Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Fry Me a River


Fried fish can be many things. It can be dipped in beer batter, deep fried and served with chips. It can be coated with egg and cornmeal, buttermilk and crushed cereal, almost any combination is acceptable, if not always palatable. You can use almost any white fish you like; tilapia, cod, grouper if you feel really ambitious. This is my take on flounder, which I like for frying because of it's mild taste and thin fillets. It cooks fast, which is handy, because you don't want it to take forever or the crust will burn.


Firecracker Flounder


Ingredients


3 flounder filets
1 pint of whole milk
2-3 tbsp. tobasco sauce
2 c. flour
Old Bay seasoning


oil, canola or veggie, for frying
2 tbsp. butter, for same


1. Soak flounder in milk which has been liberally doctored with the tobasco sauce. You can use as much or as little as you would like. Also, put the flour in a shallow, flat pan and add as much Old Bay as you would like.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the oil. Allow this to heat until the butter foams and the oil shimmers.

3. Take the flounder out of the milk and pat them dry. Not completely dry, just so they aren't dripping.

4. Lay the flounder in the pan of flour and coat both sides liberally, shaking off the excess.

5. Put the fish in the pan, gently! Always lay it away from you, to avoid nasty splashes of hot oil.

6. Give the fish approx. 6-7 minutes on each side, depending on size, etc.

7. Remove to a paper-lined plate and sprinkle with a bit of fine salt.


Serve it up with some tomatoes and coleslaw, or corn on the cob and enjoy!



Cook's Notes: Make sure the oil is good and hot. You want the crust to seal, not soak up the fat. If your fish pieces seem to big or unwieldy, cut them into smaller pieces. Be not afraid!

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