Cajun Fried Fish with Lime-Pickle Mayo

My husband approaches eating fish with caution, unless it’s of the gefilte variety. Recognizing its heart-healthy omega-3 properties, from time to time he makes yet another honest attempt to make our finny friends a regular part of his diet. To no avail. Inevitably, his portion of fish meets an ignominious end, drowning in a sea of ketchup or salad dressing (and sometimes both). However, with this recipe for Cajun fried fish, by cookbook author Ronnie Fein, published in her acclaimed cookbook The Modern Kosher Kitchen, I believe that I’ve discovered the secret to eating fish without fear.

Cajun Fried Fish with Lime-Pickle Mayo

According to the food mavens at America’s Test Kitchen, unless the fish you’re preparing for dinner is the catch of the day, it may taste a little fishy due to the presence of a compound called trimethylamine oxide, or TMAO. Odorless when the fish is alive, once it’s killed, TMAO slowly transforms into TMA (trimethylamine), which has a fishy smell. Soaking the fish in milk for twenty minutes eliminates any fish odor. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes any unpleasant smells with it. Steeped briefly in milk, breaded and lightly fried, this Cajun fish has an audibly crunchy, golden, cornmeal crust and a moist, tender, and flaky interior without any fishy flavor.  Ready in under an hour, this is a perfect meal for a busy weeknight. Oh, and if you happen to see Hubby, don’t mention this recipe for fish. I told him he was eating schnitzel.

Assemble your ingredients. To make the lime-pickle mayo, in a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, pickle, lime juice and lime peel together until well mixed. Set aside or refrigerate.

Place the fish filets in a shallow dish and pour the milk over them. Allow the fish to soak for 20 minutes, turning once to make sure that all the surfaces get a little bath. Place the flour on a plate. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and water lightly and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. On a third plate, combine the cornmeal, salt, cayenne pepper, dill and garlic powder.  

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Pat the fish filets dry with some more paper towel. Dredge each filet in the prepared flour and shake off the excess. Coat the floured fish with the egg and then the cornmeal mixture. Place the filets on a cooling rack and air-dry for 15 minutes.
Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot (test it with a few crumbs of the fish breading), add the filets and cook for 2 minutes per side or until they’re light golden brown. Allow the fish filets to rest on the prepared baking sheet lined with paper towels for a minute or two before serving. Plate and serve with pickle-lime mayo on the side. Served on a fresh roll with lettuce and tomatoes, these make delicious filet-of-fish sandwiches.

Print Recipe

Cajun Fried Fish with Lime-Pickle Mayo

Meat, Chicken and Fish

By Ronnie Fein, The Modern Kosher Kitchen – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 20 minutes soaking +15 minutes – Cooking Time: 20 minutes – Total Time: 55 minutes

Cajun fish has an audibly crunchy, golden, cornmeal crust and a moist, tender, and flaky interior without any fishy flavor

Ingredients

• For the Lime-Pickle Mayo
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (half-fat is fine)
• 2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickle
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• For the Cajun Fish
• 1 pound (400 g package) white fish filets (4-6 filets, such as flounder, sole, etc.)
• 1/2 cup milk, dairy or plant-based
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• For the egg mixture:
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• For the cornmeal mixture:
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• oil for frying

Instructions

Lime-Pickle Mayo

1

In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, pickle, lime juice and lime peel together until well mixed. Set aside or refrigerate.

Cajun Fish

2

Place the fish filets in a shallow dish and pour the milk over them. Allow the fish to soak for 20 minutes, turning once to make sure that all the surfaces get a little bath.

3

Place the flour on a plate. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and water lightly and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. On another plate, combine the cornmeal, salt, cayenne pepper, dill and garlic powder.  

4

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Pat the fish filets dry with some more paper towel. Dredge each filet in the prepared flour and shake off the excess. Coat the floured fish with the egg and then the cornmeal mixture. Place the filets on a cooling rack and air-dry for 15 minutes.

5

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot (test it with a few crumbs of the fish breading), add the filets and cook for 2 minutes per side or until they're light golden brown.

6

Allow the fish filets to rest on the prepared baking sheet lined with paper towels for a minute or two before serving. Plate and serve with pickle-lime mayo on the side.

Notes

While plant-based milk doesn’t contain casein, the protein in dairy milk that neutralizes the fishy smell, some people claim that it still works wonders for reducing fishy odors.