Cookbook:Batter

Cookbook | Ingredients | Cooking techniques

Batter is a term for a variety of coatings put on food before cooking, to give a crispy coating.

Most batters contain beaten eggs and flour, but there is an enormous variety of recipes and techniques. Japanese cuisine uses batter extensively in the form of tempura.

Simple egg batter

This is a Basque batter, useful to coat fillets of fish. It is easily scaleable - use one egg for each two fillets.

• Preheat a large frying pan and add cooking oil when it is hot
• Separate the egg and reserve the yolk
• Beat the egg white until it is almost forming soft peaks
• Beat the yolk lightly on its own, then fold it into the egg white
• Coat the fish fillets in flour (which can be seasoned) then dip them in the batter
• Fry the fillets in the oil, turning once, until the batter is browned.

Examples of dishes dipped in batter before cooking

• Mozzarella Sticks
• Onion Rings
• Tempura