What Is It?
Recently, I tried Popeye’s “Cajun Flounder Fish Sandwich”, and I’m not sure what I ate. Never had I experienced a fish sandwich trying to impersonate a chicken sandwich or so I thought. It made me ponder how some people hide their true intentions, feelings and remorse. You go your whole life or career thinking you know someone, yet they deepest crevices of their psyche are buried within the mind. The mind protects them from the exposure of intentions and absolves them from the guilt of their transgressions while projecting happiness on a consistent basis.
I’ve met a myriad of hidden people or people hiding throughout my young life, and I never can seem to shake them. I can never see the repercussions of my poor assumption of human nature. My space—whether it’s mind or body or heart—gets opened to them, and their intentions never feel impure until it’s too late—until the damage is done. They’re never who they claim to be. Through endless amounts of compartmentalizing and gaslighting, they exploit themselves inconsequentially avoiding the harshness of accountability. What is it that makes them operate this way? How they can maneuver through the intricacies of so many relationships with the tiresome task of concealment; the sheer mirage of infallibility they falsely grant themselves will never cease to amaze me. A fish continuing to hide in the murky waters until it is time to play chicken.
chicken fried fish sandwich
ingredients:
fish:
1lb. white fish (like halibut or cod), sliced into even chunks
Fresh OR Frozen (sorry, Mr. Ramsay!) is fine—just make sure the frozen fish has thoroughly unthawed. My sandwich assembled below was made with fresh halibut.
1-3T corn starch
3T kosher salt
wet batter:
2c flour
16oz. light cheap beer (like Budweiser)
1/4c club soda
1/4c hot sauce
2T paprika
2T ground white pepper
1T kosher salt
1T ground black pepper
1T garlic powder
optional: 2T msg
dry batter:
1c flour
tartar sauce:
1c mayo
1/4c sour cream
1/4c dill pickles, roughly chopped
2T fresh dill, finely chopped
1T fresh lemon juice
1T capers, chopped w/brine in bottle
2T worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste
optional: lightly coat with paprika
sandwich:
dill pickles, sliced length-wise
brioche buns, toasted
paprika, for garnish
Helpful items:
wire rack OR aluminum foil
plastic wrap
recipe (tartar sauce):
In a small bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, dill pickles, dill, capers and worcestershire sauce. Mix. Mix again. Add lemon juice. Mix. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and fridge until it’s time to assemble the sandwich.
recipe (fish fry):
Lightly salt and dust fish with corn starch. Sit on wire rack or crinkled aluminum foil. Allow fish to cool in fridge for 30-45 minutes.
This will allow the fish to properly dry. The drier the fish the better your batter will adhere to the surface of the flesh.
In a medium size pot, heat neutral oil to 350F. In two medium size bowls, separately mix the wet batter and dry batter. Once the fish has dried, dunk the filet into the dry batter ensuring it is evenly coated. Next, dunk the filet into the wet batter until the fish is fully coated—allow excess batter to pour back into bowl. Then slowly—pointing away from you—place fish into oil. Cook on both sides for 4-8 minutes OR until crust has signature golden brown look. Allow to cool on wire rack OR paper towel for 10-15 minutes.
For the wet batter, you will have to mix for a while to lose all the flour clumps. It should be thick, pancake mix texture when all ingredients are incorporated.
recipe (sandwich):
Place sliced pickles on bottom brioche bun. Lightly spread tartar sauce on the top brioche bun. Gently place fish on the bottom bun, sprinkle with paprika and crown with top bun. Enjoy!
