Beer Battered Cod Bites
Beer battered cod bites are golden, crispy cubes of skinless cod fillet wrapped in a light ale-and-flour batter with baking powder for extra lift. The Thermomix TM7 weighs the flour precisely and chills it for an ultra-crisp coating. Ideal as a starter, party snack or quick main course with homemade tartar sauce.
About this recipe
Beer Battered Cod Bites Thermomix TM7 style bring the classic British chippy experience straight into your kitchen. Searching for an easy fish starter recipe or a crispy party snack your all-in-one kitchen machine can help with? This recipe delivers golden bites of skinless cod fillet coated in an airy batter of plain flour, cold ale and a pinch of baking powder. The secret starts with the TM7: the integrated scale weighs the flour directly into a freezer bag, which then chills briefly so the batter fries up exceptionally light and crisp. Each bite seals quickly in hot sunflower oil, locking in the delicate, flaky texture of the cod while the batter blisters into crunchy golden shells. Seasoned with sea salt and ground pepper, these bites work brilliantly as a quick weeknight dinner with chips, a sharing platter for game night, or a festive appetiser with homemade dipping sauces. Restaurant-quality crunch without a deep fryer or guesswork.
Preparation tips
- Pat the skinless cod fillets thoroughly dry with kitchen paper before cutting into bites; the drier the surface, the better the ale batter clings and the crisper the coating becomes during frying.
- Chill the weighed flour in the freezer bag as instructed and keep the ale cold straight from the fridge; a cold batter hitting hot sunflower oil creates those signature blistered, extra-crispy bubbles.
- Fry the cod bites in small batches so the sunflower oil stays hot and each piece turns golden rather than greasy, then drain on a wire rack and season immediately with sea salt for maximum flavour.
- Cut the cod into evenly sized cubes so every bite cooks at the same pace, and test one piece first to confirm the batter is crisp and the fish flakes easily before frying the rest.
Recipe variations
- Alcohol-free version: replace the ale with ice-cold sparkling water or a non-alcoholic blonde beer. The carbonation gives the same airy, crispy batter on the cod bites, making them suitable for children and anyone avoiding alcohol.
- Festive variant: swap half the plain flour for rice flour for an even lighter, crackling crust, and serve the cod bites with a homemade dill or tartar sauce made in the TM7 bowl for a stylish Christmas or New Year's appetiser.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- The Thermomix weighs the plain flour directly into the freezer bag to the gram, ensuring consistent batter thickness every time. [Time Savings]
- Its precise mixing function blends the ale, flour and baking powder into a lump-free batter within seconds, faster than whisking by hand. [Precision Control]
- The TM7 grates nothing here, but its grinding chamber mills coarse sea salt into a fine seasoning that clings evenly to the hot cod bites. [Multi-Function]
- Heating the sauce base gently, the Thermomix keeps your homemade dip at an ideal serving warmth while you fry the fish in batches. [Multi-Function]
- Whipping the tartar sauce ingredients with the butterfly whisk, the TM7 creates a light, airy accompaniment for the crispy cod. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- plain flour
- sunflower oil
- cod fillets, skinless
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
- baking powder
- ale