{"id":1874517,"date":"2018-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-01T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/fried-walleye-with-tartar-sauce\/"},"modified":"2024-01-02T09:25:20","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T15:25:20","slug":"fried-walleye-with-tartar-sauce","status":"publish","type":"recipe","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/fried-walleye-with-tartar-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"Fried Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"

In many parts of the country, Friday night means only one thing: fish fry. Usually tied to Lent, the time before Easter when meat is off the menu (at least one day a week), restaurants, fast-food outlets, bars, church halls, and homes\u00a0come loaded with golden fried fish sided by tartar sauce, creamy coleslaw, and potato pancakes or French fries.<\/p>\n

The fish itself can be freshwater walleye or catfish<\/a>, or Alaskan cod or other mild white, flaky fish from the sea. It can be either batter fried, breaded or coated in other crispy things like cornmeal or corn flakes. The components of a fish fry are pretty standard everywhere you go, no matter if it’s around the Midwest and Great Lakes or in parts of the Northeast and the South. But there are some regional differences.<\/p>\n

For sides<\/a>, it\u2019s practically mandatory to have potato pancakes<\/a>, rye bread<\/a> and a brandy old-fashioned sweet with your fish fry in Wisconsin. In Georgia or South Carolina, you\u2019ll probably see hushpuppies with your fried fish. If you want all of the fried fish any day of the week, we’ll walk you through a crunchy battered fish fry recipe that\u2019s so good and easy.<\/p>\n

What’s the best way to fry fish?<\/h2>\n

To fry any battered or breaded fish fillets, you can use an electric skillet or deep fryer, or a deep enamel pot or a sturdy cast iron skillet on the stove. When learning how to deep fry anything, first choose the best oil for frying<\/a>. You want one that has a high smoking point, like canola, vegetable, safflower or peanut oil. Here’s the best oil for fried fish<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s all about regulating the temperature. Keeping the oil around 375\u00b0F, the best for deep frying according to our deep frying temperature chart<\/a>, is paramount for the crispiest, crunchiest fish. If frying in batches, make sure the oil returns to that temperature before adding additional pieces.<\/p>\n

A few extra tips for frying fish: Watch out for splatters, keep moisture away from the oil and don\u2019t overcrowd the pan. As to how long to fry fish, most fillets take around five minutes per side and are done when the internal temp reaches 145\u00b0.<\/p>\n

What kind of fish should you fry?<\/h2>\n

When looking for the best fish for frying<\/a>, it depends on where you\u2019re located and what kind of fresh or saltwater fish you can source. In Wisconsin, for instance\u2014and in this fish fry recipe<\/a>\u2014we use walleye, a mild, flaky freshwater fish from the perch family. In Northeastern Ohio, you might see lake perch plated up for a fish fry; in the South, it’s often catfish or tilapia.<\/p>\n

Alaskan cod is widely available everywhere, both in the fresh and frozen seafood departments, and very common for fried fish recipes. Other good fish to fry include rockfish, orange roughy or snapper. Types of fish that don\u2019t deep fry well include salmon, striped bass, trout, swordfish or tuna; keep those for roasting, searing or grilling.<\/p>\n

Whichever fish you use, be sure to get boneless, skinless fillets that you can cut into manageable portions.<\/p>\n

Fried Fish Ingredients<\/h2>\n

\"FishTaste Recipes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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