Talked to an old line cook at a diner and it flipped my batter game around

I was grabbing coffee last week at this 24 hour place off Route 9 and this older guy next to me saw my hoodie from a frying competition. He said he used to run a fish fry in Maine back in the 80s. Told me they never used eggs in their batter because it made the crust too heavy after 5 minutes out of the oil. I always thought eggs were essential for sticking, but he said seltzer water and a pinch of baking soda did the same job lighter. So I tried it on some chicken tenders last night and they stayed way crispier even after sitting for 10 minutes. Anyone else ever drop eggs from their batter and see a big difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

willow4071mo agoMost Upvoted

Nah eggs give you color through the yolk not the white.

jesse_fisher1mo ago

Respectfully, I gotta push back a little here. Eggs give you that nice golden color and a bit of chew that I personally want in my batter, even if it does soften up quicker. Seltzer and baking soda definitely make things lighter but I've found the crust can get a little too fragile, especially with thicker cuts of meat.