Crispy Fish with Lemon Garlic Sauce

Truth be told, I had this blog post done and ready to post about a week ago. But somehow, Blogger deleted it. I'm not happy about that. Just sayin'.

Anyway, this was HANDS DOWN the best fish recipe I've made to date. The fish was nice and crispy, but flavorful and flaky at the same time. The sauce was also perfect, but I'm a fan of garlic anything. It's so easy, and if you have kids you can  cut them into strips for homemade "fish sticks." The original recipe also tells how to freeze these beforehand, which I'll post the instructions for as well.

Crispy Fish with Lemon Garlic Sauce-adapted from Once Upon a Chef
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4
Fish

• 2 pounds tilapia or other white fish fillets
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups panko
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• Olive oil for frying

Lemon Garlic Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

Set up three large, shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put flour in the first bowl; beaten eggs in the second; and panko in the third.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Dredge fish in flour mixture, shaking excess into bowl so just a light coating remains; dip in eggs and turn to coat evenly; then dredge in panko, turning several times to coat evenly.  Set breaded fish on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook (this can be done several hours ahead of time).

Heat olive oil in large, non-stick saute pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, place first batch of fish and cook until first side is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until done, about 2 minutes more. Transfer fish to plate with paper towels and let sit for a minute to drain any excess oil. Remove any brown bits out of pan, add more oil if necessary and continue to cook in batches until done. 

Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to freeze the breaded tilapia, lay them in a single layer and wrap well with aluminum foil. Place in a freezer bag in the freezer.  When you’re ready to make them, simply defrost them enough so they’ll lay flat in the pan and cook as directed above.