Love fried fish? Ever wonder what to do with all those broken potato or tortilla chips that fall to the bottom of the bag? They’re too small to eat and usually they just get thrown away. Well, here’s a way to answer both of those questions, especially if you’re on a camping or fishing trip.
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It’s an incredibly easy way to prepare fresh fish. It takes very little prep work, and the result is a great tasting fillet that can be used either for a main dish or for something as easy as a fish sandwich.
Ingredients for Pan Fried Fish
- Fresh fillets (walleye, perch, bass, bluegills or northern)
- Chip “remnants” about 2 cups crushed (breadcrumbs work quite well, too)
- Flour (optional)
- 1 raw egg, beaten
- Pepper to taste (the chips have adequate salt in them)
- 3-4 Tablespoons cooking oil or Crisco
Instructions
Dip the fillets in egg wash, then coat them with the crushed chips / breadcrumbs & flour mix.
Fry them in hot oil – peanut oil works best, but any oil will do – for 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve with homemade tartar sauce!
Variations
If you are using the fillets for a sandwich, just add mayonnaise, a thin slice of raw onion and tomato and large leaf of fresh lettuce. Pop ’em on a hamburger bun, add some chips, and you’ve got a great lunch!
If you’d like to dress up the fillets for a main course, obtain a package of Hollandaise sauce and follow the directions on the package. Add to the sauce about a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard, an ounce of dry white wine and a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Spoon the sauce over the crisp fillets and watch how quickly they disappear!
Make a fish sandwich by frying some perch, bluegill, or bass fillets. Add a couple pieces of toast, some tartar sauce, a slice of Vidalia onion, bread & butter pickles, a slice of cheddar cheese and a crisp leaf of lettuce. Serve with a glass of white wine (or a bottle of beer), Old Dutch potato chips, and some pasta salad or Cole slaw. M-m-m-m-m-m – enjoy!
