FRIED FISH SANDWICH

Fried Fish Sandwich image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Time 30m

Yield 4 sandwiches

Number Of Ingredients 23

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Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
One 12-ounce bottle amber beer, such as Dos Equis
2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Two 6-ounce tilapia fillets, cut in half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon Tarragon Tartar Sauce, recipe follows
4 soft potato rolls, such as Martin's
1 head green leaf lettuce
4 slices American cheese (optional)
Lemon wedges, for serving
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced bread and butter pickles
2 tablespoons minced scallions
1 tablespoon capers, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Steps:

Fill a Dutch oven halfway full with oil and heat to 350 degrees F.
Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine in a large bowl. Whisk in the beer, being sure to remove any lumps. Stir in the hot sauce.
Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Dip each fillet in the beer batter and add to the fryer, one at a time. Fry until brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the fillets to a wire rack on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
Spread the Lemon Tarragon Tartar Sauce on the bottoms and tops of the rolls. Add the fillets and top with some lettuce and the cheese slices, if using. Serve with lemon wedges.
Fold together the mayonnaise, pickles, scallions, capers, tarragon, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve, about 20 minutes.