Crunchy Fish Sticks
You’ve heard of Fish Fry Fridays, right? Usually it’s during lent season when you have to eat seafood on Fridays. Well, as catholic growing up, we definitely ate a lot of fish on Fridays during lent. These Crunchy Fish Sticks are a quick and easy and much healthier version than classic deep-fried fish, since they’re just quickly shallow pan fried instead. You can however, bake them in the oven or air-fryer if you’d prefer. The homemade tartar sauce really takes them over the edge and it’s a must, trust me.
Crunchy Fish Sticks
Homemade crunchy fish sticks are dredged and coated in panko bread crumbs and coarse cornmeal for an extra crunchy coating. Served with homemade tarter sauce for dipping!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Baking pan
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pound fresh cod or catfish
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 3 large eggs beaten with a splash of milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup coarse cornmeal
Tartar Sauce:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons cornichons chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers chopped
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut the cod into 1-inch thick strips. Think fish stick size. Place them in a large bowl or platter. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay. Toss to evenly combine.
- Pour the flour into a medium dish and season with a bit of salt, pepper and Old Bay. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs with a splash of milk. In a third bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs and coarse cornmeal.
- Dredge the fish by dipping into the flour first, then the egg wash and finally into the panko bread crumb cornmeal mixture. Place the dredged pieces on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Allow to rest for a few minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, filled halfway with vegetable until hot. Carefully drop in a few pieces of fish at a time. Do not overcrowd. Fry until golden brown and crispy, flipping over halfway through frying. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and continue frying the rest. Keep warm in a preheated 250℉ oven.
- To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until fully incorporated. Serve the fish warm with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges on the side. Fish sticks can be dredged and frozen for later frying. Enjoy!
