Pan Fried Cod

My husband decided to take charge of cooking last night. Sometimes it's a good thing, other times he scares me. Don't get me wrong - he can cook good things, but he wants to cook at my level and gets so frustrated if his timing is off because I generally have that down pat and he wants obviously for the food to come out perfect. While he's cooking I am generally on my computer and I can tell whether things are going well or not by the lack of cuss words or the profanity coming from the kitchen.

Well, he did a fine job with the cod.  Except he struggled turning it over and blamed it on the fact that this particular fish is to delicate to pan fry. I happen to like it this way as well as any other way I've made the fillet or the loin of the cod. Adding the panko to the flour gave it a nice crunchy texture. You can season the coating with more than just salt and pepper - hey it's only cooking. Add a touch of Old Bay Seasoning or a little paprika - play chef in your own kitchen.

The recipe is done with few ingredients and a good end result.

• 1 lb. cod fillet - cut down into sections
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• oil for frying (you won't need much)
• 1 tbsp. butter

1. Wash the fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and black pepper to you taste.
2. In one bowl whisk together the eggs and water until well incorporated.
3. In another bowl add the panko bread crumbs, breaking them down a bit with your hands. Add the flour to the bowl and mix well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Dip the fish fillet in the egg, drain off a bit and then place them in the dry mix and coat both sides.
5. In a deep skillet or fry pan over medium heat add in about 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 tbsp. of butter.
6. Let the pan heat up well and add in the fillets. Adjust the heat down to medium low so you don't burn the fish but do cook all the way through. The thickest fillet we had was about 3/8". Those took the longest to cook. Approximately 4 minutes per side. The others took about 2-3 minutes per side.

We served ours with lemon and tartar sauce. For our vegetable we had broccoli with a cheese sauce and used up some left over au gratin potatoes. This would be grand with some kind of french fry or a baked potato to keep it a simple and easy dish.

There was enough to feed 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 small children. For the fish alone the dish cost us $7.55 total. This cost is based on paying $5.99 for fresh cod. Previously frozen would have been $4.99 at our store. So at $7.55, feeding 3 adult appetites: $2.51 per person. A family of four - $1.88 per person.