Oven fish and chips with lemony tartar sauce
Crunchy golden cod and crispy oven fries with a quick lemony tartar sauce, all the pub comfort with none of the frying.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $6.34 a serving
- 830 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 2 russet potatoes, cut into ½-inch sticks
- 2 cod fillets, about 6 oz each
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise, divided
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1¼ tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
Each serving has about 830 calories, 38 g protein, 59 g carbs and 50 g fat, and costs about $6.34 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No russet potatoes? Yukon gold potatoes work.
- No cod fillets? Tilapia fillets work.
- No panko breadcrumbs? Plain breadcrumbs work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 450°F. Cut the potatoes into sticks about ½ inch thick.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the potatoes on a with 2 tablespoons of oil and ½ teaspoon of salt, spread them in one layer, and for 20 minutes.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 20 min
Dolly’s tip: Give the fries room. Crowded ones steam and go soft instead of crisp.the panko with the last tablespoon of oil, the paprika and of salt in a shallow bowl.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
the cod dry, with salt and pepper, then brush the tops and sides with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise mixed with the mustard.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
Dolly’s tip: The mayo is the glue. It holds the crumbs on and keeps the fish moist, and you won’t taste it.Press the cod, mayo side down, into the panko, then pile more crumbs on top and press so they stick.
Take the pan out, flip the fries with a spatula and push them to the sides. Lay the cod in the middle and for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crumbs are and the fish flakes easily.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 14 min
Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
the rest of the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, capers and dill while the fish . That’s your tartar sauce.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Serve the fish and chips with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
