We have been talking quite a bit lately about the traditions we have surrounding food.  Ours are probably similar to yours in some ways as most people have a turkey on Thanksgiving or a ham on Easter but then there are those that are unique to our culture, family or location we live in.

We make Apple Kuchen every Christmas Eve and deliver it to our friends and family.  We grill hot dogs on the first day of every summer and I make a big breakfast on the first day of school.  Those are the things I know my children will remember and hopefully carry on the stories that go with them and do with their children.

Back in Rochester every Friday was Fish Fry Friday in just about every joint in town.  We loved it!  Now, they have Fish Fries here in Southwest Michigan but it is just not the same.  So, we have taken to making our own and moving our tradition with us to a new area of the country.

Verdict:

This fish had a crispy, light crust that was delicious.  The beer we used was a red that had a great flavor with the spiciness of the remoulade.  Both children were a little suspect of the horseradish in the sauce but once they both tasted it they thought it really helped bring our the flavors in the fish.

I served this with sweet potatoes and green beans as sides.

Ingredients:

Fish:

• 1 bottle beer, I used a dark red for flavor
• 4 cups flour (for batter)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large egg (lightly beaten)
• 2 pound tilapia (or any hearty white fish – cod, halibut, etc…)
• pepper to taste
• 1 cup flour (for coating fish)
• 2 TBSP Morton Season Salt
• oil for frying fish

Directions:

1. Mix the beer, flour, baking powder, salt and egg into a batter in a bowl.
2. Season the fish on both sides with pepper.
3. Mix the 1 cup of flour with Morton Season Salt.
4. Coat the fish in the flour mixture allowing any excess to fall off.
5. Dip the fish into the batter let drip over bowl so it is not too thick.
6. Fry the fish in preheated 375 degree oil until cooked, about 4-5 minutes. I use a large wok to fry mine in.
7. Serve with Remoulade if desired.

Remoulade:

This recipe is mostly done by taste.  You can make it as spicy as you want by adding extra horseradish, etc…

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 TBSP horseradish
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and adjust spices according to taste.  I generally add more horseradish and vinegar but that is entirely up to you.