Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
On a cutting board, slice fish into 2-3 inch pieces. Place in a shallow bowl. Pour beer over the fish and allow to soak for 30-60 minutes before cooking. To protect against gamey fish, I like to soak the fish pieces in beer for 30-60 minutes before frying. I prefer a dark ale, but you can use any beer that you have on hand. This helps to remove any undesirable flavor.
Using a wire strainer, remove the fish from the beer, but reserve the beer for the batter.
Preheat enough oil in a Dutch oven or tall-sided skillet for deep frying.
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, seasoned salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add the reserved beer to the flour and mix with wire whisk or fork until combined.
Add chunks of fish to batter, coating each piece well. The batter may seem thin at first, but it will thicken as it sits.
When the peanut oil has reached the proper temperature to ensure crispness (between 350-375 degrees), add 6-8 pieces of fish at a time with a fork. Cook for 2-4 minutes, turning once or twice until both sides are a deep golden brown.
When deep frying, it’s important to keep your oil at the proper frying temperature, between 350-375 degrees. If it drops below 350 you risk having oil-laden food. I usually shoot for the higher temperature, and only add a few pieces at a time. I’ve learned it’s better to fry in smaller batches to keep the temperature in check.
Remove the pieces of fish with a wire strainer and place on paper towels or a wire rack to remove excess oil. Sprinkle fish with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired. Return oil to cooking temperature and repeat until all of the fish has been fried.
Place the fish on a pretty platter or in a bowl to serve. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.
Prepare the Homemade Tarter Sauce
While the fish is frying, prepare the tarter sauce. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing and sweet relish. Or if you prefer a sauce that is not sweet, use mayonnaise and dill relish. Both are very tasty with this fried fish recipe.
Notes
If serving more than 6 people, simply double or triple the recipe as needed.