A traditional element of the most famous British "fish and chips" is the beer batter. Strictly speaking its a variable as one person to the next in terms of preference and you can tweak it to your own requirements. This recipe uses elements that complement fish best, but is a good middle of the road medium for deep frying lots of other things.
The presence of custard powder here is threefold - not only will you get the added benefit of crisp from the cornflour content, but the powdered egg will also act as a colouring / raising agent. The vanilla flavour will also subtly complement the fish and bring out its sweetness.
Other additions include:
Using half lemonade / beer to bring out a lemon flavour of the fish
Usage of dried strong flavoured herbs such as thyme, tarragon, rosemary, basil or even marjoram will give a nice herby element to your batter.
You will need (makes enough for about 4 fishes)
225g/8oz self-raising flour
300ml fridge cold lager
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 tbsp custard powder.
The doing bit
Combine dry ingredients with wet gradually until a uniform mixture is reached.
Be sure to coat your fish first with a seasoned flour first before applying batter.
