Served on an old newspaper, this dish is a trip to Great Britain without getting on a plane.
The secret is a homemade tartar sauce. The store bought version is often gloppy and tasteless, but this bright, fresh sauce will inspire you. We like using any leftover sauce in school sandwiches the next day. You can leave out the capers and dill pickles if the children are picky, but we love them. Malt vinegar is also a nice tangy condiment, as is ketchup with the chips.
Store bought frozen French fries work well, but you can also make your own baked fries from potatoes or sweet potatoes. If you like something green with every meal, make some “mushy peas.” This traditional British dish are basically peas cooked in butter with some salt and pepper and then mashed with some cream. You can get fancy and add some mint and lemon.
The children can easily assist in the preparation of this meal. Little hands will love working with the fish breading station. Since we are baking instead of frying, they can pretty much cook the entire meal with very little help. Children love novel ways of eating and presenting food and the newspaper adds a little twist to an everyday meal.
Ingredients
For fish:
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (optional)
1-2 eggs, beaten
large pinch of paprika (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
For tartar sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small dill pickle, finely chopped (optional)
handful of finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons capers (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 425-degree F.
- For the tartar sauce, mix all the ingredients together and let sit to allow the flavors to meld.
- Season the flour with salt and pepper and paprika (if using).
- Season the breadcrumb. Mix in the finely chopped parsley and chopped thyme
- Lay out in three bowls: flour, egg wash (seasoned beaten eggs) and the breadcrumbs.
- Make sure the fish is dry. Dredge it in the flour (shake off excess), dip it in the eggs and make sure the entire surface of the fish is covered in egg. Finally, coat it with the breadcrumbs and lay the fish on an oiled baking tray.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of fish.
- Broil for the last 2-3 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs.
- Serve with oven baked French Fries and the tartar sauce.
Stacie Dong and Simran Singh are San Francisco moms with a passion for cooking and exploring the world through food. On their blog, A Little Yumminess (www.alittleyum.com), they share recipes from around the world, favorite foodie destinations and ideas for raising adventurous eaters. They also teach classes, camps and private cooking workshops.