Delicious and easy Japanese style crispy cod (or other white fish) recipe. This takes only 5 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make! Serve with quick homemade katsu sauce or use store-bought tonkatsu sauce.
1.5lbCod Filets(6 small cod filets or 1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless cod filets)
⅓cAll Purpose Flour
3Eggs
2cPanko (Crispy Bread Crumbs)
Salt + Pepper To taste. I use 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper.
Vegetable Oil For FryingEnough to fill pan 1" deep.
Katsu sauce
¼cupKetchup
2tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1tablespoonSoy Sauce
2teaspoonSugar
Instructions
Crispy Japanese Fish Katsu
Pat fish dry with paper towels. Feel for bones with your hands and if there are any remaining bones, trim them out. Leave filets whole or cut into desired size pieces.
Make your breading station: Pour flour onto a rimmed plate or shallow bowl. Add eggs and beat in a separate small bowl and pour panko crumbs, salt and pepper into a third bowl or plate. Mix panko, salt and pepper together well.
Dredge each fish filet into flour. Then dip them in the beaten egg and finally roll them in the panko crumbs. Use your hands if necessary to press crumbs into cod filets and coat them as thickly as possible.
Heat a skillet containing at least an inch of cooking oil over medium heat to about 350º, or until oil sizzles and pops when a drop of water hits it.Gently lower pieces of fish into the pan, being careful not to splatter hot oil. Fry the fish in batches until golden brown on one side (about 2 minutes), then flip, and repeat on second side.Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Homemade Katsu Sauce
Whisk all sauce ingredients together well and serve with fish.
Notes
Be careful not to overcrowd the frying pan. Leave half an inch to an inch of space between pieces of fish so the pan stays hot and the fish crisps without steaming.Use a heavy bottomed pan for even cooking and heat retention.