Forgot to photograph until I was half way through! Oh well…
I was the one kid who didn’t like McDonald’s. At all. I hated the burgers—this was before chicken nuggets were even a thing. We went at least once a week on our way home from our tennis clinic. My brother was always thrilled to get his Big Mac, and my mom usually had a cup of coffee. She’d sit with us, then eat dinner later when my dad came home from work. And me? I was always left with the dilemma: What to get?
I ended up choosing the Filet-O-Fish. Yup, crazy, I know, and probably not the best piece of fish—wet from the bun and all—and with that weird silver streak in it – but with ketchup, fries, and an apple pie for dessert, I was a reasonably happy camper.
While we waited for our food (no drive-thru at the time), David and I would play paper football or that coin-sliding game. Do you remember that? It was fun – especially getting his full attention (older brother and all).
This haddock or cod dish I make now reminds me of those McDonald’s days, taking me right back to that time. Only now, the version I’m enjoying is healthy and delicious. It’s crispy from the air fryer, and instead of ketchup, I whip up my own tartar sauce. Let me tell you—I’m in heaven. I serve it with oven-baked potatoes and a green salad, and it’s perfect.
Enjoy!
There are a lot of recipes out there, and honestly, I don’t follow any one of them. But mine is super simple! That being said, feel free to experiment— and google. There’s so much you can do. You could add grated cheese, swap mayo for the eggs, or get creative with seasonings. So, here’s a general guide, and you can adjust it based on how much you want to make or how you want to customize it.
Prep the Fish: Start by patting your fish dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to 400°F to get it hot and ready.
- Prepare the Egg Wash: Crack some eggs (or just egg whites or a mix of the two) into a bowl. I like to change it up depending on my mood—sometimes I use more egg whites if I don’t want it to taste too eggy, I just want the breadcrumbs to stick.
- Set Up the Breadcrumb Station: Pour some breadcrumbs into another bowl—panko works great, but you can use any seasoned bread crumbs, whole wheat, or white bread crumbs. I like to add extra Italian seasoning, but you can also toss in garlic powder, paprika, or whatever you love.
- Coat the Fish: Dip each piece of fish into the egg mixture, giving it a little shake to remove excess. Then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly to make sure it sticks.
- Spray and Cook: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil, then place the coated fish inside. Spray the top of the fish with a little more olive oil. Sprinkle with some kosher salt.
- Cook: Air fry for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Be sure to spray again when you flip the fish. You’ll want the fish to reach an internal temperature of 145°F—use a digital thermometer to check for doneness if you have one. It will flake easily with a fork. If your fish is thick it might take longer.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. If you have a lot of fish, cook in batches. Keep the first batch warm in the oven or pop it back in the air fryer to reheat.
- Serve with tartar sauce – ketchup if you like or solo – you can also make a garlic lemon butter to drizzle on top. Yum
