A couple of weeks ago, my friend Sarah asked me if I had a good recipe for fried cod. Apparently, she had tried a recipe that called for crushed croutons. Although it sounded good in theory, no one liked it at her house. I told Sarah that I do have a recipe for fantastic fried fish. It always turns out the same, and it’s always good.
Actually, my recipe for fried cod is the same as my recipe for fried flounder. Or tilapia. Or perch. Or whiting. I fry it all the same. The good news is that everybody in my family likes it, with the possible exception of my husband. He isn’t exactly a fish fan, but he tolerates it because he wants the kids to grow up liking it. (What a good man!) 🙂
Of course, grilled fish is healthier than fried fish, but sometimes a successful marriage is all about compromise. I’m just happy he’ll eat it fried. And truthfully, I like it that way best, too!
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
Fish fillets (I use whatever is on sale that week. Flounder is a big hit, but we also like cod, perch, or whiting.)
Flour (about a ½ cup)
1 egg, beaten (more if you’re making a big batch)
Buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (anywhere from ½ to a whole package, about 2 – 4 oz.)
Seasoned salt
Canola oil (You might also like the taste of coconut oil.)
Instructions:
1. Thaw fish if frozen.
2. Pour 2 – 4 Tbs. of oil into a large skillet and heat to medium high.
3. Set out three different plates. Fill one with flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with crushed crackers.
4. Lightly salt each fish fillet with seasoned salt, then dip the fillet in each plate, coating it in layers with the flour, egg, and cracker crumbs. This process will give you a nice, crispy crust on the outside and fluffy, flaky fish on the inside.
5. Place fish in hot oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. (Note: you may need to adjust your stovetop settings throughout the process. You don’t want the oil to get too hot, or you’ll burn the fish, and nothing smells worse than burned fish!)
6. Place fried fish on a platter. Serve hot.
Here’s the printable version:
- Fish fillets (I use whatever is on sale that week. Flounder is a big hit, but we also like cod, perch, or whiting.)
- Flour (about a ½ cup)
- 1 egg, beaten (more if you’re making a big batch)
- Buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (anywhere from ½ to a whole package, about 2 – 4 oz.)
- Seasoned salt
- Canola oil (You might also like the taste of coconut oil.)
- Thaw fish if frozen.
- Pour 2 – 4 Tbs. of oil into a large skillet and heat to medium high.
- Set out three different plates. Fill one with flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with crushed crackers.
- Lightly salt each fish fillet with seasoned salt, then dip the fillet in each plate, coating it in layers with the flour, egg, and cracker crumbs. This process will give you a nice, crispy crust on the outside and fluffy, flaky fish on the inside.
- Place fish in hot oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. (Note: you may need to adjust your stovetop settings throughout the process. You don’t want the oil to get too hot, or you’ll burn the fish, and nothing smells worse than burned fish!)
- Place fried fish on a platter. Serve hot.