Recipes

Fish Sandwich with Chile-Lime Mayo

Mark Bittman

The New York Times

"I love fried fish sandwiches, but you can always broil or grill the fish if you prefer."

Buy Mark Bittman's James Beard Award–winning cookbook, How to Cook Everything, from our Amazon store

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder 
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, plus more as needed
  • Four 4-ounce fillets of firm white fish, like cod, halibut, or catfish, salmon, or mahi-mahi
  • 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour 
  • 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons of water 
  • 3/4 cup of bread crumbs, preferably fresh 
  • 4 rolls or 8 slices bread, toasted if you like 
  • 8 slices ripe tomato 
  • 2 cups shredded Napa cabbage or iceberg lettuce 
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Method

Mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chile powder, garlic, and some salt and pepper; taste, adjust the seasoning, and set aside. 

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides of the fillets in the flour; dip in the egg, and coat in the bread crumbs. When the oil is hot, add the fillets and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. 

To assemble the sandwiches, smear the rolls with the chile-lime mayo, add the fillets (cut in half to fit on the bun as necessary), and top with tomato slices, cabbage, and cilantro if you’re using it. Serve immediately. 

Yield

4 sandwiches