How To Make a Perfect Fried Fish Sandwich
Are you craving a fish sandwich, but you are not sure you have the right fish sandwich recipe? If that’s the case, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We know that it can be a bit intimidating to fry your fish at home and that it’s always much easier to go out and buy yourself a fish sandwich. But there’s something in homemade fish sandwiches that we can’t explain. And once you try to make yours, you’ll know what we are talking about here.
So, if you ever wanted to know how to make a fish sandwich, now you’re about to learn just that.
How To Make a Fish Sandwich
Making a fish sandwich can seem a little intimidating, but it really isn’t. Once you make it a few times and get into the practice, it’ll be a walk in the park.
Choosing the Fish
A good fish sandwich recipe starts with choosing the right good fish. And the best fish for a sandwich is a white fish that’s mild in flavor. It needs to use boneless and skinless fillets of any white fish that you like, and some of our recommendations are:
- Cod
- Bass
- Catfish
- Halibut
How to Bread Fish
You should know how to bread fish before learning how to make a fish sandwich. It’s the essential step of the fish sandwich making and the step that’s actually giving your fried fish sandwich its specific crunch and taste. It’ll be easy to learn how to bread fish if you follow our simple instructions.
The breading should be perfect if you want to have a tasty fish sandwich, and you’ll achieve that with the right blend of spices. You can use the ones we will recommend to you or something of your preferences.
Here are the only tips you’ll need on how to bread fish:
- Prepare your fish fillets by rinsing them and drying them with a paper towel.
- Season the fish fillets with salt and ground pepper.
- Set up three different bowls with the seasoned flour blend, breadcrumbs, and beaten eggs.
- Coat the fillets with flour lightly, then with the eggs, and finally with the breadcrumbs.
- Put all of the fillets on a sheet pan that’s lined with a paper towel.
The Best Bread for a Fish Sandwich
The best bread for a fried fish sandwich is the one you like the most. But we highly suggest that you use brioche buns. They are buttery and delicious, and they go perfectly in a fried fish sandwich. The buttery and slightly milky taste of the buns will balance out the greasiness of the fried fish. If you by any chance can’t find brioche buns, you can substitute them for any kind of soft buns or bread that you like.
Fried Fish Sandwich: Make it Yours
A good fish sandwich has a few key ingredients, but you don’t have to follow a strict fish sandwich recipe. You can add to your sandwich anything that you like or anything that you have in your fridge at the moment: something that we highly recommend you to add pickles and slaw. A coleslaw goes excellent in a fried fish sandwich and crispy pickles. If you like the heat, you can add pickled jalapeño. If you are not a fan of coleslaw, you can add romaine or iceberg lettuce. Or just add any kind of vegetables you prefer. If you are craving a rich fish sandwich, you can add a slice of cheddar cheese or even two. Our favorite is tartar sauce, but you can use whatever you like. And yes, don’t forget the sauce.
And what about the sides? As a side to a fish sandwich, you can never go wrong with French fries or any kind of fried potatoes. Potato chips are also great, and even onion rings can be a great addition.
Fish Sandwich Recipe
Once you have breaded the fish, you’ll want to heat the oil in a large enough skillet. It’s essential to use an oil with a high smoking point. You shouldn’t use olive oil, and instead, the best option is to use canola oil or any other vegetable oil. The choice of oil for deep frying will determine the quality of the fried fish. If you use a good oil with a high smoking point, you don’t have to worry about burning the oil or your fish. Also, a neutral oil will not impact the flavor of the fried fish as olive oil would.
You should fry the fish for about five minutes on each side until it’s golden brown and the surface is crispy. It’s essential to put it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil once it’s done.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon of cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of dried basil
- ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 eggs
- 4 fresh fillets of cod
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 brioche buns
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- Tartar sauce
- Coleslaw
- Pickles
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large enough skillet.
- Rinse the fillets, and dry them using a paper towel. Season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Set up your dredging station with three separate bowls. In one bowl, mix your spices and all-purpose flour. In another one, put the Panko breadcrumbs. And in the last one beat 3 eggs.
- First, coat the fillets in the flour mix, then in eggs, and lastly in the breadcrumbs.
- Fry the fish fillets for about five minutes per side. They should be crispy and golden brown once done.
- Put the fillets on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
- In a separate skillet, melt the butter and grill halves of each brioche bun until crispy and golden.
- Spread the tartar sauce on the brioche buns, add the slaw, fish fillets, and pickles.
- Enjoy with a side of your choice.
You can make your coleslaw with the recipe you like the most or use different vegetables you prefer. When it comes to tartar sauce, you can make it or buy it from the store. Store-bought tartar sauce is also tasty and much more convenient.
And now you finally know how to make a sandwich with fried fish like a pro. As we promised, it’s nothing too complicated, and once you do it a few times, you’ll get better at it. Remember that you shouldn’t always follow the recipes strictly; you should be creative and play in the kitchen. You’ll end up with tasty meals and great memories.
The Best Fish Sandwiches in Town
If you don’t have the time or the patience to fry anything in your kitchen, we’ve got your back. Call us today to book a reservation at Stiltsville Fish Bar and enjoy many of our tasty fish dishes. We are proud of our excellent seafood menu, and we look forward to hosting you!
