Fish Without the Deep Fry.

I have to admit, with all the hoarding, due to Covid-19, I was able to score supplies that the hoarders ignored.  One such supply was bread crumbs - plain, Italian seasoned, and Japanese Panko.  Not only had the prices not gone up, but there was no limit, so purchasing six of each was easy.  Now some of you are thinking, "Wow, that's way too much to have in stock.".  Maybe for you, but not in my household, as we use them with many, many recipes.

However, the price of cooking oils has gone up dramatically, so the next best cooking technique is oven frying.  The coating still comes out crunchy when the bread crumbs used is the Panko.  The oil used is non-stick cooking spray; no oil absorbed by the fish, and it doesn't stick to the baking pan.

The fish recommended for this is a firm, white flesh fish such as pollack, haddock or cod.  Basically the same type of fish that could be battered, then deep fried.  I have done it with catfish, but the cooking time is longer with the fillets being very thick.  Or it could be cut in half lengthwise, but it's catfish, and who does that!?! 

I have to give kudos to the hoarders.  Being a bunch of selfish low lives, has definitely forced home cooks to become creative.

Oven Fried Fish

Ingredients:

2 lbs. firm white fish (haddock, cod, Pollack), about 6-8 pieces

2 cups milk

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp. crushed dried dill

1 Tbsp. crushed dried parsley

4 cups Panko

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F; spray jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3 wide shallow bowls

#1 – whisk milk with eggs

#2 – mix flour with salt, pepper, dill and parsley

#3 – Panko

Coating sequence

Immerse fish into #1.

Coat both sides of fish with #2.

Immerse into #1 again.

Coat both sides of fish with #3.

Place on sprayed baking pan.

Repeat sequence with each piece of fish.

Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, dependent on thickness of fish.  After 20 minutes, insert fork into center to test for doneness (flakes up easily).

Makes 6-8 servings of approximately 4 – 4.5 ounces each.

Add a simple side salad for a complete meal.

 Mary Cokenour

Crispy Fries from the Oven.

Fried, the very name indicates that a food item has been dropped into a deep skillet, or deep fryer contraption, filled with sizzling oil. To be cooked until done, drained upon paper towels, seasoned and enjoyed while hot. Unfortunately, once the fried food begins to cool down, any oil within tends to ooze out and it doesn't taste so yummy anymore.

There is an alternative method and that is to make the "fried" food in a very hot oven with minimal fat used. Whether using butter, margarine, oil or combination, the amount used is enough to coat the food, let it cook to crispiness, but not get soggy once it begins to cool down. The recipe I'm posting contains a basic seasoning mix, but try mixtures that would complement a total meal, such as an Italian herbal mix. However, try to avoid using olive oil as it does not get hot enough in the oven to give a good crisp to your potatoes.

Oven Baked Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

3 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp canola or peanut oil
1 tsp each fine sea salt, garlic powder and paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F; spray a large jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Rinse the potatoes and pat dry; cut each potato lengthwise in half and then cut each half into four long wedges.

In a large plastic bag, combine the potatoes, butter, oil and seasonings; make sure to coat the wedges thoroughly. Place in a single layer onto the sprayed pan; bake for 35-40 minutes, turning once; until tender inside and crispy outside.

Makes 4 servings (6 wedges per serving)

Mary Cokenour