Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce

Matty Matheson

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Servings:

This is a healthy alternative to eating store-bought frozen fish. The kids will love making these with you, almost as much as they'll love eating them.

Swap option: You can use any white flaky fish for this recipe.

Ingredients

Tartar Sauce
- 5 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped dill pickle
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped capers
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie
- kosher salt
Fish Sticks
- 1 pound halibut fillets, cut into 6 symmetrical batons (stick shapes)
- kosher salt
- 1 quart canola oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 5 cups panko breadcrumbs, crushed into finer crumbs
- sea salt
- 1 lemon, zested

Preparation

For the tartar sauce:

In a medium bowl, combine the hard-boiled eggs, dill pickle, red onion, capers, parsley, dill, mustard, garlic and pepper. Add the mayo one spoonful at a time until the mixture is lightly bound together and has a chunky-creamy consistency. Season with salt.

For the fish sticks:

1. Season the halibut with salt on all sides and place on a wire rack. Let the halibut sit on the rack for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 F.

3. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Beat the eggs in a second shallow bowl and put the panko in a third shallow bowl. One piece at a time, drench the halibut in the flour, then dip into the egg wash to completely cover the halibut. Scoop the halibut out, pausing for a second to allow excess egg wash to drip off. Place the halibut into the bowl with the panko and give it a quick toss to coat the fish.

4. When the oil comes up to temperature, add the halibut and deep-fry until golden-brown, about 5 minutes. To test for doneness, use a cake tester to check that the halibut is hot in the middle. Take out the fish sticks using a metal spider and place on a wire rack or paper towel– lined plate; sprinkle with sea salt and the lemon zest.

5. Stack the fish sticks in log cabin formation on a piece of butcher paper and add a dollop of tartar sauce.