Southern-Style Fried Fish Sandwich
Southern-Style Fried Fish Sandwich
Southern-Style Fried Fish Sandwich

Southern-Style Fried Fish Sandwich

David Venable

A fried fish sandwich makes me think of the South, and I love a full platter with the coleslaw and tartar sauce—makes me feel at home every time I eat it!

Coleslaw

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 (1-lb) bag coleslaw salad mix

Directions

To prepare the coleslaw, mix together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, celery salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots and gently toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 3 hours.
To prepare the Herb Tartar Sauce, mix together all of the ingredients and refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour.
To prepare the fish, season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper.
Set up 3 separate bowls—one filled with the flour, one with the cornmeal, and one with the eggs. Dredge the fillets in the flour, then in the eggs, and then into the cornmeal.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, cook the fish filets in batches until golden brown, about 6–8 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. Remove the fish from the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined platter.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread about 1-1/2 tablespoons tartar sauce on each side of each kaiser roll. Place 2 fish fillets in each sandwich, spreading another layer of tartar sauce between the fillets. Serve immediately while fish is still warm, with the coleslaw on the side.

Herb Tartar Sauce

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp dill pickle relish
  • 3 Tbsp chopped chives
  • 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sandwich

  • 6 (5.25-oz) fresh tilapia or flounder filets, cut in half
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/3 cups cornmeal
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 6 kaiser rolls
  • Herb Tartar Sauce (recipe below)

Cook's Notes

Reserve any leftover Herb Tartar Sauce from this fish sandwich recipe and use it for dipping with my Southern-Style Deep Fried Okra!

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