How Culver's Fries The Fish Just Right Every Time

Culver's may be known for their famous ButterBurgers and frozen custard, but ask fans of the Wisconsin chain, and a surprising number will tell you the best thing on the menu is actually the fish. Once a beloved Midwestern regional chain, Culver's has been steadily expanding its reach across the entire country and now has over 1,000 locations from Utah to Florida. Culver's made its name as a burger joint, but from the very beginning, fish was also part of the menu. Embracing the local tradition of the Midwestern fish fry, the chain has long served a fried cod sandwich and a fish and chips combo that many people say rivals what you get at good full-service restaurants. So what makes it so special?

Well Culver's is pretty adamant about a few parts of its fried fish, and one is that every piece is fresh cooked to order after being hand battered in store. The Culver's cod sandwich is no Filet-O-Fish situation (even if you love them), where a pre-breaded frozen hunk of fish is going straight into a fryer. Culver's also specifically uses the cod loin, which is the thickest and most flaky part of the fish. When you order a fresh slice of cod, it is dipped in flour, dipped in the batter, and goes straight into the roiling fry oil, just like you might make it homemade. From there, it's just a matter of color. The fish is done when it's a perfect golden brown, and goes right onto a bun and into your mouth.

The other thing Culver's is adamant about is sourcing its fish. The chain uses North Atlantic cod, which comes from a sustainable fishery off the coast of Norway. The cold waters of the North Atlantic mean the cod grows slowly and develops a very clean flavor. The cod filets are hand-cut before being shipped to the stores. The whole process, except where the fish comes from, is also the same for Culver's seasonal walleye sandwich, which gets added to the menu alongside the normal cod during the Lenten season. In that case, the freshwater walleye is sourced from Northern Canada.

As for the batter itself, it's a classic flour batter, although Culver's ingredient list says it's made with a combo of wheat flour, corn flour, and rye, which is interesting and certainly adds to the flavor. The chain flavors it with a secret mixture of herbs and spices, which are not specifically revealed in the nutrition information, but buttermilk powder is listed, along with some sugar. However, Culver's does helpfully provide an online recipe for a traditional fish fry batter, and in that recipe, the spices are just garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. That may not be the exact mix used in store, but hopefully, Culver's isn't leading home cooks too far astray. Beyond that, there is no real "secret" to how the company makes such a tasty fast-food fish sandwich. Just make it fresh.