There's something rather fun about crispy fish and taters. Maybe that's why fish and chips (that's what they call it) is so popular in the UK. And make all the English food jokes about bland and boring you'd like, fish and chips is one dish they really have nailed, especially when they make the fairly heavy dish pop a bit with the addition of a bit of vinegar. But rather than fry it all and try measuring out vinegar effectively, why not fire up your oven and give this traditional British meal a few tweaks for this side of the pond that will make it easier to enjoy regularly without a lot of guilt?
If you cannot find dill pickle chips, look for a hearty salt and vinegar chip ... it will also do the trick. Because the chips have a fair bit of flavor built in, I don't call for any other seasoning for the fish. Between a light coating of mayonnaise and a generous layer of crushed chips, you're good to go. In fact, if you don't have thick fish fillets, you'll find it can easily overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
I like to put together a lightly-dressed salad or slaw to have with a meal like this. Actually, the Confetti Chopped Salad featured in April would be a fantastic accompaniment to this meal and a bit of color is just about all this dish is really lacking. Plus, you can make the salad in advance if you'd like. Enjoy!
Dill Chip Baked Cod
- 2-3 red potatoes, cubed (about 2 cups)
- 2 T. olive oil
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. thick cod fillets
- 2 T. mayonnaise
- 1 c. crushed dill pickle potato chips
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Combine the potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a glass baking dish and stir well to combine and coat the bottom of the dish with oil. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are roasting, brush the cod fillets generously with the mayonnaise and then dredge them in a shallow dish filled with the crushed potato chips. When the potatoes have roasted for 20 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven, stir the potatoes, and slide the potatoes to the far ends of the baking dish, leaving a large space in the middle of the dish. Place the potato chip coated cod fillets in the space you've just made and return the baking dish to the oven for an additional 20 minutes before serving the meal hot.
- Yields: 3-4 servings
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes