been doing thick fish fillets this way for years. works great.
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you'll need:
big thick fish fillets.
plain white flour or corn starch.
egg wash - beaten eggs with milk, water or beer = 3 parts egg 1 part liquid.
one bag of crushed cheetos.
3 empty pie pans. prefered.
large strainer.
deep fryer or cast iron fry pan and cooking oil.
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thick skinless boneless fillets from larger pike, bass, salmon, catfish, walleye etc. usually the size and thickness of a slice or bread or hamburger bun. no smaller than 1/2 that size if you wish. the key here is a thick fillet.
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remove the mudline (lateral red/brown line) from the middle of the outside of the fillet after skinning. this is what gives your fish an off flavor. don't use thin fillets like crappie, perch, bluegill or ''smalleyes'' the coating is too thick. (will post a good recepie for them next).
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wash the fish in cold water. soak overnight in salt water if you wish. the best ''shore lunch'' flavor will be fresh caught, cleaned and washed.
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dry fillets in a strainer. the fillets need to be only slightly damp. no dripping water.
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in the first pie pan, lightly dust with unseasoned, plain white flour or cornstarch. carefully shake off excess.
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in the second pie pan, dip in beaten egg mix. gently shake off the excess. the flour makes the egg stick.
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in the third pie pan, coat fillet with crushed cheetos. i use the cheap, soft, non-crunchy, no name brand, usually from wal-mart. i feel they have the best flavor for this recepie. run the cheetos thru the food processer or blender until fine, almost a dust - no chunks. pat, flip, add to the ''missed spots'' until you have a good even, single layer. too much egg will get the fillet too wet and you'll have too thick a coating.
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fry in a heavy cast iron fry pan or deep fry in 375-400 degree oil. i use peanut oil and deep fry. if using a cast iron pan, make sure there is at least enough oil to go 1/2 the way up the fillet, 2/3's of the way up is better. don't crowd the deep fryer or pan. if the oil cools to below 325 degrees, the cheetos will soak up the oil and will never ''crisp''. the coating will fall off and you'll have a disapointing mess.
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don't over cook your fish. the fillet will be moist and flake easily.
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remove and drain on a cookie sheet covered with old newspaper and a single layer of paper towel over the newspaper. when hot out of the oil, season only with a pinch of salt if desired. there's enough salt in the cheetos for us and we eat them ''plain''.
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a shake of hot sauce (chipotle) is good on this. if you have to have tarter sauce, make your own from salad dressing (mayo) and dill pickle relish (not sweet pickle relish). some people like cocktail sauce. it's up to you. never catsup.
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standard fare with this is fried potatoes with onions, baked beans and canned corn. equally good is homemade tater salad. they make killer sandwiches on a toasted bun or bread with only coleslaw on the sandwich too. we eat them cold the next day on a sandwich (if there's any leftover). did i mention never catsup?
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have tried ritz, club, and other kinds of crackers. bread crumbs, cornflakes, etc. cheetos are #1 here.
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this is also a killer way to do pork chops or chicken breast.
