These are best cooked using a propane stove as it will be easier to keep the heat consistent.
1 pound of Cod or other suitable fish
1.5 cups of flour
1 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and baking powder
1 Tbl of Old Bay seasoning
1 egg
1 bottle of good beer (or water if you prefer)
2 potatoes cut into fries
Canola or Peanut oil
Add the flour and all the seasonings to a bag and mix up … do this ahead of time and take with you camping already prepared. 1 hour before cooking dump the dry mix into a bowl, add egg and beer and stir up. Add more or less liquid to make your batter as thick or thin as you would like it to be. Cut up the fish into smaller pieces, add to the batter and stir them up to make sure they are all covered, put lid or cover on it and put in fridge/cooler to stay cold. Pour oil 2” deep in cast iron pan or dutch oven and start heating it up. It is hot enough when you dip an end of a fry into it and it starts to immediately sizzle. Add the fries and cook for 8-10 minutes … do them in 2 batches if you have a smaller pan. Take out to drain on paper towels or newspaper and immediately salt them. Let the oil come back up to temp, and then start adding the fish. Take them out of the batter and let some of it drain off before putting them into the oil … use tongs or a fork so you don’t get splatter burned! Cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip over and cook for another 4-5 minutes … they should be golden brown and crunchy. Take out and drain, continuing to add fish until completed.
Serve with malt vinegar, lemon and tartar sauce – or whatever else floats your boat!