Lemon Battered Fish

Any one that comes here regularly knows that this is not a low-fat, low-calorie blog. Sometimes I want fried food, and by golly, I'm going to make it. My family and I have been on a paying-off debt mission, so we have cut out eating out. We went on one group date last month, and we ate out as a family a couple months ago to celebrate my husband getting a raise. Other than that, we haven't eaten out since the end of July. We have saved tons of money per month, and when I crave fried food, instead of running to some fast food place, I can make it myself. :) This fish recipe is the best I have had. Granted, I've never eaten fish and chips from either of the coasts, so I'm sure there is some other fantastic recipe out there. However, this fish is lemony and crispy. I love it. I've made it for both sets of in-laws, and they also said it had the best flavor of for fried fish. If you like fish and chips, you've got to give it a whirl. I just used good ol' frozen shoestring fries to go along with it, although I have a wonderful recipe for homemade French Fries. One of these days, I'll post it. Please- never go to Long John Silvers when you're craving Fish'n'Chips. I guarantee that you'll like this better.
Lemon battered Fish:
Source: Taste of Home

1 1/2 c flour, divided
1 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1 egg, beaten
2/3 c water
2/3 c lemon juice, divided
2 pounds fish (cod, perch, orange roughy, or whatever you like for fish'n'chips)
oil for frying

Pour enough oil into a shallow skillet to reach a one inch depth. Heat it over medium heat.

In a pie plate, add 1 c flour, the baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk it together with a fork.
In a separate bowl, add the egg, water, and 1/3 c lemon juice. Here's a tip for you. Do not skimp on the lemon juice! I did the first couple times I made this, and I regretted it afterward. There is something about having that strong lemon flavor on the fish. It's out of site! Dynamite! It's number one! (Hot Rod quote) :) If you don't have enough lemon juice, hold off until you have enough. Mix the lemon juice/egg/water mixture with the fork.
Pour it into the flour mixture on the pie plate.
Mix it up with the fork. I love to see the baking powder at work in this recipe. When you're stirring it, you can see it thickening and foaming- not like a rabid dog, though. No worries there. You don't have to worry about rabid batter.
Get out two more pie plates or other shallow bowls. Pour the remaining lemon juice in one. Put the remaining flour in the other. Prepare the fish by cutting it into individual sized portions- the usual fish'n'chips size. Dip one piece at a time into the lemon juice.
Next, dip it into the flour.
Next, dip it into the batter. I used a fork to flip it since my fingers were leaving bald spots on the fish where there was no batter. Before putting the fish in the hot oil, make sure it's hot enough. Dip your finger into the oil. Just kidding! Don't do that, please... Dip your finger into the batter and shake a little bit off into the oil. If the batter rises to the top and little bubbles form around it, you can put the fish in.
Here are all of my pieces of fish in there. It was a pretty big skillet. Cook it on one side for about 8-10 minutes.
Flip it. Cook it another 8-10 minutes. Are you seeing that golden side? Isn't it lovely? If you want to be sure that the fish is done, you can cook it for a few more minutes on each side- just to be sure.
While the fish is frying, prepare the fries. If your conscience is giving you a guilt trip, and you're having a hard time justifying eating two fried things in one meal, you can bake the fries or something. I served carrot and celery sticks (without ranch dip) with this as well. The fresh produce was delicious alongside the fried stuff. Fresh fruit would also be a good addition. I served the fish with tartar sauce, too. Heaven forbid eating something fried without a condiment. :) Enjoy!