ZESTY OVEN FRIED SWAI FISH

Two days ago I was looking for an inexpensive cut of fish (I know, that's an oxymoron!) and saw something called Swai for #3.99/lb.  The butcher said it is a mild white fish from Vietnam, similar to catfish or tilapia. So I decided to try it out and bought a pound.  Since my son doesn't care for fried fish (which would have been MY first choice!), I decided to "oven fry' it. It is definitely a mild fish yet has a nice flavor and it held up well when cooked.  

I used a fairly basic profile of ingredients but I did do one thing which I think is original. I grated lemon zest into the egg that I dipped the fish in. This gave a nicely distributed hint of lemon.  The recipe follows, sorry I forgot to take pictures until it was all gone!

ZESTY OVEN FRIED SWAI

Ingredients:

1 lb. swai fillets

1 large egg

2 Tbs water

Fresh lemon zest, about 1-2 tsp, don't pack

1 cup Panko

1 tsp dried chives

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dill

1/4 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I did 20 1/2-twists, but I like pepper!)

Non-stick oil spray

Lemon wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray it well with non-stick spray.  In a cereal-sized bowl whisk the egg, water, and lemon, set aside.  In a flat-bottomed dish mix the Panko and seasonings.  One fillet at a time, dip the fish completely in the egg mixture, then dip it in the Panko mixture, coating it thoroughly (there is enough to give 4 fillets a nice coating).  Place the fillets on the foil, leaving space between them.  Bake for 15 minutes, turning them over after about 9 minutes.  When you turn the fillets over, give them a light spray of the non-stick oil spray.  When they are done, the meat should flake with a fork.  Serve with lemon wedges to drizzle over fillets.

Serving suggestion:  

Serve with rice, a green vegetable (i.e., broccoli or green beans), and slices of fresh mango or peach.