Spicy Maple Syrup Fried Fish with Waffles

There’s nothing you can do with chicken you can’t do with fish, including serve them on waffles! Enjoy beer-battered fish dripped, drizzled, or drenched with spicy maple syrup for brunch, lunch, or dinner in 30 minutes or less.

Prep time:

25 minutes
Cook time:

4 to 5 minutes per piece
Makes:

8 to 10 servings/pieces

Ingredients

For the spicy maple syrup:
1 cup (250 ml) pure maple syrup
½ tsp (3 g) salt
½ tsp (2 g) crushed chili flakes
⅛ tsp (1 g) paprika (OR smoked paprika)
⅛ tsp (1 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
For the fish:
2 lbs (908 g) firm white fish (cod, halibut, pickerel/walleye)
½ cup (68 g) cornstarch, divided
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (6 g) salt
½ tsp (2 g) baking powder
½ tsp (1 g) ground black pepper
¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda
1 cup (250 ml) beer, cold (light beer; do not use IPAs or dark beers)
Canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil for deep-frying
8–10 pcs waffles, warm

For the spicy maple syrup:

Place maple syrup, salt, chili flakes, paprika, and cayenne pepper into a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until steaming; do not simmer. Heat for 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and cover to keep warm and allow flavours to infuse.

For the fish:

Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Cut into 8–10 portions; about 85–113 grams per piece. Lay paper towels over the fish to absorb any excess moisture.

For the dry ingredients:

Place ¼ cup (34 grams) of cornstarch into a dish big enough to hold a piece of fish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, the remaining cornstarch, salt, baking powder, black pepper, and baking soda until thoroughly combined. Place all the dry ingredients in the fridge (or freezer) while the oil is heating.
In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, high-sided, stainless steel pot, fill with at least 2 inches of canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil. Heat oil on medium-high heat to 360–375°F (182–190°C).
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Place a wire rack onto a baking sheet and place into the oven set to warm (170–200°F (77–93°C)).
Once oil comes to temperature (lower or increase heat to monitor the temperature), remove dry ingredients from the fridge (or freezer). Add the cold beer to the flour mixture and whisk gently until just combined; do not overmix.
Working in batches, dip 3 or 4 pieces of fish, one at a time, into the cornstarch. Ensure all sides are coated before shaking any excess off. Dip the dusted fish into the beer batter, and allow the excess to drip off. Carefully lower the battered fish into the hot oil, letting the fish fall away from you. Do not crowd the pot or the temperature will drop and the fish will not cook evenly.
Deep-fry for 2 minutes. With a metal, slotted spoon or spider, flip each piece over and fry for another 2–3 minutes or until deep golden in colour. Carefully remove fish from the oil using the slotted spoon or spider and place it onto the baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Place the fried fish onto the wire rack in the oven to keep warm.
Repeat process with the remaining fish. Make sure the oil comes back to the correct temperature before adding the battered fish.
For ease of preparation, dust batches of fish with the cornstarch while waiting for the fish to fry. Dip the fish into the beer batter just before frying.

To assemble:

Place a piece of fried fish over a warm waffle, and drizzle with spicy maple syrup. Serve immediately.

If using alcohol is a concern, replace with club soda or alcohol-free beer.
If there is leftover batter, use it to dip onion rings or sliced vegetables and deep-fry. The batter is best used the day it is made.
If pure maple syrup is not available, replace with honey.
Make it into a sandwich by switching out the waffles and placing the fried fish into a bun or between slices of bread.