What you'll need:
-Mixing Bowls (2)
-Cake Pans (2-3)
-Table Spoons (2-3)
-A Wooden Spoon (To check your oil)
-Metal Forks (3-4)
-Iron Skillets (as needed, probably 3)
-Foil
-Dishcloths (4-5)
-Paper Plates
-Ziplock Bags
-A mess of fillets
-Vegetable Oil
-A six pack of beer
-A bag of flour
-Salt
-Pepper
-Garlic Powder
-Cumin
What you'll do:
Be sure you have a good cooking fire, if flames are too high you’ll ruin your lunch. If the fire is too low you’ll ruin your lunch. Add your oil to the skillets about an 1” to an 1 ½” deep. You’ll want your oil to be just about smoking but not quite. Test it with the butt-end of the wooden spoon, if it sizzles and bubbles then you’re ready to cook.
In one bowl mix together 8 tablespoons of flour with half a tablespoon each of salt, pepper, and Garlic Powder. (A little less generous with the Cumin please.) You can adjust the seasoning to your taste the next time you make it. Then add the beer, stirring all the time until your batter looks about like pancake batter.
Getting the fish ready is pretty simple now. Just take your fillets and dab them dry with a couple of dishcloths. Put some flour in either a plastic bag, or a paper plate. Plastic bags are good if it’s windy. Roll the dry fillets in the flour and then drag them through the batter on both sides. You can use a fork if you don’t want your hands getting all crusty.
Next, carefully drop you fillets, you have to ease them in of they’ll stick on the bottom or splash. Once you’ve got them going check them to see how they’re browning. You want them to be just golden and firm when you flip them. If you have your oil right they’ll cook really evenly. Try to avoid frying cold fillets, they zap the heat out of the oil and the next batch won’t cook right, and will end up all snotty and nasty. Remove them to a cake pan with a dishcloth in the bottom and cover them with foil to keep them hot. Repeat this process as needed until all fish is cooked. Be ready to make more batter, and make your adjustments. This is actually pretty easy to do and it’ll be second nature before you know it.
Good Luck!
