Fish and Chips
Mrs. BurgerDogBoy had an urge to cook Saturday lunch (or maybe the cats talked her into it), and she pondered her choices and decided to go with fish and chips. There being a distinct shortage of catfish in the house (there always is, I love it, she passes) she chose talapia filets, and from our wide assortment of fry potentials in the pantry, Zatarain’s Southern Crispy Fish-Fri.
Having moved here from New Orleans, I’m partial to Zatarain’s (tho less so after the locals sold out to a multi-national), but the upside of their sale is the products are available everywhere, even here in Plaidlandia.
The contents listed on the box include: corn flour, salt, cayenne, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and onion, and the instructions are simple: dredge your fish in the mixture and fry. None of that horsing around with flour first, then milk or egg, then your fry mixture. That always makes SUCH a mess (tho I am happy when Mrs. BurgerDogBoy makes onion rings that way!
With an absence of fries in the house, she also chose from the existing inventory of heat and eat products in the freezer, and went with Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns, which I really like. They are like squished tater tots. Fine with me.
In minutes, she had the tilapia fried up, and I have to say, the Zat mix makes some of the tastiest fried fish I recall having. It produces a nice, crispy, light brown coating, perfectly seasoned to my taste, didn’t even douse it with the usual tbsp of salt, as I am wont to do. Tilapia is such a great fish, it’s light enough in flavor that you can manipulate it to taste like any marinade or seasoning you prefer.
We have a large assortment of Zat products on hand, shrimp and fish fry, hush puppy mix, rice mixes, and so on. No root beer extract tho, they don’t sell that around here, I sure would appreciate someone in NOLA sending a case! (Hint, daughter!)
Zatarain's Crispy Southern Fish Fri