Crispy Fried Cod Recipe With Batter

This flavorsome beer-battered cod recipe with Skordalia (garlic mashed potatoes) and beets is a traditional Greek dish served on the 25th of March (Greek Independence Day).

This is one of the best, fried cod recipes. The beer batter forms a delicious deep golden crispy crust on the outside while the fish keeps soft on the inside.

Table Of Contents

• Salted Or Frozen Cod?
• How To Prepare Cod
• Making Beer Batter
• How To Fry Cod Fish
• Recipe Tips
• Serve With
• Recipe

In Greece, we call this dish Bakaliaros Skordalia. And if you think fried fish and chips is good, wait until you try this one! The soft garlicky mashed potatoes pair so well with this crispy fried cod.

Salted Or Frozen Cod?

Traditionally we make this dish with salted cod. And even though you can make it using frozen cod fillets I highly advise making this fried cod recipe with salted cod fillet. The flavor is much stronger.

How To Prepare Cod

If using salted cod fillet you need to cut it into portions and desalt it. If using frozen cod fillets simply thaw them in the fridge overnight.

To Prepare Salted Cod:

1. Cut the salted cod fillet into 8-9 cm (3¼ 3½ pieces)
2. Rinse under tap water to remove the salt from its surface
3. Soak. Place in a large pot with 5-6 liters of water
4. Desalt for 24 hours, changing the soaking water at least 7-8 times in total
5. Scale the fish using a butter knife to scrape its skin. Don't remove the skin
6. Rinse and drain in a strainer

Making Beer Batter

Beer batter is the best batter for cod. It's flavorful and very crispy. It is not a hard or dense batter like a flour batter. Moreover, this batter is made with half flour and half cornstarch which makes it thinner, lighter, and extra crisp.

This is the best beer batter for fish that can also be used on other foods like vegetables, chicken, or other seafood like shrimp or mussels.

Beer Batter Ingredients: All-purpose flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Salt, Beer.

How To Make Batter For Cod: To make beer batter for cod first mix the dry ingredients, the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Pour the cold beer and mix with a spoon. Then place in the freezer for 10 minutes. We want the batter to be very cold. So when it comes in touch with the hot oil, it will immediately form a coating around the fish.

How To Fry Cod Fish

Use a thick-bottomed frying pan and fill it halfway with frying oil. Heat until the oil temperature reaches 180°C / 356°F. Meanwhile, lightly flour the cod and allow it to rest until the oil is ready.

Then dip each piece into the ice-cold batter, shake the fish to remove excess batter then dip it in the hot oil, 2-3 pieces at a time. The temperature will naturally drop. We want that. Once the fish has formed a crust we want the temperature to be around 160°C /320°F, to allow the fish to cook on the inside without the batter getting overcooked.

How Long To Fry Cod Fish? This depends on the codfish you are using. For salted cod fry for 7-8 minutes. If using frozen cod fillets, fry for 5-6 minutes. Ideally, the crust should become a deep golden (honey) color.

Recipe Tips

• Don't overmix the batter. We don't want gluten to develop to turn the batter chewy and less crisp. Small lumps in the batter are perfectly fine you won't be able to tell once fried.
• Use an instant-read thermometer for precise frying temperatures. Oil should be hot enough for the fish to form a crust when you dip it in. But not too hot to color the batter too quickly.
• Don't flip the fish too quickly. Allow a few minutes for the temperature to rise again.
• Fry only 2-3 pieces at one time in a frying pan half-filled with oil.
• Use vegetable oil for frying such as sunflower, corn, or canola oil.
• Drain the deep-fried cod fish on a cooling rack. Placing the fish on paper towels to drain will create steam at the bottom softening the bottom layer.
• You can thread the fish on a skewer (no need to pass the skewer through the whole piece, just enough to hold it) then use the skewer to dip the piece of fish into the hot oil. Hold it for a few seconds, remove the skewer, and let the fish fry. This way the fish won't sink to the bottom and you prevent the the fish from sinking and the batter from sticking at the bottom.

Serve With

This Greek deep-fried cod in batter is traditionally served with Skordalia. Skordalia is a delicious side/Greek dip of mashed potatoes with lots of garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Beetroots are often served together with this delicious deep-fried fish. They go amazing with both the Skordalia and the fried cod. You can try this Simple Beetroot Salad.

Besides the traditional way of serving it, you can serve beer batter cod with a plain Greek potato salad, or a Greek salad.

Recipe