Beer-battered halibut is all about the crisp, crunchy exterior, and this easy recipe shows you precisely how to get it. This 30-minute recipe delivers moist, never-greasy fish with a wonderful crust. Creamy tartar sauce brightened with tarragon and parsley is its ideal foil.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon Chopped tarragon
- 1 shallot, minced
- 6 Cornichons, minced
- 1 Hard-boiled egg
- 1 t white wine vinegar
- Pinch salt
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Hot sauce to taste
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 12 ounces Good beer of your choice
- 4 cups Vegetable oil (more or less depending on pan size)
- 6 Skinless halibut fillets, about 2 oz each
- 1 t salt
- Flaky sea salt to finish
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- For the tartar sauce: In a bowl, add the parsley, tarragon, shallot, and cornichon. Chop the hard boiled egg by removing the yolk and crumbling it, then dice the white. Add both yolk and whites to the bowl. Add vinegar, salt, mustard, mayonnaise, and a few dashes of hot sauce (or more to taste). Stir to combine and set aside.
- For the beer batter: In a large mixing bowl, mix the cake flour and baking soda with a fork. Slowly pour in the beer, stirring the entire time (it’s okay if there are a few lumps). The batter should be thin, falling off the fork easily so it coats the fish, not heavy like pancake batter. Set aside.
- Fry the halibut: Fill a deep heavy-bottomed pan with oil—don’t go higher than 2 inches from the rim—and heat to 350 degrees F. Season the halibut with salt on both sides. Test the oil by cooking a few drops of batter; they should float to the surface when the oil’s hot enough. Remove these “tester crunchies” with a slotted spoon. One piece at a time, drop the fish into the beer batter, then remove it, letting the excess drip off. Then place it halfway into the oil, letting a crust form for 10 seconds, then releasing it gently into the pan. Repeat with two more pieces (three at a time), so the pan isn’t overcrowded and cook each for 3–4 minutes. Remove the fish to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to drain any excess oil. Season with flaky sea salt and serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 26 servings |
| Calories | 427 |
| Total Fat | 42 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 16 mg |
| Sodium | 206 mg |
Reviews
I was cooking for fishing guide off NWBC, got some fresh halibut. I made this with a Stanley Park Pale Ale, and I made my own cake batter with 50/50 corn starch and AP flour. Friggin phenomenal. Best beer batty Hali I’ve ever made.
Used halibut I caught myself in Alaska. I’ve cooked it a couple ways ( no beer batter) prior, but this was by far the best preparation I’ve done yet. The tartar sauce recipe took me longer than most sauces due to needing to boil eggs and lots of chopping, but the batter/temp advice is right on par. Definitely something you want a good thermo for in regards to oil and halibut temp. So delicious. Cooked 3lbs with this and have plenty of extra tartar sauce! Highly recommend.
Made this dish for the first time. It came out amazing, I never knew how easy it was to make. Even my wife liked it and she doesn’t like fish.
This recipe makes perfect fish! Not greasy at all! I’ve always been convinced that halibut makes for a better fish and chips meal than cod. This is my go-to recipe when I crave fish and chips!
Just like scotland
The best I’ve ever tried. The cake flour makes all the difference
Great easy and crunchy. Good directions for frying
Fish & Chips like London! Better than any restaurant in the states, and even some in Europe! This recipe. Will. Not. Disappoint.
Amazing beer batter! My husband LOVES fish & chips, so I was a tad intimidated but this was just as good as any fish we’ve had at our favorite London pub!
The tartar sauce is phenomenal also. My only problem is with the amount of salt recommended. Too much for us, don’t think I’ll salt the fish before & after cooking.
The tartar sauce is phenomenal also. My only problem is with the amount of salt recommended. Too much for us, don’t think I’ll salt the fish before & after cooking.
The tartar sauce is spot on and the fish crisp and flavorful. It was my first time not only using this recipe, but making battered fish. The first batch turned out fantastic. The second batch I didn’t pay close attention to the oil temp which had dropped. The fish, as expected, took on more of the oil as was stated in the video demonstration. Definitely don’t forget to add salt to the fish immediately after removing from oil.