There are plenty of ways to prepare a tasty fish recipe, but few are as iconic as the British classic, fish and chips. We all know that mouthwatering combination of light, buttery fish encased in the delicate, flaky crust. What you may not know, however, is that a lot of the batter used in these recipes contain beer; and while the alcohol gets fried out, it still poses issues for non-alcoholic diners. So, we spoke to Kyle Taylor, chef and founder of HE COOKS, to investigate alternatives.
The solution? Ginger ale. According to Taylor, “the key to a good batter is carbonation, which beer brings.” The bubbles in the beer are what keep the gluten in the flour in the batter from getting too tough — hence why swapping for ginger ale is an easy fix. Taylor added that “the flavor [of the soda] doesn’t really translate, so just about any carbonated beverage works well.” Not only will you achieve the same crunchy texture, but the added sugar in the ginger ale cooks easily as well, achieving that golden brown crust we all crave in a battered fish.
Of course, if you want to harken back to the classic beer taste, you can always swap the ginger ale for ginger beer: still non-alcoholic, although it carbonates via fermentation, so it has that more tart flavor. As Taylor described, it’s all about the carbonation keeping the crust from getting too dense, and ginger ale is the perfect non-alcoholic remedy in a pinch.
Swapping beer for ginger ale makes an easy and delicious batter
Replacing alcoholic beer with ginger ale in your fried fish batter is a very low maintenance switch. The amount of flour in your beer-battered fish recipe will vary, but according to Kyle Taylor, “1:1 ratio of flour to liquid is ideal. I’d also add a pinch of baking powder.” Be careful not to add too much liquid during your initial mix — you can always add more liquid if the batter is too clumpy, but less is hard to remove. Baking powder will help add even more carbonation and make the batter lighter.
As important as the batter is, the main star of this show is the fish itself. Taylor shared that “a neutral, flaky fish like cod or tilapia work well with this type of batter,” and these fish can also handle the high heat of frying. In fact, it’s worth doing some research on the best and worst fish for frying so that your light and airy ginger ale batter isn’t wasted on the wrong fish.
The final step is, of course, adding a signature side like chips — what Americans recognize as french fries — and sprinkling garnishes to our fish. Traditional options include malt vinegar, tartare sauce, or a squeeze of lemon juice to add some twang to the more mild fish. As the ginger ale won’t really affect the taste of your fish, you’ll still get that classic flavor that complements these additions well, without worrying about any residual alcohol.
