Home MADE Fish Filet Sandwich

Don’t laugh at this and also please don’t gag, but I have a small confession. I used to absolutely be obsessed with Mc Donald’s fish filet sandwiches. (I know…. I’m ashamed). I haven’t had a sandwich or anything other than French fries from Mc Donald’s in a long time. I was watching TV the other day (side note: I’m not a huge TV person so this is very rare), and saw a Mc Donald’s commercial with a fish filet sandwich in the commercial. It brought back so many memories and had me craving a real fish sandwich. This is not an exaggeration but I got right up and went straight to the market to make them for dinner. They were absolutely AMAZING. I try to stay away from cooking a lot of fried foods but it was such a treat. This will be your new favorite cheat day meal or even your new favorite party appetizer (they can easily be made into sliders)!

Ingredients:

• 4 (5-6 oz) pieces of captain cut cod filets
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of old bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of thyme
• 1/2 cup of corn meal
• 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups of canola oil for frying
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons of dill relish
• 1 teaspoon of hot sauce
• Kosher salt & pepper
• 4 potato bread buns
• 8 slices of orange cheddar cheese
• 8 thin slices of tomatoes
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together paprika, old bay seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt and thyme.
2. Lay cod flat on a cutting board or plate. Pat dry on each side with paper towels.
3. Evenly distribute the seasoning all over each piece of cod. Make sure seasoning is on all sides of the fish/ pressed into the fish.
4. In another small bowl, whisk egg and lemon juice together.
5. In a separate small mixing bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, panko bread crumbs and a pinch of salt/pepper.
6. Next, set a large deep frying pan over medium/high heat. Add in canola oil.
7. Dunk each piece of seasoned cod into egg/lemon mixture, and then directly into corn meal breading mixture. Shake off excess breading from fish.
8. At this point, your oil should be hot. Place each piece of fish into the frying pan and fry for about 4-5 minutes on each side/ until golden & crispy. Be sure that internal temperature of the fish is 145°F.
9. As fish is done frying, set aside onto a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Make Tarter Sauce:

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together mayonnaise, relish and hot sauce.

Assemble:

1. Set a frying pan over medium high heat. Spray each side of potato bread bun with cooking spray OR add a sliver of butter into the pan. Toast each side of bun facing down in pan until golden brown.
2. Layer lettuce, 2 thin slices of tomato, 2 slices of cheese, fish, and desired amount of tarter sauce in between each piece of toasted bun.
3. Repeat for each sandwich!
4. Enjoy!