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Knowing how to make a beer batter is an easy and straightforward process. You will only need a couple of ingredients to make something you that has the potential to eclipse the taste from your local fish ‘n chip takeaway.

And we recommend considering beer batter fosh, an incredibly tasty vegan alternative to the typical fish and chips.

Our easy beer batter recipe takes under five minutes to prepare and is ready in another five minutes. Just enough time between half time whistles to whip up a couple of servings for you and a few mates.

WHAT TYPE OF BEER IS BEST FOR BEER BATTER?

Ultimately, the best beer for the batter depends on the type of fish or vegan alternative you’ve got on hand.

Use lighter, fruitier styles of beer for delicate or subtle foods such as tofu and lighter vegetables. While a dark stout can make a great combination with mushrooms or even poached stonefruit (oh yes!), it can smother more delicate flavours.

It’s also key to use beer you like to drink! This might sound obvious, but it really makes a difference. Plus, there is always the half glass left for the chef… For a full vegan alternative, our Brisbane Brewery chef recommends three different Stone & Wood brews – the Jasper Ale, Pacific Ale and Green Coast Lager.

The firmness of the tofu can take the stronger flavours of the Jasper, while the fennel will love the bright fruity notes of the Pacific. If you’re also cutting some potatoes to go with the fry, these will match with the bitter notes of our Lager.

PRO TIP

One of the fundamentals in a beer batter recipe is to keep the beer cold. This little trick of mixing the cold beer with the hot oil, causing the batter to go extra-crispy has been a well-known culinary secret for years. For best results, leave in the fridge for at least two hours prior to cooking.

STEPS TO MAKING BEER BATTER FOSH

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of your choice of beer
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¾ cup of self-raising flour
• ¼ potato starch or rice flour
• Canola/vegetable oil blend
• Your choice of fish (boneless and skinless) or vegan alternative

STEP 1

Combine the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps. You don’t want to whisk the batter for long at the risk of over-developing the gluten.

STEP 2

Gradually whisk in the beer until smooth and leave to the side.

STEP 3

It’s time to fry! Heat the vegetable oil over high heat to 190º C for the best crunch.

STEP 4

Dunk the fish or tofu in batter to coat well. Add to oil and deep fry until golden.

STEP 5:

Remove and drain any excess off.

STEP 6:

Season with a touch of flaked sea salt and serve with some crisp lettuce or rocket, and a side of vegan tartare sauce.

STEP 7:

Don’t forget to pair it with the same ice-cold beer you used for the batters – you deserve one after all that hard work!

Want to leave the work to someone else? Try out the Stone & Wood Pacific Ale Beer battered fish available from our friends at Beach Byron.

We’d also love to see your creations! Be sure to tag us on insta #beerbatter

This Australian family favourite, apricot chicken, pairs deliciously well with our Australian Pale Ale, Cloud Catcher.
A versatile recipe that’s delicious, cheap and easy to make with no fuss. It’s sure to please the whole house-hold and put a smile on your iso-buddies faces.

Cloud Catcher really highlights the stone fruit characters as well as the subtle spices you capture on the aroma of this beer. Instead of serving it with rice, try quinoa, the nuttiness of the quinoa pairs perfectly with the subtle malt backbone. The sweetness of the chicken balances the mild bitterness of the beer, making it a perfect harmony for every bite.

Before we jump into it, we’re offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders Australia-wide via our online store for the next month. Use Coupon code FREEDELIVERY at the checkout. Cheers for supporting local and indie beer, legends!

APRICOT CHICKEN RECIPE

– 8 chicken legs/drumsticks (skin on)
– ¼ cup apricot spreadable fruit
– 1 tbsp onion powder
– ½ tbsp chopped parsley
– 3 cloves garlic (minced)
– 1 tbsp minced ginger
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
– 2 tbsp honey
– Salt & Pepper
– Cooked Quinoa to serve

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a small saucepan combine apricot fruit, onion powder, garlic, ginger, soy, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Heat until well combined and apricot spread is melted.

In a large baking dish, pour half of glaze mixture to coat the bottom. Arrange the chicken pieces in single layer with skin side up and pour the remaining glaze over the chicken. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until the skin is browned. Every 15 minutes or so spooning the glaze over the chicken. Let cool for 5 minutes and skim the fat off the juices sprinkle with parsley and serve. Don’t forget to crack a cold Cloud Catcher.
**If you want the sauce thickened, remove the chicken and pour the sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add a mixture of cornflour and water (approx. 1 tbsp cornflour to 2 tbsp water) until it makes a smooth paste. Add slowly until you get the sauce the consistency you want. Serve over fluffy cooked quinoa

Recipe by our awesome Road Crew member, Krista Hall

A local twist on a classic, this tasty number pairs perfectly with the Original Pacific Ale. Crispy and decadent, our refreshing ale will cleanse the palate and leave the crew licking their fingers for more!

This killer recipe was dreamt up by local chef Terase Davidson (Taste Byron Bay) who values using only the best, fresh, local ingredients available today to create epic food that’s made for sharing with good company…. and cold frothies!  So get stuck into it, for a delicious home-made treat!

Before we get started, we’re offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders Australia-wide via our online store for the next month. Use Coupon code FREEDELIVERY at the checkout. Cheers for supporting local and indie beer, legends!

PACIFIC ALE FRIED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC LABNEH

INGREDIENTS

8 pieces of chicken thighs (skin off : bone out)
330ml Stone & Wood Pacific Ale
1 cup flour
1 cup full cream milk
2 cups Nimbin Valley Rice Crumbs (you can use bread crumbs if you can’t get your hands on the good stuff)
2 tbs ground cumin
Brookfarm Macadamia Oil for frying
500g Greek firm set yoghurt
2 garlic cloves – chopped and crushed into a mince / puree
1/2 bunch mint – chopped
1 lime – juice only
1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Method
Overnight
• Place your chicken in a glass bowl – pour in one 330ml bottle of Stone & Wood Pacific Ale – cover in cling wrap and place in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours if you are pushed for time…
• Place your yoghurt into a fine sieve colander – place the colander over a bowl (with enough room under the sieve for the excess whey to come out) – then place a sheet of baking paper over the top of the yoghurt – and place in the fridge over night

Next day
• Remove the chicken thighs from the fridge – remove the chicken from the liquid – discard the liquid
• Cut each thigh into 3-4 pieces – from top to bottom i.e. not length ways – place cut chicken onto a plate
• Line a second plate lined with baking paper – place 1 cup of flour into a bowl and season well with salt and pepper – dunk 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time into the seasoned flour and coat each piece of chicken well – shake off any excess flour and place the coated chicken onto a new clean plate lined with baking paper – repeat until all the chicken is coated – discard the seasoned flour mix
• Place your milk into one bowl – in a second bowl place your Nimbin Valley Rice Crumbs, cumin, salt and pepper – mix rice crumbs and other ingredients well
• Dunk 1 piece of chicken at a time into the milk – allow excess milk to drip off – roll in the cumin rice crumb mix patting down the crumb mixture into the chicken – ensuring each chicken piece is fully coated – place coated chicken onto a clean plate lined with baking paper – repeat process until all chicken pieces are covered – at the end discard the cumin, rice mixture along with the milk
• Preheat you oven to 180 Celsius – line a baking tray with baking paper
• Ensure you’ve got a couple of cold Pacific Ales in the fridge if not, whack some in to cool down whilst you cook
• Heat a heavy based cast iron or non stick fry pan up to high heat – add enough Brookfarm Macadamia Oil to shallow fry the chicken
• Once the oil is hot – gently place the chicken thighs into the hot oil – be careful not to over fill the fry pan as it will make the coating of the chicken soggy
• Fry the chicken until it is golden brown – then turn over – once golden on both sides – remove to the baking tray – continue to cook the chicken in small batches
• Once all the chicken is fried – place your tray(s) of chicken in the oven to ensure they are cooked through (will take approx 8-12 mins)
• Once cooked remove from the oven – season with salt and allow to cool slightly before serving
• Garlic Labneh: scoop out the yoghurt from the sieve (it will be really thick – but this is perfect!) – discard the whey from the bowl (or use it to marinate a shoulder of lamb) – add your lime juice, chopped mint, oil, salt and pepper – mix well to combine – check seasoning and adjust as required

Recipe Courtesy – Terase Davidson, Taste Byron Bay

So it is no secret that Terase from Taste Byron Bay is a massive fan of all things Stone & Wood AND particularly our Pacific Ale, plus she loves finding any excuse to write recipes that showcase local produce!

This recipe is super easy to make, however you will need an ice cream machine (or you can use a Thermomix).

 

INGREDIENTS:

1200 ml pure cream
16 egg yolks
330ml Pacific Ale
300g caster sugar

METHOD:

• place the internal cylinder of the ice cream machine in the freezer for a min of 24 hours
• pour your Pacific Ale into a small sauce pan – bring to the boil then simmer until the liquid has reduce to 100ml – strain and place in fridge to go completely cold
• gently warm the cream in a non stick sauce pan DO NOT allow to boil
• meanwhile – beat the egg yolks and sugar until super light and fluffy
• pour the warm cream into the egg yolk mixer ONLY adding 1/3 of the warm cream at a time – using a whisk to make sure the cream and egg mixture is well combine – this is now your “anglaise”
• wash and dry the saucepan you used to heat the cream
• set up a double bowl – with ice in the bottom of one bowl and place another bowl on the top – you will need this ready to go for when the  anglaise is ready – place a fine sieve over the top bowl – ready to pour the mixture through when ready
• add the anglaise mixture back into the original cream saucepan – place on a low / medium head
• using a silcone spatula – continually stir the anglaise to ensure you maintain an even temperature throughout the mix – paying special attention to the bottom and corners of the saucepan – you don’t want any of the anglaise to ‘catch’ which will result in a scrabbled egg mixture
• once the anglaise has thickened i.e. you can trace your finger down the back on the spatula and the line where you finger was stays separate to the liquid then your anglaise is ready!
• pour the anglaise through the fine sieve into the top bowl
• using a whisk – whisk the anglaise over the bowl of ice until it is cool – it is important to whisky until the liquid is cool as you don’t want the heat to stay in the mixture i.e. you will get scrambled eggs!
• once cool – pour the mixture into a container and put in the fridge to go completely cold
• set up your ice cream machine – pour the mixture into the machine (read your machine instructions first) leave enough room at the top of the machine for the ice cream to churn efficiently
• churn until thick and fluffy
• using a clean spatular – scoop out the ice cream into a large mixing bowl – add the reduce Pacific Ale ONLY 1/3 at at time – ensuring you completely incorporate the reduced beer before adding the next batch
• once fully combined – bearing in mind you need to work quickly so the ice cream does not melt – transfer the beer ice cream to containers that are suitable for freezing and ensure the lid is a good fit – freeze until fully set

 

TIPS:

• be careful not to boil the cream
• make sure you stir the anglaise constantly to ensure it does not scramble
• set up your double bowl with ice before you start stirring the anglaise – this is super important – as you will need it set ready if the anglaise gets to hot you’ll need to be able cool it down super doper quick
• using a non stick saucepan makes this recipe really easy – unless you are confident, I wouldn’t attempt using a regular saucepan
• make sure you use a container that the lid fits – so the ice cream does not get any freezer ice crystals on / in it
• you will likely have some left over anglaise – if you do simply finish the first batch by adding the reduce Pacific Ale and then churn the second small batch and keep as vanilla ice cream soooooo good

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• pretty darn awesome just on its own
• enjoy with a bottle of cold Pacific Ale
• serve with the Easiest Apple Tarte Tatin Ever!

This is an awesome recipe for you to enjoy with family and friends OR a great way to get young kids in the kitchen and build some kitchen confidence.

Let us know how you go!  And if you’ve enjoyed this recipe, check out Taste Byron Bay for more!