Gluten-Free Fish Fry

1. Prepare fish by cutting into large chunks (mine were about 2″ by 1 1/2″ strips, depending on the fish shape).

2. Mix dry ingredients for the batter in a medium bowl.

3. Beat egg whites in a large bowl till soft peaks form.

4. Lightly beat egg yolks with lemon juice then combine with whites in the large bowl.

5. Heat oil in a pan or electric fryer (aim for 375 to 400 degrees ideally).

6. Meanwhile prepare tartar sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients and adjusting seasoning to taste.

7. Batter the fish and put in the heated oil—first, coat in the flour mixture, then in the egg goop, then put in the oil. (Don’t crowd the pan, or the fish won’t cook nicely.)

8. Cook the fish until golden brown and crispy all around, then drain on a rack or paper towels before devouring with tartar sauce.

Notes:

Thicker pieces will take longer to cook. My 2″x1″x1 1/2″ pieces took about 5 minutes to cook through, and yes, if you find a piece not quite cooked all the way, you can add more batter and fry it a bit more.

You can use any firm fish with this recipe: cod, tilapia, swordfish, you name it. This is a great recipe to use freezer-burned or older fish, because frying makes the texture less of an issue. It also is a great way to fix fish for anyone who is not a fan of “fishy” fish, and a really economical way to fix other fish (cod or tilapia) if your child can’t have gluten. You can even take frozen individual fillets of thin fish, batter them, and refreeze them on a cookie sheet so that you can take them out and cook pieces like ready-made fish sticks.

If you need to defrost your fish, either let it thaw in the fridge, or defrost in the microwave. If some of it gets a little cooked in the process of microwaving, don’t worry, as it won’t really affect the resulting tastiness. If you are using another type of fish that is thinner than 1/2″, you can even batter and fry them while they are still frozen! (All the easier!)