Light beer-battered speckled trout with coastal remoulade

A cold, light beer and a little cornstarch make a thin, crisp batter that does not overwhelm a delicate fish. Keep the batter cold, and fry in small batches so the oil stays hot.

The remoulade is mayonnaise, Creole mustard, pickle relish and capers, with a splash of hot sauce. Make it first and let it chill.

About 25 min. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb skinless speckled trout fillets, patted dry
• Peanut or canola oil for frying, about 1½ inches deep
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Beer batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus ¼ cup for dusting
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 cup ice-cold light lager or pilsner

Coastal remoulade

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Creole mustard
• 1 tbsp dill pickle relish
• 1 tsp capers, minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp hot sauce
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Method

1. Stir all the remoulade ingredients together in a small bowl and chill until you serve.
2. Heat 1½ inches of oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet to 375°F.
3. Whisk the 1 cup of flour, the cornstarch, baking powder, salt and paprika together. Pour in the ice-cold beer and whisk just until smooth. A few small lumps are fine, so do not overmix.
4. Dust the trout strips lightly in the extra ¼ cup flour, dip them in the cold batter, let the extra drip off and lower them carefully into the hot oil.
5. Fry in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until puffed, crisp and golden-amber. Drain on a wire rack and serve hot with the remoulade and lemon.

Notes

• Keep the batter in the refrigerator, or over ice, between batches.
• Cook fish to 145°F in the thickest part, which is the FDA’s temperature for fish. Check with a thermometer.
• Speckled trout fillets are soft. Keep them cold from the water to the pan and handle them gently.
• Speckled trout have size and bag limits. Check TPWD’s current rules before you keep fish.
• TPWD lists consumption advisories for some Texas waters. If you caught the fish, check the advisories for that water before you cook it.

Sources: FDA: Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely (content current as of Mar. 5, 2024), TPWD: Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories.

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