Homemade Fish Sticks

Fish Sticks always remind me of my childhood. Crispy, crunchy, flavorful strips of fish that you can pick up and dip in tartar sauce are the best. As I got older and had a family of my own, I decided to make Homemade Fish Sticks. I usually make them with tilapia or catfish and my family adores them.

My mom would make us fish sticks and macaroni and cheese for lunch when I was a child. While she was a great cook, and made many things from scratch, she was also a working Mom. That means she took shortcuts in the kitchen, as many working mothers do. She bought frozen fish sticks instead of making her own. They were crispy and we gobbled them down.

As I got older and realized how simple they are to make, I decided to make my own Homemade Fish Sticks. So, these fish sticks are for you Mom…in honor of all the great meals you prepared for us when we were growing up! Kid-friendly and delicious, this has become one of my family’s favorite 30-minute meals.

What kind of fish should I use to make fish sticks?

I usually make them using catfish, walleye or cod, as these hold up well to frying, taste great and are readily available in most areas. Just remember to pick a meaty white fish when shopping at the seafood counter. Before frying, cut them into 1-inch by 4-inch strips. It is always good practice, to run your fingers along the fish to check for tiny bones that might have been missed when the fish was cleaned.

Homemade Fish Sticks

Makes 4 servings.

• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 large white fish fillets, about 2 pounds
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs with a splash of water, beaten well
• 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

How to make Homemade Fish Sticks?

• Cut your fish fillets into sticks. Each fillet should give you about 8 sticks. Each fish stick should be about the size of a finger, 3 inches long by 2/3 inch wide. Toward the tail of the fillet the sticks will be thinner. Sprinkle each fish stick with garlic salt and black pepper.

• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Beat the eggs and water in a shallow dish. Put the bread crumbs, cornmeal and paprika into another shallow dish and mix thoroughly. Dip each fish stick in egg and then coat with the bread crumb mixture. The cornmeal gives each fish stick a crunchy coating.

• Place your fish sticks gently into the hot oil, always facing them away from you so not to get splashed with oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown.

• Turn and cook another 3-4 minutes. When done, remove the fish sticks to a baking pan lined with parchment paper to drain. Fish sticks should be cooked through.
• Sprinkle with an additional pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Serve the fish sticks with your favorite vegetable and some amazing tartar sauce. I whipped together some mayonnaise, relish, a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley to make a quick tartar sauce. And don’t forget to squeeze some fresh lemon juice over each fish stick. Crunchy and delicious, you will want to make these again and again.

This recipe makes 24 fish sticks and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Enough for a hungry family of four! Who says HOMEMADE has to take a lot of time in the kitchen?