Fried Fish in Batter

Ask your fishmonger to clean the carp and cut them into 4 fillets of about 125 g each.

Cut the fillets into pieces about 3-4 cm long and marinate them according to taste in lemon juice or soy sauce.

For the batter, sift the flour and place it in a bowl, add the beer, eggs, and a little salt, and mix carefully until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the mixture rise for 15-20 minutes.

Stir again vigorously, passing everything through a fine sieve to retain any lumps of flour.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and fold them into the mixture using a wooden spoon just before frying to achieve a soft batter.

Add the egg whites little by little to control the consistency of the batter: if it becomes too liquid, it could break apart during cooking.

Pat the fish pieces dry to ensure the batter adheres well.

Lightly salt and pepper.

Using a fork, dip one piece at a time into the batter and turn it around to coat it completely.

Immerse the pieces of fish in the fryer with the olive oil heated to 180 degrees.

If you do not have an electric fryer, check the oil temperature as follows: dip a little batter or a small piece of white bread into the oil.

If bubbles sizzle around the bread or batter, the oil is hot enough.

Fry the carp until golden brown on all sides.

Remove the pieces of fish from the fryer and let them drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately.

--- TIPS

To prepare the batter, there are several variations, including one that uses sparkling mineral water instead of beer: it yields a similarly crispy batter but with a more neutral and delicate flavor.