Ingredients

3 pounds fish fillets (see directions)
flour (for dusting)
vegetable oil (for deep-frying)


For the basic fish batter:

3 cups pancake mix (dry type)
3 cups club soda, more as needed
1 package frozen cottage fries (see directions)
lemon wedges (for accompaniment)
tartar sauce, as desired
ketchup, as desired

Instructions

The simplicity of imitating the original Arthur Treacher Fish is to whip together the boxed pancake mix (used dry from the box) with the club soda, till the batter becomes the consistency of buttermilk. You may have to add a little more club soda to achieve this consistency. (Perhaps a 1/2 cup more will do!) Set it aside.

Cut 2 to 3 pound fish fillets each in half, making a triangle shape of each half. Moisten each in a bit of water. Shake off excess water and coat lightly in plain flour. Let pieces dry 3 or 4 minutes on waxed paper, without touching each other. The floured coating acts as an adhesive, so that when you dip them each into the wet batter, the coating will not break apart nor fall off during frying.

With tip of small sharp knife, pierce 1 floured piece of fish at a time and dip to coat evenly but lightly in prepared fish batter. Drop at once into 3-inch depth of hot oil (385-400 degrees F) and fry only a few minutes each side, turning only once to brown each side. Do NOT use tongs to remove fish from hot oil, or coating will break and fall apart. Spear pieces 1 at a time with tip of sharp knife &place on cookie sheet (ungreased) and keep pieces warm in 300 degrees F oven till all pieces have been fried.

The CHIPS are imitated by cutting frozen "cottage Fries" each in half to a crescent shape and fried in the same hot oil, after frying the fish, just as you would frozen French fries. OR prepare your own fries. Serves 6

Source: Gloria Pitzer's Secret Fast Food Recipes 1976

MY NOTES

Ask Your Neighboe

Treacher's Fish Batter
I have a recipe for you today that was sent in by a reader. I have never even heard of Arthur Treacher's (is it a restaurant?) so I cannot vouch for the closeness to the original, but the reader seemed to like it. You can judge for yourself. If you have any comments -- one way or the other -- Please let me know at myeverydaylife.net@gmail.com
Ingredients
3 Pounds Fish Fillets
2 Cups All-purpose flour
3 Cups Pancake mix
3 Cups Club soda
1 Tablespoon Onion powder
1 Tablespoon Seasoned salt
Instructions
1. Dip moistened fish pieces evenly but lightly in the flour.
2. Dust off any excess flour and allow pieces to air dry on waxed paper, about 5 minutes.
3. Whip the pancake mix with the club soda to the consistency of buttermilk- pourable, but not too thin and not too thick.
4. Beat in the onion powder and seasoned salt.
5. Dip floured fillets into batter and drop into 425 oil in heavy saucepan using meat thermometer.
5. Brown about 4 minutes per side.
6. Arrange on cookie sheet in 325 oven until all pieces have been fried.

FISH