This is why you want to batter fish before dropping it into
the oil. Battering is all about mitigating the energy transfer
from the hot oil in order to gently steam the food on the
interior while simultaneously causing the proteins in the
batter to coagulate and eventually dehydrate, forming a
crisp crust. Even though the fish is completely submerged in
a pot of 350°F oil, it cooks relatively gently and evenly from
all sides because of its coat of batter. This gives you, the
intrepid cook, quite a bit of leeway, making perfectly tender
flesh not just a distinct possibility, but in fact quite easy (and
for those of you who worry about the smell of fried fish,
don’t. It’s not as bad as you think—see here).
What’s in a Batter?
A batter consists primarily of two ingredients: flour and
water. The loose proteins in the flour gradually link up with