This fried fish recipe is exactly as delicious as my original recipe that I have been using for a decade except the crispness lasts for hours.
The other day I was talking to my mother on the phone and she was telling me how my sister came over with some fried fish (“or chicken or something”) and that it was super delicious. and that she added “Alka Seltzer or something.”
So of course as any normal person would, I immediately texted my sister and asked her how she made it. She told me she used my recipe but I dug deeper to try and figure out what my mother meant by “Alka Seltzer.” That’s when my sister remembered she added sparkling water! So that’s what we’re doing today.
If you’ve seen my original fried fish recipe, you know how simple it is! I use a few key ingredients to make a light and crispy fish such as a combination of self rising flour and corn starch. Mix these flours together with spices (paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, black pepper). Then this is where I usually add cold water and whisk till a batter forms.
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However today we are going to use Philips Sparkling Water Maker to make fresh carbonated water and add that to make the batter instead. Of course you can use a regular can of sparkling water but fresh soda water has a stronger, brighter flavor with more carbonation.
Now, place a heavy bottom skillet on high heat and add oil. Dip fish-I use tilapia-into the prepared batter and fry in batches until golden on the outside and flaky on the inside.
I usually use fried fish to make tacos but today I made a side of cilantro lime rice and served it as rice bowls. These fish were crispy even hours after frying! Even the next day after sitting in room temperature all night the fish still had a slight crunch. I’ll definitely be making fried fish with fresh sparkling water only from now on. 🙂
Ingredients
Feeds 4-6
- 6 tilapia fillets, whole or cut into even chunks
- 1 cup self rising flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 cup sparkling water
- Oil to fry
Directions
1. Combine self rising flour, corn starch, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and parsley in a bowl and whisk to combine
2. Pour in sparkling water and mix until a batter forms-it should be thick enough to coat the fish well
3. Place a pan on medium high heat and add oil
4. Dip fish pieces in batter and fry in batches until the outside is golden brown and crispy and the inside is flaky
5. Serve warm and enjoy!