Fish in a Mayonnaise Batter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather your ingredients. Use whatever fish you like or have on hand — I'm using silver carp. Rinse the fish well, gut and clean it, and cut off the head, tail, and fins. Slice the flesh into small pieces, rinse once more, and let it drain. If you like, remove the backbone and cut the flesh into fillet pieces, but the fish fries up well in the batter even in whole chunks.

2. Step 2:

   

   Make the batter. Crack the eggs into a bowl (how many you need depends on how much fish you have) and add the mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, and any other spices you like. Keep in mind that mayonnaise already brings salt and other flavorings, so go easy so the batter doesn't end up too salty.

3. Step 3:

   

   Whisk (by hand or with a mixer) until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water and whisk again. Then sprinkle in the sifted flour a little at a time.

4. Step 4:

   

   Whisk again so no dry lumps remain and the flour is fully worked in. The batter should be thick — about like sour cream, or a pancake batter. Dip the fish pieces into the batter, coating them completely on all sides.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour a neutral, odorless vegetable oil into the skillet and heat it well. Add the battered fish, let the batter set on each piece, then lower the heat to medium. Fry until golden on one side, flip, and fry the other side until golden as well. Then cover the pan and give the fish a few more minutes so it cooks through inside.

6. Step 6:

   

   Lift the fish out onto paper towels to soak up the extra oil. Transfer to a serving plate and bring it to the table, with or without a side dish. Enjoy!