Filet-O-Fish Sandwich
My parents didn’t raise us with fast food – everything was pretty much homemade. Once in a while my mother bought prepared foods like Hamburger Helper, frozen Chicken Pot Pies, or those Oven Baked Beans that came in an amber jar. Once or twice a year, my father was either buying a big bucket of KFC with fries, Coleslaw with Pasta & Potato Salad or taking us to Chinatown located in downtown Montréal. On very rare occasions, we went to Harvey’s or Ponderosa Steakhouse. Again, they did prefer serving us homemade food which tasted much better anyway!
Back in the 70s’, McDonald’s launched the “Happy Meal” that went viral with young people. Parents were “happy” too because it wasn’t expensive plus the kids loved it as it not only came with a small burger and small fries but also cookies and a toy were in those cute little boxes. My brother Daniel loved it and that “promo” hooked him to this fast food chain until his late teens.
My first experience at McDonald’s wasn’t anything fantastic. Already a foody hiding in the closet, I disliked their burgers until I tried one item… the Filet-O-Fish Sandwich! I liked it but still, it wasn’t my cup of tea to go out of my way to have one.
When David and I just started our lives together, we went to McDonald’s on a road trip and had a very bad experience – never went back. Several years later, I actually craved a Filet-O-Fish Sandwich and decided it was time for me to make one at home. My first attempt was pretty decent… I just needed to work on my breadcrumbs. The next time I made it, it turned out perfect, actually it was even better because I knew exactly what the ingredients were – from my homemade Brioche Buns although you can always use Hamburger Buns instead to the kind of fish I chose, my delicious Tartar Sauce along with my French Fries. Even David, who never really liked this sandwich, was devouring it… Score!
Here are a couple of things I’d like to point out. When it comes to breadcrumbs, I lightly toast them in a small skillet for about 4 to 5 minutes. The crumbs will get darker when baked in the oven. Now, let’s talk about the fish… If you want a nice moist and flaky fish, an important step to do before cooking it is to pat it dry with paper towels. This little step prevents the texture from getting mushy and tough. It applies not only when making a Filet-O-Fish Sandwich but every time you handle fish including scallops.
Making a Filet-O-Fish Sandwich is easy plus you know your ingredients are fresh. Another bonus for making it at home is it’s cost effective… you’re saving money! If you’re not a “fast food junkie” but occasionally enjoy this sandwich, you’ll definitely love it more with this recipe…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious sandwich recipes…
– Croque-monsieur Montréal Style
– Mexican Chicken Sub
– Moo Shu Pork Tortillas
– Grilled Brie, Ham & Pear Sandwich
– Shrimp Po’ Boy
– Hawawshi
and for even more sandwich recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sandwiches
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Filet-O-Fish Sandwich
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup Panko® breadcrumbs
- 1 large free-run egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. Miracle Whip®
- 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 2 large white fish fillets, cut into squares
- 4 brioche buns (substitute hamburger buns)
- 4 slices processed cheese such as Velvetta
- 3/4 - 1 cup tartar sauce see Recipe
Directions
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add Panko and simply toast it until lightly brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a measuring cup to cool off.
- When cooled, take 2/3rds and grind it in a spice grinder. Transfer both, the fine and the course breadcrumbs to a shallow dish, stir to blend and set aside.
- In a deep bowl, add an egg and beat it well before adding Dijon mustard, Miracle Whip, hot paprika, salt and pepper. Stir until the ingredients are nicely combined and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC
- Pat dry the fish fillets very well on both sides using paper towels. Cut them as square as possible and slightly bigger than the brioche buns – if there are little pieces of leftovers, reuse them for fish cakes, in a stew or bouillabaisse.
- Working with one at a time, dip a piece of fish into the egg mixture and coat it well before transferring it to the breadcrumbs making sure it sticks very well by pressing down on them. Shake to remove any excess crumbs and place each coated piece on a baking sheet lined with lightly greased foil. Spray them with cooking spray and transfer to the preheated oven; bake for 15 minutes.
- When time is up, remove from the heat and assemble the sandwiches… First, place a slice of processed cheese on the bottom bun followed by a baked fish fillet then topped generously with tartar sauce and lastly, place the top bun on top. Makes 4 sandwiches
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