This recipe is actually one that Sean picked out a while back and had not had the opportunity to make it until just a few days ago. It’s not often that he picks out a fish recipe for us to try, so I was more than willing to give it a shot, especially because I had just picked up some cod on sale. The timing for it was perfect and the recipe, from Bobby Deen, is actually one that is lighter than what often comes from Deen family recipes. This one uses very little oil in cooking and roasts the fries instead of frying them in oil.

Beer Battered Fish and Roasted Fries

Roasted Fries:

4 medium sweet potatoes, skin-on, cut into French fry strips

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Zest of 1 orange

Beer Battered Fish:

One 12-ounce bottle beer

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, skin and bones removed, cut diagonally into 4-inch long, 1-inch wide strips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt for sprinkling (optional)

For the fries: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes in a medium bowl. Whisk together the vegetable oil, paprika, salt, pepper and orange zest and toss with the potatoes to evenly coat. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast until the potatoes are tender and starting to brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 450 degrees and continue roasting until the potatoes get crispy around the edges, about another 5 minutes longer. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and hold the potatoes in the oven to keep them warm while you prepare the fish.

For the beer battered fish: Pour the beer into a large bowl. Sift the flour over the beer, whisking gently until it is just combined. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle on both sides with the salt, garlic powder and pepper. Coat the fish in the beer batter.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet until it is very hot. Remove the fish from the batter using tongs and allow any excess batter to drip off. Place the fish in the hot oil and fry it in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Fry the fish until it is a deep golden brown and cooked through, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of fish. While the fish is still hot, sprinkle it with salt, if using, and drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice (optional). Serve with the roasted sweet potato fries.

It is a very simple and light meal that tastes great. I would recommend using a light-colored or light beer for the batter. This way the beer itself will not impart any flavors directly onto the fish (unless of course you want that and in that case you may want to choose a stronger flavored beer). The fries were perfectly cooked and tasted great. They would be an excellent side replacement for French fries with any sandwich or meal. Sean and Michelle both loved the lightness and crispness of the fish as well. I’ll be glad to make this one again for dinner anytime as it was easy to make and everyone liked it. One thing to remember is that you don’t want to cook the fish too long. Fish takes just minutes to cook and will get very rubbery if you overcook it, so be careful.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. I do have one I tried last night when we had breakfast for dinner for pancakes and homemade hash browns. I also have one for tonight that we are trying from Bobby Flay for New York-style street hot dogs with onion sauce and a pepper relish that promises to be tasty. There are lots more to come, so keep checking back. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!