man in cap, sweatshirt and jeans holding a tray of fish

Ultimate Fresh Fish Fry Recipe You Need to Try

Recipes by Karen Anderson
Print Recipe
breaded and fried fish on a rack

Get the freshest fish possible for this Fresh Fish Fry recipe. The fish in the photos here was about one hour out of water when we cooked it. That is the ULTIMATE. It just doesn’t get any better than that. But you still need to try this, even if you can’t get fish that fresh.

This Fresh Fish Fry recipe comes from Blue Fish Outfitters owner, Greg Robertson. Last weekend, I was happily fishing with him on Great Slave Lake in Yellowknife, N.W.T. You can read more about that great Canadian adventure here.

Greg’s breading mixture was scrumptious. So, of course, I asked him to share the recipe. Here’s his directions:

“I cook like my mom – I wing it!  No measuring involved!

For my breading I mix together flour, corn flake crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, and some corn meal. I look for a light brown colour.

Spices are lemon pepper (important), garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt. 

I like to dampen the fish before breading. I’ve used beer, buttermilk, plain soda water, or lemon or lime soda.

Experiment!

Of course the fresher the fish!”

woman and man wearing red, holding a fish
long coast line with water
2 men cooking over a camp stove

The Fresher the Fish

Greg is right when he hinted that the fresher the fish you have the better it will taste. Growing up on the Atlantic, I got to jig for flounder with my Grandfather’s on his boat. We’d pull into one of the Passamaquoddy Bay’s many little coves around my hometown of St. Andrews, N.B. After, we’d caught our quota, I’d drive the boat back to the wharf while he cleaned the fish. We’d fry the fish up as soon as we got home.

Now, I live in Calgary and rely on freshly FROZEN fish as the best option for “fresh.” For a fry like this, a nice white fish that’s fork-tender and flaky is what you are looking for. That Great Northern Pike we enjoyed was incredible. Pickerel would be okay, though it is not my favourite. For salt water fish, haddock, cod, sablefish, or ling cod work really well.

I hope you give this easy but delicious recipe a try. Let me know how you made out. Better yet, maybe go on up to Yellowknife. Fish with Greg, and enjoy your fish fry on the lake where you caught the fish. Food creates great memories and connections. Experiences like this help me savour it all.™

Print

Fresh Fish Fry

breaded and fried fish on a rack

 

This recipe has a light coating that features corn flake crumbs, cornmeal, and a healthy dose of lemon pepper. It creates a crispy coating that seals in the moisture and results in a tasty, fork-tender, flaky fish.

  • Author: Karen Anderson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 to 3 servings
  • Category: fish
  • Method: frying
  • Cuisine: Canadian

Ingredients

For the breading (makes 2 cups; store the extra in an airtight container):

¼ cup flour

½ cup corn flake crumbs

½ cupItalian bread crumbs

¼ cup corn meal

2 Tablespoons lemon pepper (important) 

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder 

1 teaspoon paprika 

½ teaspoon salt 

For the fish:

Sunflower oil for frying

1 lb fresh (or fresh frozen, thawed) fish, cut in “fish stick” size pieces

1 cup liquid (beer, buttermilk, plain soda water, or lemon or lime soda)

1 lemon, quartered 

 

Instructions

For the breading:

  1. Mix the flour, corn flake crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, corn meal, lemon pepper, garlic and onion powder, paprika, and salt in a bowl. It should be a light brown colour.
  2. Place about a third of the mixture in a zip lock bag and set aside. Store the extra for your next fish fry

 

For the fish:

  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add about ½ -inch of the oil. You know it is hot enough if a drop of water dances or a piece of fish sizzles.
  2. Place the fish pieces in a bowl and pour the liquid of your choosing over, tossing to coat. Greg uses a lime soda water and it worked like a charm. I used buttermilk.
  3. Pick up a piece of fish, shake any excess liquid off of it, and add it to the zip lock bag. Repeat for four or five more pieces. Then shake the bag until they are all well-coated.
  4. Add those pieces to the fry pan and continue this pattern until all pieces are coated and frying.
  5. Let the pieces completely brown on the first side before flipping. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once cooked remove the pieces to a rack.
  6. Serve with fresh lemon slices, coleslaw, beans, and bread.

 

Keywords: Fresh Fish Fry

Leave a Reply