Fish Fry Friday

Here in Wisconsin, fish on friday is as natural as cowboy boots in Texas, a necessity but still viewed as a luxury because not everyone wants to do the work or enjoy the fried smell lingering in their house. I don't stick to the rules and fry fish any ol' day of the week and like my mother, I do not care for a lot of kitchen gadgets and machines to haul out of the cupboard and then wash all the little pieces and put them all away. I simply use my cast iron pan to fry anything, it's always on the stove and makes almost any meal as easy as 1,2,3. In the picture I also included my wonderful "Kitchamajig" that I found at an antique store, its perfect for flipping fish. My mother has one and wouldn't give it to me....

1. With a fork, beat an egg on a plate and a splash of milk. Blot your fish dry with a paper towel and dip in egg mixture then the breading.

2. Breading is 1/2 cup a flour and half a package of crushed saltines crackers. I have used cornmeal as a gluten free alternative. For seasoning I always add black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and mustard powder. Dill and tarragon have been a favorite lately and the "guy" version also includes cayenne and chili powder.I hardly ever measure so I can't provide you with specifics.

 3. Before you place your fish in the pan test the oil, you will know when it is hot enough by dropping in a cracker crumb and it will bubble. Don't add more than three filets at a time or you will have a crowd. My favorite oil to fry fish is coconut, sometimes I use soybean but it doesn't have the same fresh flavor.

I usually serve rice with fish since it is quick and easy to cook but in this picture I put potato wedges in the oven to cook while I fried the fish, they were done at about the same time. I have also roasted green beans in the oven while frying. It's nice to just fry the fish and the rest is magically cooked elsewhere.
Lastly, don't forget your lemon! My husband absolutely insists on squeezing a fresh lemon over his fish and I enjoy lemon water with the meal, its freshening and cleanses the palate.