As summer was winding down I found myself relishing in old and familiar traditions, such as picnics in the park and long meandering bike rides along the seawall. With summer traditions in mind I couldn’t help but crave some good old fashioned fish and chips.
However, instead of heading to a nearby pub to get my fix, or even the waterfront emporium where they specialize in such indulgences, I endeavoured to make my own. And of course, since I was already going that far, I figured why not add some homemade tartar sauce and coleslaw to round it out.
Panko Crusted Halibut
3 Halibut Fillets
1 1/4 Cup Panko
1 Egg
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Set up your breading station by whisking the egg in a bowl, and spreading the panko on a plate. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Cut the fish fillets into manageable pieces, or fish sticks (roughly 1-2″ strips). Season halibut with salt and pepper, then dip the fish in the egg, and coat with panko. Be sure to remove any excess breading before placing the fish in the pan with the heated oil.
Cook on one side until golden brown, then rotate and continue to cook until all sides are browned, and the fish is opaque in the center.
Dill Caper Tartar Sauce
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
2 1/2 Tbsp. Dill
2 Tbsp. Chives (or green onion)
2 Tbsp. Capers
2 Tbsp. Dill Pickles
2 Tbsp. Pickle Juice (from the jar)
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
Finely chop dill, chives, capers, and pickles. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and season with pepper. Cover and chill tartar sauce until needed.
Hand Cut Frites
3 Large Russet Potatoes
Vegetable Oil (canola)
Salt & Pepper
Cut potatoes lengthwise, with the skin on, into large sticks, roughly 1/2″ thick. Blanch the potato sticks before frying, by placing them in boiling salted water until they begin to soften. Be sure to do this in small batches, and pat the potatoes dry with a towel after removing them from the water.
To fry the potatoes, heat vegetable oil in a large pot (you’ll want the vegetable oil to be roughly 3″ deep). Again, work in small batches adding only a small bundle of potato sticks at a time and cooking until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel, then toss with salt and pepper while hot. Repeat until all the potatoes are cooked.
Homemade Coleslaw
1/2 Head Purple Cabbage
1/2 Head White Cabbage
3 Carrots
3 Tbsp. Sunflower Seeds
1/4 – 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon
1 Tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 Tsp. Tabasco
Salt & Pepper
Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, dijon, worcestershire, and tabasco in small bowl, then set aside in the fridge. Chop cabbage into thin strips, and finely grate the peeled carrots. Mix cabbage, carrot, and sunflower seeds in a medium size bowl, and top with dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
Can be done ahead and stored in the fridge.
