Name: Fried Fish with Pickled Jalapeño Mayonnaise
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño chiles; 6 tablespoons chopped scallions; 2 teaspoons lime juice; 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs; 2 large egg whites; 4 skinless trout, catfish, or flounder fillets (5 to 7 ounces each); 5 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 2 pieces; Lime wedges for serving

Why This Recipe Works

More often than not, fried fish fillets are disappointingly soggy and flavorless. Our ideal Fried Fish with Pickled Jalapeño Mayonnaise recipe makes crisp, greaseless, flavorful fried fillets and a punchy sauce to match—no jarred tartar sauce here. Breadcrumbs, not flour, fried up to the crispest coating, and egg whites alone made for a crisper coating than whole eggs. To minimize the amount of oil necessary for frying, we used a nonstick skillet. For the best flavor and color, we fried the fillets in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Our Pickled Jalapeño Mayonnaise recipe blended chopped, pickled jalapeños with scallions and lime juice for a new, faster twist on tartar sauce.

Before You Begin

A nonstick skillet makes it possible to pan-fry fish in a thin film of oil supplemented with butter to improve browning of the crust. Look for cans of pickled jalapeños in the aisle with Mexican ingredients at your supermarket.

Instructions

Combine mayonnaise, pickled jalapeños, 2 tablespoons scallions, and lime juice in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set heatproof serving platter on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.

Combine bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and remaining 1/4 cup scallions in shallow bowl. Whisk egg whites in another bowl until slightly foamy. Season fish with salt and pepper. One at a time, dip fillets first in egg whites and then in bread crumb mixture, pressing down to adhere coating. Set breaded fillets aside in single layer on large plate.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil and 1 piece butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When butter stops foaming, place 2 fillets in skillet and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on second side until thickest part of fillet easily separates into flakes when pierced with paring knife, about 2 minutes. Transfer fillets to heated platter. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining oil, butter, and fish. Serve immediately with mayonnaise and lime wedges.