While frying fish in oil usually creates a crisp crust and a creamy, moist interior, a newer cooking method provides the exact same thing, but without the high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol! By frying fish without oil in the oven, you can keep the fat calories in check and make fried fish a regular part of a healthy diet instead of an occasional guilty pleasure. The key to making crunchy fried fish fillets in the oven that won’t have you missing the oil is to use thick fillets and a crisp breading.
Ingredients:
White fish (cod, haddock, orange roughy, fresh catfish or organic tilapia will work too)
4 Eggs
3 Cups of Flour
Seasoning (Cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, lemon pepper)
Directions:
Prepare the fish breading. Choose between cornflakes and sandwich bread crumbs. Put the cornflakes in a zip-top plastic bag and crush thoroughly, if using. To make the bread crumbs, pulse the bread in a blender or food processor with some melted butter, salt and pepper until ground to small bits. Bake the crumbs at 350 degrees Fahrenheit on a rimmed baking sheet until brown and allow to cool. Place the breading in a shallow dish or pie plate.
Put flour in a pie plate or shallow bowl, planning on approximately one-quarter cup for every pound of fish you will be oven-frying. Season with salt and pepper.
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Whisk eggs in a third pie plate, using two eggs for every pound of fish. Add seasonings like cayenne, paprika or pepper, if desired.
Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Spray completely with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pat each fish fillet dry with paper towels. Dredge the fillets, first in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the prepared breading, whether bread crumbs or crushed cornflakes. Place on the prepared wire rack.
Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown and the inside of the thickest fillet is opaque and registers 140 degrees Fahrenheit with a cooking thermometer.
Remove fillets with a spatula and serve immediately.
(Extra Tip: The process also can be done on the grill.)
For chips:
Cut 2 to 3 large sweet potatoes into medium size fries. After tossing, we scatter the fries over two hot baking sheets — we use two so the fries aren’t too close to each other. If they were, they would steam instead of baking and crisping up.
Bake frie at 450 degrees, turning once and rotating pans once, until edges are lightly browned and centers are tender; 15 to 25 minutes. The fries are done when the surface looks dry and the fries have puffed up a little. Don’t fret if the edges become brown, they will taste more caramelized than burnt.
Serve fries with a sprinkle of extra salt on top (if you have some, use a flaky sea salt for this, it adds a nice touch).
