French Batter is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic batter of flour, butter, egg whites and water that is typically used to coat foods (fruit, fish, meat, vegetables etc) before frying. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: French Batter.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of French Batter that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
BATTER, FRENCH, FOR FRYING FRUIT, VEGETABLES, &c.—Cut four ounces of fresh butter into small pieces, pour on it half a pint of boiling water, and when dissolved, add a pint of cold water; mix by degrees with a pound of fine dry flour, and a small pinch of salt. Just before it is used, stir into it the whites of two eggs beaten to a solid froth; use quickly, that the batter may be light.
120g butter
300ml boiling water
600ml cold water
450g plain flour
1 pinch of salt
2 egg whites
Method:
Dice the butter, add to a bowl then pour over the boiling water and stir until the butter has dissolved. Now beat in the cold water before adding the flour a little at a time and beating to combine after each addition.
Beat the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl until stiff then fold into the flour batter. Use immediately to coat fruit, vegetables, fish and meat before deep frying or to make a batter pudding.
Butter, 4ozs.; water, 1/2 pint boiling, 1 pint cold; flour, 1lb.; salt, small pinch.