Sometimes you ache for a food from your past.  Fish and chips bring me back to childhood times in London. With a dash of vinegar, I’m in a Proustian moment, watching the “telly” with my sisters, and eating fish and chips off newspaper.  Here is a version of fried fish, lower in oil and with a lighter coating. These petits batons can be served for dinner, as hors d’oeuvres, or a labor-of-love snack.  This recipe will serve 4-5 people as an entrée.  To prepare fewer batons, simply cut each ingredient by half, proceed with the recipe and Bob’s your uncle!

What You Need:

1 large Pyrex casserole for marinating the fish

Sharp knife to slice the fish

Cutting board

Large skillet

1 slotted fish spatula and another flat utensil for turning the fish as it fries

Dredging station bowls for the flour, egg and bread crumbs

A foil covered large plate or baking sheet that will fit into the refrigerator

Paper towels for setting the batons after removing them from the oil

4 larger fillets (or 1 ½ lbs.) sole or flounder; plaice, haddock, cod, orange roughy or hake can be used.

1 C. milk

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper, preferably freshly ground

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 C. flour

1 ½ cups fine, seasoned breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil to fry, enough for a 1/8 inch deep layer in skillet

Lemons for serving

In the Pyrex casserole, blend the milk, Dijon, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Divide each fillet into two pieces by cutting lengthwise.  There is a natural indentation in each fillet; follow that.  One side will be a bit larger.  Next, cut each fillet half crosswise into strips, just shy of half an inch wide.  Since each tail-end piece will be thinner, cut it off the fillet at the point where it will be long enough to use for frying with the other pieces, approximately 1½ to 2 inches off the fillet.

Submerge the pieces of fish into the marinade, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Set up the dredging station.  Add a bit of salt and pepper to the flour.  Beat the eggs with the 2 T. oil.  Drain the marinade from the Pyrex casserole.  Coat each piece of fish with flour, shaking off any excess, the egg and oil mixture, and the fine breadcrumbs.  Place each coated piece on the foil-lined plate or baking sheet.  When finished, place the uncovered plate or sheet of coated fillets into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to half an hour.  This allows the coating to adhere to the fish.

Arrange two layers of paper towels on a baking sheet.  Set the oven to warm.

Add the oil to the skillet and heat.  When a drop of water jumps and sizzles on the oil, the oil is ready.  Working quickly, place the coated fish into the hot oil.  Do not crowd the pan.  As each submerged side browns to a crisp crust, turn over carefully with the slotted fish spatula and other utensil and fry the other side.  As each piece is done, place on the paper-towel lined baking sheet.  When the batch is finished, place the paper towel-lined sheet with the batons into the warm oven.  Discard the used oil, wipe the skillet with paper towels, and begin the frying process again with the remaining pieces of fish.

Plate the batons with wedges of lemon.  Try the batons with some vinegar or your favorite tartar sauce.  Serve with a fresh salad.  I was out of greens so I used a sliced avocado.  Crisp greens would have been perfect.  Sigh

Enjoy!

By Lisa Reitman Dobi