Gorton’s Beer Batter Tenders Fish Fillets do not taste much like beer, at least, not a strongly flavored beer. But they do sport a golden and deliciously light crust, with a mild fish and very subtle beer taste, that most will like. They cook up in about twenty-five minutes in the conventional oven, and function well as the primary item of many seafood-based meals.
Benefits, Advantages, Pros, and Features
- These fish fillets have a pleasant, not-too-fishy flavor, and their aroma is equally mild, and are easily held in the hand; specifically designed for dipping. Though somewhat small, these are indeed whole and battered fish fillets that have a “crispy pub taste,” according to the labeling..
- Gorton’s offers recipes on their website that utilize this product, and show a “Tenders Tacos” dish on the box.
- Their box can be re closed with built-in tabs that fit into slots on the top flap. Just go gently while first opening, as you can easily tear these flaps if you’re too rough.
- The fish itself is Pollock fish. Pollock is a meek-tasting yet filling fish (at least, as filling as whitefish can be). So it accepts spice and sauce flavors well. This fish does not dominate the meal in terms of taste.
- This beer battered fish has lots of good-for-the-heart omega-3 fatty acids; a benefit of Pollock.
- These sea treats absorb a little Frank’s Xtra Hot Sauce; my favorite topping. However, their crust appears less porous than what you find in breaded fillets. So these do not absorb as much sauce as the breaded ones. But they’ll drink in enough to acquire a fiery hot sauce flavor.
- I follow the twenty-one to twenty-four minutes in the oven at 425 degrees instructions on the box, which always yield hot, crunchy, and golden brown fish fillets.
- While baking, this product gives off a soft, sizzling sound and mouth-watering aroma. So, when they’re finally ready to eat, I’m anxious to dive into them. This aural and aromatic prelude to the feast, makes actually eating them even more of a delectable reward for the wait.
- Though beer battered, these fillets taste little like beer, though there’s indeed some beer essence here. They have a great signature flavor that resembles little else I’ve ever tasted. The batter truly enhances the overall taste and satisfaction.
- The 17.3-ounce box I bought was decently priced.
- These keep well in the freezer for nearly a year. But if you hope to keep them that long, it’d be best to bag them in an airtight bag.
- They’re a good source of protein, have 210 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids per 2-fillet serving, and contain 0 grams of trans fat.
Cons, Disadvantages, Problems, and Concerns
- There’s no re close-able plastic bag for freshness included in this product. I prefer such a bag, to help maximize the amount of time you can keep these fillets in the freezer without dry-out or freezer burns happening.
- I must eat four or five of these fillets to really get that full feeling.
- When baking, the fillets stick frequently to the aluminum foil liner. Prying them off of the foil mangles it so much during flipping, that for the second half of the baking, you may need a whole new piece of foil. So I recommend using a high-temperature cooking spray when preparing.
- Gorton’s makes the batter from enriched and bleached flour. I’d prefer though, that they use all whole grains and no bleaching in the coatings, beer battered or breaded.
- This product contains added sugar and preservatives. So these fillets definitely qualify as one of those dreaded processed foods.
- These frozen fish fillets do not heat well in the microwave; it’s hard to get a true crunch with this method. In fact, the box does not recommend microwave preparation. But an ability to “nuke” them would shorten preparation time significantly.
- The bag does not easily re seal, unless you use a bag clip. It’d be nice if they used a zipper freshness lock pouch.
- Lots of sodium in this opinion of mine (650 milligrams), in three small pieces of this fish.
Cooking Directions
- Position one of your conventional oven racks in the middle set of holders in the oven. The rack should be equally far from the top, as it is from the bottom in the oven.
- Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- While waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature, line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil to ease cleanup.
- Coat that foil liner with a bit of high-temperature non-stick cooking spray.
- Remove the desired number of beer battered fish fillets from the box.
- Place them in this foil-lined baking pan, arranging them so that there’s a little space between each one.
- Then, once the oven reaches 425 degrees, place pan, uncovered, in oven, in the center of the middle rack.
- Bake for 21 to 24 minutes total time, or until crispy and browned.
- Flip fish after 12 minutes, and bake for 10 to 12 more minutes with the down side up.
- Then, remove the fillets from oven. Note that fish is not completely cooked until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. or higher.
- Turn off oven.
- Let the fillets stand for a minute or two. I do not remove them from the baking pan until the sizzling stops, which takes about this long.
- Finally, eat the fish and enjoy.
Do not re freeze raw fish or prepare in a toaster oven or microwave, Promptly refrigerate any unused cooked fish.
Ingredients List
Pollock, vegetable oil (cottonseed, canola, soybean, corn, and / or rice bran), beer (water, barley malt, corn, hops, rice, yeast), enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), rice flour, water, modified corn starch, sugar, tapioca dextrin, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate), yellow corn flour, palm oil, dextrose, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, colored with paprika and turmeric extracts, sodium tripolyphosphate (to retain fish moisture), whey, TBHQ (to protect flavor), hydrolyzed wheat protein, methylcellulose.
Contains: pollock, wheat, soy, and milk.
Nutrition Facts for Gorton’s Beer Batter Tenders Fish Fillets
- Serving size: 3 pieces (93 grams). Servings per container: about 5.
- Calories: 230. Calories from fat: 130.
- Total fat: 14 grams, 22% DV.
- Saturated fat: 3.5 grams, 18% DV.
- Trans fat: 0 grams.
- Cholesterol: 20 milligrams, 7% DV.
- Sodium: 650 milligrams, 27% DV.
- Potassium: 130 milligrams, 4% DV.
- Total carbohydrate: 18 grams, 6% DV.
- Dietary Fiber: 2 grams, 8% DV.
- Sugars: 4 grams.
- Protein: 7 grams.
- Calcium: 2% DV.
- Iron: 2% DV.
Product Rating
Though they could be better if prepared without the white flour and sugar, they’re excellent eating anyway, so long as you don’t make a feast of them too often. Over all, I truly love the flavor of Mrs. Paul’s Beer Battered Fillets. They cost a reasonable amount, are pretty easy to prepare, taste delicious, and are on the whole quite good for you. So I’d recommend them to anyone hungry for the taste of decently seasoned fish. I’d rate them at 93 out of 100.
Where To Buy Gorton’s Beer Batter Tenders Fish Fillets
Look for this product in the frozen foods section at most larger grocery stores and food outlets, in the bright yellow box with the signature picture of a Gorton’s fisherman, steering a boat on the front. There’s also a photo of these fillets on the front, showing how easily they can be held in the hand.
References
Revision History
- : Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, and tweaked the content.
- 2012-06-30: Originally published.