Serves 4
30 min
Fried Fish Sandwich
Recipe GLPRc46aa728db27f1
A classic American fried fish sandwich featuring beer-battered tilapia fillets fried to golden-brown perfection, served on soft potato rolls with crisp lettuce, optional American cheese, and a bright lemon tarragon tartar sauce made with fresh herbs, capers, and pickles.
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Ingredients
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Bread and butter pickles, minced
2 tablespoons Scallions, minced
1 tablespoon Capers, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon Fresh tarragon, minced
1 teaspoon Stone ground mustard
1 Lemon zest
½ Lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Dutch oven (half full) Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup Cornmeal
1 cup All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Baking powder
12 ounces Amber beer, such as Dos Equis
2 teaspoons Hot sauce, such as Tabasco
12 ounces Tilapia fillets
4 Soft potato rolls, such as Martin's
1 head Green leaf lettuce
4 slices American cheese slices (optional)
4 Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
Prepare the lemon tarragon tartar sauce by combining the mayonnaise, minced pickles, scallions, capers, fresh tarragon, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well to combine and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Fill a Dutch oven or heavy pot halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 350°F over medium-high heat. Use a thermometer to ensure the oil reaches the correct temperature for frying.
While the oil heats, combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until evenly distributed and free of lumps.
Slowly pour the 12-ounce amber beer into the dry ingredients, whisking continuously to form a smooth batter. Remove any remaining lumps by whisking thoroughly. Stir in the hot sauce until fully incorporated.
Cut the tilapia fillets in half. Pat each piece dry with paper towels, then sprinkle both sides lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Once the oil reaches 350°F, carefully dip each battered tilapia piece into the hot oil one at a time. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes total, turning the fillets halfway through cooking, until golden brown and crispy on both sides. The internal temperature of the fish should reach 145°F when measured with a food thermometer.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the fried fish to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Sprinkle the hot fish immediately with kosher salt and black pepper. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining fillets.
Slice the potato rolls horizontally and spread a thin layer of the lemon tarragon tartar sauce on both the top and bottom of each roll.
Place two pieces of fried tilapia on the sauce-covered bottom half of each roll. Top with a few leaves of fresh green leaf lettuce and one slice of American cheese, if desired.
Close the sandwich with the top half of the roll. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
