Step By Step Instructions:

Beer Battered & Pan Fried Cod Sandwiches w/ Homemade Pickles & Fresh Tartar Sauce

→Skip instructions, I’m a pro!

Running an Irish Pub, I’m no stranger to Fish and Chips. Because I am working all day every day, I am usually not in the mood for fish, or especially anything fried, when returning home from work. Fortunately one day, I was browsing through my favorite foodie mag, Bon Appetit, and came across this particular recipe for a Fried Fish Sandwich with Homemade Pickles and Tartar, and thought, YES! I have to have it. 

Long story short-ish, I loved this recipe so much that I wanted it to be on my blog. There is just something about summer that to me, screams homemade pickles on a table cloth in a glass jar. All the ingredients seeping into the cucumber slices, literally making them pickles in front of you is so exciting. I’m not a huge fan of tartar sauce either but, when I made this recipe and used those salty capers with fresh squeezed and zested lemon, I could taste it before I even put it to my lips. 

The original recipe is here Bon Appetit Fish , and I only tweaked a couple of steps and ingredients; not because I didn’t like them, but because it suited my needs, what I already had on hand, and convenience. This is not a paid for post, and I am not associated with Bon Appetit. I am however, a very huge fan of their work, obsessed with their Youtube channel, avid learner of their recipes, and fond magazine browser. 

Hope you enjoy, and let’s get started! 

Prepping the Pickles: 

1. Mise En Place; Grab a glass Pyrex, or something with a lid, and set it aside. Also gather needed kitchen utensils, and ingredients. 

2. Clean four Persian Cucumbers and set them on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice them length wise, one by one, placing them into the glass bowl when finished. 

3. Season the cucs with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped dill. 

4. Use enough Rice Vinegar to cover them completely. (Somewhere between 1 and 2 cups depending on the bowl, and size of cucs. 

5. Gently stir/mix everything together with a spoon. Set the bowl aside, lid off, and simmer until ready to serve on your sandwiches. 

6. After your meal, if you have any pickles left, place a lid on the container, label with date and product, keep refrigerated up to a week! 

Making the Tartar Sauce:

1. Mise En Place; Grab a mixing bowl, needed kitchen utensils, and ingredients.

2. Measure all of your ingredients. Chop, grate, mince. Prepare everything for the bowl of Tartar so all you have to do is add everything together. 

3. Place the Dijon and relish in the bottom of the bowl. Add in the mayo, lemon zest, chopped capers, minced garlic, and dash of salt and pepper. 

4. Lastly, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the mixture and whisk to combine. 

6. Taste, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper if needed. (Or more lemon juice depending on your taste palate.) Transfer from mixing bowl to storage container.  

7. Store in a small glass Pyrek container with a lid, or Tupperware, label and date, and keep in the refrigerator until sandwiches are ready. (Can hold up to a week.) 

To Make Beer Battered Pan Fried Cod Sandwiches with Homemade Pickles and Tartar Sauce: 

1. Mise En Place; Grab all needed kitchen utensils, bowls, etc. from the suggested cooking supplies section, along with all of your ingredients, and place a cutting board on the counter. 

2. To a medium glass bowl add the Northwoods Seasoning or Old Bay seasoning, baking powder, cayenne powder, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup cornstarch and whisk them together. 

3. Take the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch and mix together in a medium size mixing dish and set aside. 

4. Place a deep Cast Iron Skillet on the stove and fill almost 1/2 of the way with vegetable oil. Turn burner on med/high and let the oil get hot. (If you have a thermometer, it should read about 375 degree F.) 

5. Take an egg and the beer and whisk together in a large mixing bowl. Take the Northwoods / Old Bay seasoned flour mixture from Step 2 and slowly add to the beer and egg mixture. Don’t add all at once, whisk slowly until all the mixture is in the bowl and a batter begins to form. 

6. Place the fish on a cutting board or clean surface and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. 

7. Place everything you need in this order next to the frying pan;

• Fish, Flour and Cornstarch bowl, and Beer Batter dish.

8. One by one dip the fish fillets into the flour mix, shake off excess, then dredge into the beer batter fully covering all sides of the fish, and gently place into the hot oil in the pan. (You can use a fork or tongs.)

NOTE: If you’re not comfortable using your hands, tongs or a fork will definitely help get the job done.

*******

SAFETY: Do not let any part of your hand or fingers touch the oil, it is very hot and can be extremely harmful. Work with caution!

*******

9. Cook fish for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or longer if you like extra crispy. (Be careful flipping the fish, try not to splash the hot oil everywhere.)

10. While the fish is cooking, butter the buns and toast in the oven or on a grill. 

11. Take a baking pan and wire rack and place it next to the frying fish, once fish is done, use tongs and remove the fish fillets one by one onto the wire rack with the pan underneath to catch the excess oil. (Can put foil down too as an option, or you could also remove to a paper towel-lined plate.)

12. Turn off the burner and remove pan from heat, set aside. 

The Build: 

• Spread Tartar on the top of all the buns
• Take the bottom bun and lay down a piece of iceberg lettuce
• Top the lettuce with pickles
• Place the fish on next
• Add top bun

I love seeing your creations in the kitchen! Make sure to tag #ColdBeerMeatSweats after making these mouth watering Beer Battered & Pan Fried Cod Sandwiches w/ Homemade Pickles & Fresh Tartar Sauce. 🙂

Don’t need step by step instructions?

Here is what you do:

INGREDIENTS (For Everything):

Homemade Pickles: 

• 4 Mini Seedless Persian Cucumbers, Sliced Thin Lengthwise
• 1-2 Cups Mitsukan Rice Vinegar
• 1 T Chopped, Fresh Dill
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Fresh Tartar Sauce:

• 1 Cup Lite Mayo
• Lemon Zest, 1/2 the side of 1 Lemon
• Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 of a Lemon
• 2 T Sweet Relish
• 1T Capers, Drained & Chopped
• 1T Dijon Mustard
• 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
• Salt & FreshGround Pepper

Pan Fried Cod Sandwiches: 

• 1T Northwoods Seasoning (Or Old bay)
• 1t Baking Powder
• 1t Cayenne Powder
• 1t Chili Powder
• 3/4 Cup Divided, AP Flour
• 3/4 Cup Divided, Cornstarch
• 2.5 Cups Veggie Oil
• 1 Beaten, Large Egg
• 3/4 Cup Light Beer (I used and drank, Blonde Roast by Bond Brothers from Cary, NC)
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, To Taste
• 4, 4 oz Pieces of Fresh Cod (or firm white fish)
• 4 Toasted or Grilled, Potato Hamburger Size Rolls or Buns
• Butter for the Buns
• 4 Pieces Iceberg Lettuce
• Pickles for Topping
• Tartar Sauce

DIRECTIONS: This is to make the Sandwiches (For Pickles and Tartar, see steps above.)

1. Mise En Place; Grab all needed kitchen utensils, bowls, etc. from the suggested cooking supplies section, along with all of your ingredients, and place a cutting board on the counter. 

2. To a medium glass bowl add the Northwoods Seasoning or Old Bay seasoning, baking powder, cayenne powder, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup cornstarch and whisk them together. 

3. Take the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch and mix together in a medium size mixing dish and set aside. 

4. Place a deep Cast Iron Skillet on the stove and fill almost 1/2 of the way with vegetable oil. Turn burner on med/high and let the oil get hot. (If you have a thermometer, it should read about 375 degree F.) 

5. Take an egg and the beer and whisk together in a large mixing bowl. Take the Northwoods / Old Bay seasoned flour mixture from Step 2 and slowly add to the beer and egg mixture. Don’t add all at once, whisk slowly until all the mixture is in the bowl and a batter begins to form. 

6. Place the fish on a cutting board or clean surface and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. 

7. Place everything you need in this order next to the frying pan;

• Fish, Flour and Cornstarch bowl, and Beer Batter dish.

8. One by one dip the fish fillets into the flour mix, shake off excess, then dredge into the beer batter fully covering all sides of the fish, and gently place into the hot oil in the pan. (You can use a fork or tongs.)

SAFETY: Do not let any part of your hand or fingers touch the oil, it is very hot and can be extremely harmful. Work with caution!

9. Cook fish for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or longer if you like extra crispy. (Be careful flipping the fish, try not to splash the hot oil everywhere.)

10. While the fish is cooking, butter the buns and toast in the oven or on a grill. 

11. Take a baking pan and wire rack and place it next to the frying fish, once fish is done, use tongs and remove the fish fillets one by one onto the wire rack with the pan underneath to catch the excess oil. (Can put foil down too as an option, or you could also remove to a paper towel-lined plate.)

12. Turn off the burner and remove pan from heat, set aside. 

The Build: 

• Spread Tartar on the top of all the buns
• Take the bottom bun and lay down a piece of iceberg lettuce
• Top the lettuce with pickles
• Place the fish on next
• Add top bun

Enjoy!!! 

Remember: I love seeing your creations in the kitchen! Make sure to tag #ColdBeerMeatSweats after making these mouth-watering Beer Battered & Pan Fried Cod Sandwiches w/ Homemade Pickles & Fresh Tartar Sauce 🙂