Friday Fish Fry (on Monday)

Monday was a very frustrating day! Work was hectic, so I was glad when 5:00 PM rolled around. Then I stopped at Meijer's to pick up a few things. I shopped for less than 10 minutes and stood in line for almost 30 minutes. I got behind some newly-arrived immigrants who apparently did not understand how the WIC payments work, so they would ask questions in bad English after each item in their two carts was swiped. Geesh!

Needless to say, I was a bit annoyed when I finally got home! But, I changed my clothes, took a few deep breaths and started dinner. As you probably remember, I have 8 thawed tilapia filets from the Sunday Dinner That Never Was. So, I started by using the mandoline to cut three nice russet potatoes into French fries. Then I heated up the oil in the deep fryer to 320 degrees (F) and cooked small batches for 10 minutes each. I dumped them on a rack sitting on paper towel in a cookie sheet and let them cool.

I made a beer batter for the fish and put it in the fridge to rest for 15 minutes. I turned the oil up to 375 degrees to finish off he fries (you fry them low and slow to cook the insides, then higher and faster to crisp the outsides, you see). Okay, so now I'm getting ticked again! My fryer is not bubbling when I throw the fries in (as it should) even though it says its 375 degrees! I get out my probe thermometer and it says the oil is really only 197 degrees!!! At this point, Jake and Carla come to my rescue. Jake turns it off then back on (typical IT mentality - reboot!) and then, when its working again, Carla starts to fry them.

So, I cut the fish in half length-wise. When she's done with the fries and they are in the oven on "warm," I dredge the fish in cornstarch, dip them in the beer batter and Carla fries them (two at a time) in 320 degree oil until they are golden brown. I make up a sauce for the fish using sour cream, horseradish, mayonnaise, fresh chives and salt and pepper. We all taste it and say what we think it needs (Jake first wants more salt, then pepper, and Carla wants to add some hot sauce). At last, the sauce is perfect!

Finally we sit down to eat. Despite all the challenges, not bad, not bad at all!

Since it's after 9:00 PM now, we decide to clean up in the morning and go our separate ways to watch TV. I made it for about 1/2 hour before falling asleep!