Wild In The Kitchen: Captain D’s Style Crunchy Stripe

I love Captain D’s crunchy fish. I’ve learned to duplicate it at home with striped bass thanks to a former Captain D’s cook who gave me the recipe. Here’s my take:

2 pounds striped bass filets
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cold water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt and pepper

Filet the stripe, cutting away the dark muscle. Cut into 2-inch strips. Place in a Zip-Loc bag, and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 1 tsp of paprika. Close the bag and toss the fish until coated. Add in 2 tablespoons of flour and toss again. Make the batter by placing the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 tsp paprika, salt and pepper. Whisk in the cold water until it forms a thick batter. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Place fish in the batter, and turn with a fork until all pieces are coated. Place filets piece-by-piece into hot oil. Flip the filets halfway through the cooking process, about 8 to 10 minutes.