Potato-Crusted Cod with Tartar Sauce

This is a definite “keepers” recipe for me.  I found the recipe in an October/November 2011 issue of Cook’s Country magazine that my mom picked up at the library.  It is probably one of my favorite things that I have made for this project.  Of course, in the process, I did make some changes to the recipe.  First of all, I used cod instead of halibut (which the recipe was originally written as), I used brown mustard instead of Dijon, I added a bit of salt to the fish before coating it, and didn’t use nearly as many crushed potato chips as the recipe originally said (it said two cups, but I don’t think we used as much fish as the recipe called for).  We also didn’t have some of the spices for the tartar sauce, so we used a pre-made one that we had.  Honestly, I think it tasted just as good or better without the tartar sauce though!  One thing that I learned for future times of making the recipe it to not coat all the sides of the fish in the sauce and chips, because then it stuck to the foil.  I missed reading that part of the directions.  Still, the fish tasted delightful in the end, even though it was mostly cold by the time I ate it after taking pictures.  For those who don’t like spicy, I would add less of the cayenne pepper.  I don’t mind a bit of spice, and I thought it was just right, but my mom said it was a bit too much.  I’m not sure what the tartar sauce in the recipe tasted like since I didn’t have the ingredients to make it.  If you are interested in the tartar sauce recipe you can access it here with a free trial of if you already have a Cook's Country membership (or like me, see if your library has the magazine).  It took me about an hour to make the fish and bake them, but I was fairly meticulous in coating the fish (and I used a lot smaller pieces than called for in the recipe), so I’m sure it would take quite a bit less time for a more experienced cooker.

Potato-Crusted Cod with Tartar Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes        Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients: ¼ cup mayonnaise; 1 tbsp. lemon juice; 2 tsp. Dijon mustard; 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper; pepper; salt; 4 (6-oz) skinless cod fillets (or other firm white fish such as halibut, haddock, or mahi-mahi), 1 inch thick; 1 cup potato chips, crushed; tartar sauce (optional—see recipe for directions if wanted)

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 450°F.  Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and cayenne pepper in a bowl.  Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with pepper and salt.  Brush tops and sides of fish with above mixture and coat with crushed potato chips.  Place fish on foil-lined baking sheet and bake until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a knife, about 12-15 minutes (fish should be 140°F).  Serve with tartar sauce if desired.

For tartar sauce, mix ¾ cup mayonnaise, 3 tbsp. finely chopped pickles, 1 tsp. pickle juice, 1 small shallot—minced, 1 tbsp. of rinsed and chopped capers, ¼ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. of pepper.