fried fish sandwich

(adapted from Sue Li)

Ingredients:

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

½ small shallot, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon soy sauce

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons flour

1 large egg

1 ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

2 sole fillets (about ¾ pound), cut in half crosswise

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 soft white brioche buns

4 thin slices American cheese

8 dill pickle chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle relish, chopped shallot and soy sauce. Season with salt to taste and set aside. The tartar sauce can be made ahead of time, cover and refrigerate. Makes about one third cup.

Place the flour, egg and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Beat the egg with a fork. Place the fish on a layer of paper towel, cover with another layer of paper towel and pat dry, discard the top paper towel. Season the fish on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. One at a time, dredge first in the flour (dusting off excess), then in the egg wash (allowing the excess egg to drip off), then coat both sides with panko. Place on a wire rack. The fish can be coated up to an hour ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate.

When ready to cook the fish, preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Wrap the buns loosely in foil. Steam the buns in the oven for about 5-10 minutes while the fish is frying.

Over medium-heat, heat the vegetable oil in a straight-sided skillet large enough to hold the fish fillets without any overlapping. When the oil is hot fry the breaded fillets until golden brown and cooked through, about one and half to two minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack and season with kosher salt.

To assemble spread tartar sauce on both sides of each warmed bun. Place one piece of fried fish on the bottom buns, layer each fillet with two thin slices of cheese, top with the remaining pieces of fried fish (note the heat from the fish will melt the cheese), layer with pickle chips, then cover with the sauced top bun. Serve immediately.

Makes 2

(Note-this recipe doubles easily, just fry the fish in two batches.)