Correct oil temperature and cooking time for fish fry??

[Hombre Robusto]

Putting it on a paper towel is the worst thing to do to it if you want the bottom to stay crisp. Put it on an elevated rack for about thirty seconds before you plate it up. The heat trapped between the fish and the paper towel is what's turning the bottom soggy.

There are racks made just for this. They have 1/2" legs on the corners, and have about a 1/4" 'grid' pattern.

[Chad]

If you want to keep your fish from soaking up too much oil Keep the batter bowl on another bowl of ice (kinda like a double boiler). The cold batter meeting the hot grease will sear it up quickly and avoid letting the oil soak into the batter.

[crawlerguy]

To keep your fish from getting soggy, let it drain above the fryer for a moment and then put it on a brown paper bag. Restaurants use a similar type of paper to put in the bottom of their french fry baskets to keep them from getting soggy.

[rabbit]

Ditto GBS!!! Been in the business about 40 myself. You hit the nail on the head with a sugary batter. That's what I was pondering as I read the posts. Or, the fryer is just over-recovering and climbing the temp range to quickly and getting tooo hot. I'll toss in my 2 cents here too.
1. FRESH oil-(I prefer peanut) 2. thermometer 375 degrees 3. do not overload fryer and kill the oil, cook in small batches so your temp can keep up and you will be able to cook faster 3.keep temperature regulated. 4. Filets wil float when done, but I like them crisp and wait on the color I want. 5. Place on absobent towel (Paper) and serve immmediately.
Here's a quick recipe I use that is simple and effective... Drakes crispy mix add a flat beer (pour beer back and forth in glasses until foam starts to disappear) Whisk into Drakes until smooth and slightly runny and then add a SPLASH of squirt or mountain dew pop. Pat your filets ,or, fillets completely dry with paper towel. Dip simular sized pieces into batter and gently put into the hot oil. Note: if your filets aren't dry the batter will blow off in the fryer and use tongs to put the filets into the fryer so you don't dip your fingers in the oil....Finally,,,,Get rid of the basket, the filets will float as you drop them in and you won't have them sticking to the basket and making a royal mess..........Enjoy

[v-bay gord]

I have used one of these fryers (six gallon model with two baskets) for quite a few years and they are excellent. The heat flows through the oil via a tube that is above the bottom of the tank. This means that any particles of breading settle to the bottom and do not burn.....as would be the case in a regular fryer. This is great because you can reuse the oil over and over again without burning it. I would highly recommend this to anyone! Their website... http://www.cajunfryer.com/

[doubleheader]

I cook mine at 375, but I have found that in order to insure my guests receive the best fish dinner possible it's a good idea to hold back the 1st batch for a taste test while I'm cooking the remaining batches

[AllenW]

Originally Posted by doubleheader

I cook mine at 375, but I have found that in order to insure my guests receive the best fish dinner possible it's a good idea to hold back the 1st batch for a taste test while I'm cooking the remaining batches

Ya, at least the first batch and maybe you should test a couple of them Honeywiess's too...just to be a good host..

Just checked, and the fryer is set on 375 too.

Al