cornmeal crusted haddock

i love a good fish fry. i'm talking the beer battered, fish bigger than my plate, fish fry. the kind only served on friday night with a side of fries and coleslaw. the problem is that it's relatively time consuming, takes a lot of oil, and because my stove is so finicky, is difficult to get exactly perfect to make at home. that's when lightly breading and frying comes in.

i've made this a bunch of times before - with tilapia and cod and as whole pieces of fish as well as smaller pieces - and it comes out great every time.

one word of caution - don't overcrowd the pan. if you can't fit the pieces in one pan, cook them in two batches. but keep the first batch warm in the oven, don't put a cover over it. otherwise you'll end up with soggy fish.

not only is this good, easy, and quick (start to finish it took 20 minutes - the same amount of time to cook the fries), but i had everything except the fish already at home.

cornmeal crusted fish

2 egg whites
1 pound haddock, cod, or tilapia
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
vegetable oil
salt & pepper

1. cut the fish into strips for fish sticks or cut into larger pieces that fit in the pan.
2. place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk in some salt & pepper. place the fish pieces in the egg whites.
3. in a separate container (i use a 9x13 pyrex pan) mix the cornmeal and flour together. season with salt & pepper.
4. heat about 1/4" vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. if you need to cook the fish in batches, turn your oven onto warm (or the lowest setting) and line a pan with paper towels. the first batch of fish will go in the oven while the second batch is frying.
5. remove the fish pieces from the egg white mixture, let the excess drip off, and place in the cornmeal mixture. flip the fish around so all sides are covered. place in the hot oil and cook about 3 minutes on each side.
6. if cooking in batches, place the first batch in the oven to keep warm and fry the second batch.