Yes I know! There are already recipes for fried fish on this site. And there is a very good reason for that. WE LOVE FRIED FISH! And variety is the spice of life. And if I’m not mistaken, we aren’t alone in loving both tasty fried fish and variety. But for unknown reasons, it seems to me that the last couple of times we ordered fish and chips from a takeout restaurant, there wasn’t much flavor in either the batter or the fish itself. Of course the batter was crispy because the fish had been deep fat fried. But in a couple of cases, the puffy coating was thicker than the fillet. (I hate that!) Or even if the coating was thin, there was no discernable flavor. So either my taste buds are going to hell with the rest of my body, or restaurants are dumbing down their recipes to reach a greater majority of customers. And if that’s the case, I plan to take no part in their plan. If I am going to eat a fried product, it had better taste pretty darn good! If that means the only fried fish I can enjoy is in the privacy of my own home, so be it! I’m prepared to not only accept the responsibility for delicious home cooked fried fish, but also to gladly assume the means by which it is accomplished! And I promise never to forget the tasty sauce in which the perfectly fried fish is dipped. (This was actually part of my wedding vows. Just kidding. But maybe it should have been. Not kidding!)

So now that you know why I tried a couple of new recipes for coating and serving the Icelandic cod Mr. C. brought home the other afternoon, let me tell you a bit more about each recipe.

I have been using Old Bay Seasoning off and on for 50 years. I learned about the product when I lived in Delaware. Being as close as I was to the Chesapeake Bay, I learned all about eating soft shells crabs and crab cakes. And as much as I love living in the Pacific Northwest, I still miss sitting at a brown-paper covered picnic table, right next to the bay, eating crab in as many forms as possible. So of course, many years later when I could actually afford to buy crab once in a while, I had to learn how to make crab cakes. And every person I asked told me the secret. Yup. Old Bay Seasoning (OBS). (And no, I haven’t posted my recipe for crab cakes on this site. It’s in my first cookbook, but for whatever reason, I have been remiss in not including it on this site. But that will soon change. Crab is now on my grocery list. So stay tuned.)

Anyway, the other evening I decided to use OBS once again in the seasoned coating for this recipe. The thing I have learned about coating fish, or chicken, or pork, or whatever, is that it almost always requires more seasoning than I think it should. I used the full 6 teaspoons of OBS because my container has been in my cupboard for several years so if has lost some of its potency. So you might want to start with a bit less if yours is fresh. The coating was delicious and easy to throw together.

The aioli was just a happy combination of my favorite aioli flavors. I wanted a simple sauce to go with the highly flavored coating on the fish. I also didn’t want to spend a lot of prep time. Mission accomplished.

I hope you enjoy both of these recipes. And don’t be afraid to make your own fish and chips. Or what we usually enjoy – fish and some kind of oven roasted potato wedges. I recommend Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes or Oven Roasted Steak Fries.

As always, have fun in your kitchen and let food cravings be your guide. Allow me to explain.

During this stressful time, I recommend giving in to your food cravings. My friend Vicki and I were just talking about this very thing a few minutes ago during a phone conversation. It seems like more than ever, comfort food, especially food we remember from either our childhood or earlier and easier days seems to be calling to both of us. For her recently, it was chili dogs. For me it’s been soup and homemade bread. I simply can’t get enough of either. So why not succumb? If it helps relieve your own stress, or makes someone else in your family feel more comfortable, then as cooks, I say let’s make it happen.

A couple of days ago, Mr. C. told me he was hungry for Grilled Lamb Patties with Tzatziki. I added Hummus and Soupa Avgolemono (Greek egg and lemon soup) to the list. (All highlighted recipes on this site BTW.) So all those dishes are on the menu for tonight. And I know we will both love the dinner. And it will give me such joy to be able to please him in such a simple and homey way.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to please most people. It just takes a little bit of time and a whole lot of attention to everyday conversations. When your spouse happens to mention a favorite dish, or your child talks longingly about cookies or popcorn or steamed veggies (like that’s ever going to happen), prove to them you were paying attention. (Even if you have to remind them of the fact that you truly were listening so they’ll remember what a grand spouse or parent you really are! We have to take our strokes where we can get them!)

And speaking of making your family members feel loved and comforted, check out the pictures of our fuzzy family members at the bottom of this post.

And of course as always – peace and love to all.

½ c. cornmeal

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

4-6 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning   

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

½ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. granulated onion

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

vegetable oil

1½ lbs. cod fillets (or any other firm white fish) dried with paper towels

Whisk the cornmeal, flour, Old Bay seasoning, dried parsley, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and pepper together in a shallow container.

Beat the egg in another shallow container.

Pour enough oil in a large frying pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Then give it a dribble more. Heat the oil over medium heat and dip each fillet first in the beaten egg (allowing excess egg to drip off), then into the cornmeal mixture.

Pan-fry the fillets until they are brown on the first side (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook the second side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Great with the Lemon Garlic Aioli.

LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

¾ c. cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

3-5 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely minced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper 

Mix it all together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with your favorite fish recipe or as a dip for fresh or cooked veggies.