato wedges.  I simply took 2 large russet potatoes, peeled them, and cut them into wedges.  The wedges went into a large roasting pan with a little olive oil to coat, and just a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  They cooked at 400°F for approximately 40 minutes (I turned them over once at about 20 minutes).  A little lemon and some yogurt sauce and we were ready to eat.  We did have a lot of batter left over so next time I would probably make potato scallops rather than fries.


Beer Battered Mahimahi and Chips
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 2 large fillets of mahimahi, each cut into 3 pieces
Preparation
  1. In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, eggs, and beer, and beat until smooth.
  2. Season fish with salt and pepper.
  3. Use at least 3 inches of oil to  fry fish.
  4. Dip each fillet into the batter and drop into the oil, two at a time.
  5. Cook each fillet until golden brown, turning once during cooking. 
  6. Drain on paper towels.
My batter was made from this batter recipe.


    10 comments:

    1. Now I have a taste for fish and chips. That wouldn't be bad if it were later in the day but it isn't yet 6 AM here. This really sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day and that the new year brings all measure of good things your way. Blessings...Mary

      ReplyDelete
    2. Definitely a tasty meal. I eat fish and chips when I am out from time to time but don't make it homee. I guess I am trying to trick myself into not wanting it that often being about to do a good job at home!

      Jason

      ReplyDelete
    3. I love it! Wonderful dish and it looks so yummy!:)

      ReplyDelete
    4. I adore 'fish and chips' ... great choice with the mahimahi! That batter sounds wooohooo good!

      ReplyDelete
    5. How could anyone not like this?!? What a nice take on fish & chips!

      ReplyDelete
    6. A very great take on the standard fish and chips!

      ReplyDelete
    7. One of my favorite fish as well...these look delicious :)

      ReplyDelete
    8. I love fried food ... who doesn't, right? Your mahimahi looks so good. Love that it holds together in a nice crusted parcel... I'm curious. Does beer in the batter make for a lighter crust or is it there for a special taste it brings. AND ... have you experimented with different types of beer?

      ReplyDelete
    9. Fried fish is amazing. Yours looks wonderful. The English know what their doing in this area!

      I've caught one mahimahi in my life and yes, it was so not a dolphin!

      ReplyDelete
    10. Mahi mahi always reminds me of my trips to Hawaii. What I won't do for a Hawaiian vacation right now (...considering we have two inches of snow to shovel off the driveway this morning.) Since that's not happening this month, maybe some fried mahi mahi will do. Thanks for the inspiration!

      ReplyDelete

    Thanks for visiting my blog. I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.