This is why you want to batter fish before dropping it into the oil Battering is all about mitigating the energy transfer from the hot oil in order to gently steam the food on the interior while simultaneously causing the proteins in the batter to coagulate and eventually dehydrate, forming a crisp crust Even though the fish is completely submerged in a pot of 350°F oil, it cooks relatively gently and evenly from all sides because of its coat of batter This gives you, the intrepid cook, quite a bit of leeway, making perfectly tender flesh not just a distinct possibility, but in fact quite easy (and for those of you who worry about the smell of fried fish, don’t It’s not as bad as you think—see here) What’s in a Batter? A batter consists primarily of two ingredients: flour and water The loose proteins in the flour gradually link up with each other in the presence of water, creating gluten, which is what causes your batter to stick to the food being fried, as well as to itself Use too much flour or stir the batter too vigorously, and you get too much gluten, which retains liquid and fat, weighing your batter down and turning it chewy or greasy (see “Experiment: Gluten Development in Batter,” here) Similarly, the temperature of your ingredients can have a profound effect: keep your liquids ice-cold until you mix them into the flour, in order to minimize gluten development It’s the proportion and manner in which these ingredients are mixed, as well as what other ingredients are added, that determine how crisp and light your final fried product will be Here are some common ingredient substitutions and additions: • Using beer or soda water in place of water adds carbonation, which helps to leaven the batter As the tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide are heated, they expand, creating a more open texture Beer also adds flavorful compounds and carbohydrates that aid in browning • Eggs add a concentrated source of protein, allowing you to create a firm structure using less flour, resulting in the characteristic thin, wispy, and crisp coating in traditional Japanese tempura • Baking powder and baking soda form carbon dioxide when dissolved and heated (for baking soda, you also need another acid source) This puffs and lightens the batter ...each other in the presence of water, creating gluten, which is what causes your batter to stick to the food being fried, as well as to itself Use too much flour or stir the batter too... greasy (see “Experiment: Gluten Development in Batter,” here) Similarly, the temperature of your ingredients can have a profound effect: keep your liquids ice-cold until you mix them into the flour,... the flour, in order to minimize gluten development It’s the proportion and manner in which these ingredients are mixed, as well as what other ingredients are added, that determine how crisp and