5.) Mike Wiley, fried fish sandwich with kimchi and spicy mayo
Mike Wiley, chef at Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine, recently was named a semifinalist for the 2017 James Beard Awards, and was a finalist in 2016.
When he’s in need of a quick, satisfying meal, he turns to a fried pollock sandwich, he told the Wall Street Journal. In this recipe, Wiley implements mayonnaise spiked with chili sauce to give the sandwich a kick, and uses kimchi to offset the richness of the fried fish.
“It gives you the sense that you’re eating some vegetables, not just fried food and carbs,” Wiley said. “I like to cover one piece of bread with mayo and scatter kimchi across the fish. There’s no science to it.”
Wiley advised that the key to delicious fried fish – pollock or any other species – is using a thermometer to gauge your oil temperature. In order to give the fish a crunchy crust and flaky interior, he recommends frying the pollock in oil between 360 and 365 degrees Farenheit.
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 cups canola oil, plus more as needed
- 4 (3-4 ounce) hake or tilapia fillets
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ cups buttermilk or milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Hot sauce
- 1 French baguette, quartered and split
- ¾ cup kimchi
Recipe steps:
- Attach a thermometer to a large, heavy pot. Add at least 3 inches of oil to pot. Set over medium-high heat. Warm oil to 360 degrees.
- If fillets are thick, place each one between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a mallet or rolling pin to gingerly pound to about ½-inch thick. Pour flour and panko into separate wide, shallow bowls. Next, pour buttermilk and eggs into a third bowl and beat to combine. Season contents of each bowl with salt.
- Season fish with salt. Dredge a fillet in flour, then egg mixture, allowing excess liquid to run off. Finally, dip fillet in panko and thoroughly coat. Shake off excess and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining fillets.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and hot sauce to taste. Set aside.
- Once oil temperature reaches 360 degrees, carefully lay half the fillets into pot, avoiding crowding. Keep oil temperature constant and fry fish at a steady sizzle until nicely browned on one side, 5 minutes. Flip and fry reverse side until golden brown, 3 minutes. Transfer fish to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt. Repeat with remaining fillets.
- To serve, generously smear insides of baguette quarters with seasoned mayonnaise. Place fillets on bottom baguette halves and top each with a spoonful of kimchi. Top with remaining bread and serve immediately.
(Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal)
