Homemade Filet-O-Fish with Crisp Panko Fish and Tartare Sauce
By Jonah Pike
Prep
25 min
Cook
10 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
These homemade Filet-o-Fish sandwiches are a good dinner alternative for me when I don't feel like getting a fish sandwich from a restaurant but want to eat something hot‚ such as a battered‚ thin white fish filet topped with American cheese․ Tartar sauce and other pickled ingredients are included (the best part of the sandwich)․
I use flat‚ square fish fillets and trim them to size; they work well in the sandwich and cook quickly and evenly․ I salt the fillets for 10 minutes and dry them thoroughly before preparing other sandwich ingredients‚ including panko in the finished sandwich․ I place the fillets in the pan before they have time to soak up the panko or other coating․
I cook fish in a large cast-iron pan with enough vegetable oil to cover it halfway․ You may need to cook the fish in batches and place cooked fish on a rack to drain while the cheese softens from their heat․ Pull cooked fish from the pan when the breading is golden and the fish is hot inside․
I make the sauce in advance and let it cool while I cook the fish․ Full-fat mayonnaise thickens the sauce․ Capers and cornichons provide a pickled taste․ Fresh dill can be left out if you don't like it․ Up to 1/4 tsp of sugar can be added to the sauce to offset the lemon taste if desired․ Up to 2 pinches of pepper can be added to the sauce to taste․
Why you'll love this recipe
- It feeds four‚ with one whole fish fillet and one slice of cheese on a toasted bun per person․
- You can provide as much tartar sauce as you want․ Other customers may want to order more tartar sauce with their meal․
- The 10-minute salt brine helps dry the fillets before breading․
- A shallow fry with panko requires less oil than a deep fry to make a crunchy coating․
- More sauce is prepared to serve more side servings․
- Regular hamburger buns will provide a similar shape․ Brioche buns will be sweeter․
Ingredients
- •240 g full-fat mayonnaise (1 cup)
- •2 tbsp capers (finely diced)
- •2 tbsp cornichons or gherkins (finely diced)
- •1 tbsp fresh parsley (heaped and finely diced)
- •2 tsp fresh dill (finely diced, optional)
- •1 lemon (juice only, or to taste)
- •1 tsp salt (plus more to taste for the tartare sauce)
- •pepper (to taste)
- •sugar (to taste)
- •4 white fish fillets (boneless and skinless, 100-120g each)
- •1 tsp paprika
- •½ tsp onion powder
- •½ tsp garlic powder
- •¼ tsp white pepper
- •50 g flour (1/3 cup)
- •2 medium eggs
- •1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- •75 g panko breadcrumbs (1 1/4 cups)
- •120 ml vegetable oil (120-240ml, or 1/2-1 cup)
- •4 processed or American cheese slices
- •4 hamburger buns (halved and toasted)
Instructions
- 1
Mix the tartare sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste, adding sugar if you want to balance the acidity, then cover and chill until needed.
- 2
Sprinkle both sides of the fish fillets with 1/4 tsp salt. Leave them to rest for 10 or so minutes.
- 3
Mix the remaining 3/4 tsp salt with the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper in a small bowl. Set up three large shallow dishes with the flour and half the seasoning in the first, the eggs and Dijon beaten smooth in the second, and the panko with the remaining seasoning in the third. Place a tray beside the last dish.
- 4
Pat the fish thoroughly dry after 10 minutes. Coat each fillet in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the panko, and place it on the tray. Repeat with the remaining fillets, working fairly quickly.
- 5
Pour enough oil into a heavy-based or cast-iron pan to comfortably cover the base. Heat over medium-high until it reaches 180C/350F, then fry the fish in two batches for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp with the center piping hot and at 63C/145F. Drain on a wire rack over a tray or kitchen roll, then immediately top each fillet with cheese.
- 6
Build the sandwiches in the toasted buns with your preferred amount of tartare sauce and serve right away.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
616
Protein
30.11g
Fat
41.91g
Carbs
29.23g
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