COOKINGWITH
CAMPICHE
Baked fish
and chips
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
I, like most Americans, adore fish and
chips. I, like most Americans, also suffer
from too much oil and fat. Welcome, then,
to a new age marvel, the air fryer, I believe a
healthier alternative to deep frying or a pan
of hot boiling oil.
I must give credit to those deserving.
Laurie Anderson, as many of you know, has
been my wife and partner for 43 years. Lau-
rie sees to the healthier aspects of our diet.
She sees to an elegant salad on most nights
with plenty of fresh veggies. I am a Franco-
phile and adore butter and cream, although I
often substitute olive oil for butter and coco-
nut milk for cream. Hope springs eternal, we
are what we eat.
Baked fish and chips is a favorite, accom-
panied with a cucumber salad and a home-
made tartar sauce with chopped dill and
pickled shallots, accompanied by air fried
potatoes.
Ingredients
• 2 pounds of white fish fillets
• 3 cups panko bread crumb mixture
• 2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh thyme or
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• Two garlic cloves, finely minced
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 tablespoons dijon mustard
• Four large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• Horseradish tartar sauce, to taste
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of shallots, pickled and
finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of capers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of horseradish
• 1 tablespoon of parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Splash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Preparation
In one bowl, place flour, in the second,
combine four eggs with the dijon mustard
and whole milk. Prepare the panko bread
crumb mixture for the third bowl. Heat olive
oil, then saute the minced garlic. Toast the
panko bread crumb mixture in oil briefly
until it becomes slightly golden. Add thyme
and marjoram and continue to brown. Place
in the third bowl to dredge the fillets.
Cut up the fish into serving size fillets.
Salt and pepper each side and then dredge
the fillets through the flour mixture, next
into the egg and mustard slurry. Roll into
the panko mixture until the fish is fully cov-
ered. Lay on a stainless steel wire rack over
a small sheet pan. Spraying the rack with
pan release will make for an easier cleanup.
Place in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 450
degrees Fahrenheit. Bake in an electric or
gas oven for similar results.
Laurie’s cucumber salad is simple. In a
bowl, place 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup
white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup water and 1/4
teaspoon of dill weed. Stir to dissolve the
sugar. Grate thin rounds of the two English
cucumbers into the bowl. Serve with the fish.
Consider adding 1/4 inch rounds of
potato, tossing them in olive oil, salt and
pepper with finely minced fresh rosemary.
An air fryer will cook these perfectly in
about 15 minutes, completing a dinner of
fish and chips with fanfare.
David Campiche is a potter, poet, writer
and lifelong resident of the Long Beach Pen-
insula with a keen interest in adventure, fine
and culinary arts. Find more about his work
at davidcampiche.com.
ABOVE: Baked
fish and
chips, served
with pickled
cucumbers,
tartar sauce and
thyme.
LEFT: Air fried,
seasoned
potatoes
are a perfect
accompaniment
to fish and chips.
Photos
by David
Campiche
THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2022 // 17