Panko Fried Fish

A friend of mine had the brilliant idea to take our kids to Horseshoe Bay for a picnic dinner of fish and chips. The drive is the best part: 30 minutes with children restrained, radio up and gorgeous views. We ordered a two-piece meal from the Troll’s takeout window and watched the kids climb on a whale statue. The fish and chips were crispy, greasy and delicious. The kids ate ketchup and tartar sauce with the odd french fry. With no dishes and a sunset on the drive home, I considered it a successful evening. Unfortunately, it left me with a touch of guilt and more than a touch of a stomach ache.

I’ve tried to make a crispy, lighter alternative to battered fish at home and failed. The coating either resembles soggy cardboard or falls off in crumbs. As it turns out the secret to crispy fish is simplicity. My mom picked up this recipe from her friend, Suzanne, who elegantly uses tongs to coat a cod fillet in egg, then panko and into the frying pan. That’s it. No flour, no batter, no mess. And it’s perfect.  

I usually make tartar sauce to accompany the fish, but since I’m super lazy, I decided to make coleslaw with a tartar-style dressing to eliminate a step. I don’t think the meal suffers for it and kids are more likely to eat their vegetables.

I still love a Horseshoe Bay picnic, but now we stick to pasta bowls.    

Panko Fish
Serves 4

2 lbs cod or firm white fish cut into 6 pieces, 1-1.5 inches thick (salmon can be used as an alternative, but cod has a better texture)
2 eggs
100 grams panko crumbs
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Oil for frying

Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit and place cookie sheet in oven with rack on top. 

Pour panko onto a plate and beat the eggs lightly with a fork in a wide bowl. Pat fish dry and season liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat about 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan on med-high heat. One at a time coat the fish in the egg then dip in the panko, pressing on crumbs so it is covered evenly. Fry in two batches for about 3 minutes a side, depending on thickness. Check it and adjust heat if panko begins to brown too quickly.

Place on rack in oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking while you start the next batch. Plate the first batch while the second is in the oven then serve with a squeeze of lemon and tartar slaw.

Tartar Slaw

½ head of green or purple cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, grated
5 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
6 mini cornichons, minced
½ scant cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard

Place shredded cabbage in a colander and sprinkle with about 2 tsp salt and let sit for 30-45 minutes. Press down with clean tea towel or paper towels to remove extra moisture (you can skip this step if you’re running short on time). Place cabbage, carrots and green onion in a bowl. Mix all other ingredients together for the dressing then toss with cabbage mixture.