• Other grains, like rice flour or cornstarch or corn flour, can have varying effects Rice flour and cornstarch can be used to dilute the protein concentration of pure wheat flour, giving the batter a lighter structure (you still need at least bit of protein, or it won’t have any structure at all) Corn flour has larger grains than wheat flour, which add the crunch you get in a hush puppy or good corn dog The first order of business with any batter is to get the consistency right Too thick, and it comes out bready; too thin, and it doesn’t offer enough protection It’s also essential to balance leavening power and gluten development Too little leavening, and you get a hard, tough shell; too much, and your batter will overinflate and strip itself off your food Rather than using straight-up flour for my batter, I use a combo of flour and cornstarch, which reduces the amount of gluten formed—the protein network that can cause a batter to become leathery and tough Gluten formation is also increased with excessive stirring, so mixing the batter with a whisk or a pair of chopsticks just until it barely comes together is the way to go A few spots of raw flour are perfectly fine There are a couple reasons to use beer First off, sugars present in the beer will increase the brownability of the batter The bubbles are also essential—they create the tiny, tiny pockets inside a good batter that add to our perception of crunchiness; it’s really just a little boost for the baking powder, which performs a similar function There’s another element in there that’s helping to keep my batter nice and light and crisp: the alcohol Vodka (even the cheap stuff!) is the secret to extra-crispy batters Regulars of the now-closed Lenox Liquors on Lenox at 133rd will recognize Georgi as the cheapest vodka they offer, while fans of Heston Blumenthal will recognize vodka as one of the ingredients in his Perfect Fish & Chips recipe.*** If you are in the small group of people who recognize both this bottle and its context, then we are kindred spirits and I welcome you to my home for fried fish any day of the year When Heston presented the idea, initially the thought was that the volatility of the vodka (that ...my batter nice and light and crisp: the alcohol Vodka (even the cheap stuff!) is the secret to extra-crispy batters Regulars of the now-closed Lenox Liquors on Lenox at 133rd will recognize Georgi as the cheapest vodka they... kindred spirits and I welcome you to my home for fried fish any day of the year When Heston presented the idea, initially the thought was that the volatility of the vodka (that ... offer, while fans of Heston Blumenthal will recognize vodka as one of the ingredients in his Perfect Fish & Chips recipe.*** If you are in the small group of people who recognize both this bottle and its context, then we are kindred spirits and I welcome you to my home for fried fish