Thursday, January 10, 2008

A personal favorite
--Fish Po' Boys




Fish Po' Boys
Everyday Food Great Food Fast Copyright 2007

1 pound skinless flounder fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips, and patted dry
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (8 ounce) baguette, cut in half horizontally, and hollowed out slightly
Lettuce
Sliced tomatoes

Spicy Tartar Sauce
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons chopped gerkins (or pickles)
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, if desired

1. Place fish in a medium bowl. Add cornmeal; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Brown fish (work in batches if needed) on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes (turn fish carefully). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; season with more salt, as desired.
3. Spread both halves of baguette with tartar sauce, and layer with lettuce, tomatoes, and fish. Cut into 4 pieces.

Spicy Tartar Sauce
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, parsley, mustard, and gerkins. Season with hot sauce. Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, 2 to 3 days.
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I'm a sucker for fried fish. I think I used to order fish and chips a lot when I was a child. I'm not sure if it's the fish or the tartar sauce that I enjoy more or maybe it's just a great combination.

I've been making a lot of sandwiches, haven't I? I usually don't make sandwiches for dinner during the week since it seems that practically everything we eat on the weekends is some sort of sandwich but oddly that has changed lately.

These were good but my bread was too thick. Not the recipe's fault - I was at the mercy of the local grocery store bakery and I picked the most appropriate bread they had. I should have hollowed it out. I ended up taking the top off and eating it open-faced.

I also wonder if I could oven bake this fish, spraying it with cooking spray first. I'm not a big fan of standing over a pan of frying fish.

I loved the Spicy Tartar Sauce but that's just my sort of thing.

I have so much to do tonight for my son's birthday party tomorrow. He's four years old today! I have to bake a half sheet cake, cupcakes, slice beef and finish cleaning. I hope I can find good rolls tomorrow morning. It's not easy in this town.

Blast From The Past: All-Purpose Buttery Yellow Cake from August 2007. I'm using this recipe for the cupcakes. My son requested that the cake be chocolate even though I think chocolate cake makes better cupcakes.

Question of the Day: What meals did you usually order when you ate in a sit-down restaurant when you were a child? I'm drawing a blank besides the fish and chips. I remember when salad bars were 'new' and only about 3 feet long but still exciting.

8 comments:

Stephanie said...

Mmm...that fish looks yummy! I'm a sucker for a good fish sandwich.

My favorite sit-down-restaurant meals when I was younger were either fried chicken or open faced roast beef sandwiches, both accompanied by mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. Those are still comfort foods for me today.

May I ask you a question about using that recipe for cupcakes--how long do you bake them for? I want to try that recipe, but want to be careful not to overbake. Thanks! :)

The Cookbook Junkie said...

That's a good question but I can't answer it LOL. I'm going to wing it. Although I think 350 is pretty standard, I tend to go lower (around 325). I'm not sure if it's my oven and/or pans (my muffin pans are kind of dark) or if that would work for everyone. Then I watch them like a hawk after 15 minutes or so just to be safe.

I've already made a batch as cupcakes and while they're very good, they weren't as heavenly as the sheet cake version I made. I really wanted to make the sheet cake yellow but my son overruled me.

The Tomball Three said...

Answer:

Fried chicken (drumstick) and broccoli with cheese and french fries.

We went to cafeteria's like Luby's all the time!

Annie said...

I had quite sophisticated taste as a child. I would always order baked stuffed shrimp. And sometimes even lobster. No hamburgers for this kid. HAHAHA. Thank God we didn't eat out that often or I would have sent my parents to the poor house.

Happy 4th birthday to your son!!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to your son! I used to like the clam roll, when I was a kid. Guess you can tell where I am from, LOL.

Wanda said...

We almost never ate out when I was a child. Maybe once a year we went to El Zarape Mexican Restaurant. I don't remember what I had - probably a variety plate or just enchaladas.

Wanda said...

...And Jan, why didn't you answer this one? I'd be interested to know if y'all ever ate out in all those years before I was born... ;)

Anonymous said...

Guess I'd better do what "baby sister" wants. I guess the reason I didn't reply is that there wasn't much to report. We lived in a very small town and as Wanda said, would rarely go to a Mexican Restaurant in the next town (the whole family). Other than that, my older sister, my Mother and I would have lunch around our town sometimes. We would go to the barbecue stand, or two small cafes in town. I don't really remember what I would order.

Jan