If you follow us on Instagram, you saw us receive a gorgeous bounty of individually packaged fish from Sizzlefish. Wheee!! Def worthy of a happy dance. It totally brightened up what started as a somber day…the day I had to bury my dear, faithful lens (50mm/1.8) that had been with me since the beginning of my food blogging journey.
In a desperate attempt to revive my precious companion, I took it to a camera store, but was told that it was beyond repair. Tears started to form (wow..I must’ve really been attached to the little guy)… However, when I heard the man behind the counter say “why did you buy plastic in the first place?”, my feelings of sadness quickly turned to fuming anger. Come again? Clearly. CLEARLY he didn’t know anything about food photography bc that “plastic” is the biggest bang for your buck. Hmph. Anyway, I just had to share and get that out of my system. Back to the fish. 🙂
As I unpacked the box (with the Hungryman crowding over), we could barely contain ourselves. Naturally we started brainstorming potential recipe ideas. Cedar plank salmon? Rainbow trout with vegetables baked in parchment paper? Fish and chips?? Those were the suggestions that the Hungryman started spouting out of his mouth. He can come up with some brilliant ideas every now and then ;). When he said fish and chips, something just sparked. That’s it! After a quick glimpse at me, the Hungryman said, “I can see the wheels churning. You’re trying to ‘healthify’ this, aren’t ya? How about we just have it the classic way?” I kindly shut that idea down. I don’t even know why he continues to try.
I didn’t completely reject it, though, as (in classic fish and chips fashion) I decided to go with Atlantic cod – two spectacularly milky white pieces. But that’s where the similarities would end. I chose to put an Asian twist on the dish, and before you say “What?! Asian fish and chips?”… Trust me. It works.
The fish couldn’t be simpler to make. Season the bite-sized pieces of cod, dust with flour, coat in egg, and cook in vegetable oil. Once done cooking, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
As for the “chips,” I went with oven-baked carrot and zucchini fries. Because the fish comes together rather quickly, I suggest making the chips first so that when the fish is done, you can serve both immediately. The mild flavor of the fish plus the light batter made these nuggets the perfect vehicle for a dipping sauce. The Hungryman had a ball going back and forth between the lemon soy dipping sauce and the sriracha ketchup that we had made for the chips. Even without the sauces, the firm, flaky (and oh so tasty) cod meat made this dish a joy to eat. So there you have it! Healthy Asian fish and chips! Now dip away ;).
