Nashville Fried Fish Sandwich

Adding some spice to the classic fish sandwich and transforming it into a Nashville fried fish sandwich! The spicy kick pairs perfectly with the tart cabbage slaw, homemade tartar sauce, and buttery brioche buns.

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Recipe

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Nashville Fried Fish Sandwich

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sandwich

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Tartar sauce

• ½ cup mayo
• ½ cup finely chopped dill pickles
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Vinegary cabbage

• 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
• ½ cup white distilled vinegar
• ½ cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

Nashville fried fish

• 4 cod fillets
• ½ cup rice flour divided
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold beer such as lagers or ipa
• oil for frying
• ½ cup butter melted
• 1-2 tablespoons cayenne
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 brioche buns

Instructions

• Prepare the tartar sauce. Combine the mayonnaise with dill pickles, dill, lemon juice, and sugar. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Make the vinegary cabbage. Combine the vinegar with boiling water, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Pour the liquid over the cabbage and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees F.
• Pat dry the cod fillets and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place ¼ cup rice flour in a bowl and dredge cod in flour, shaking off excess.
• Make beer batter. Combine all-purpose flour, remaining ¼ cup rice flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add beer, whisking just until combined. It's okay if there are some lumps in the batter.
• Dunk the fish in the batter, letting the excess drip off. Carefully drop fish into frying oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove fish with a slotted spoon and place on wire rack.
• Combine the melted butter with 1-2 tablespoon cayenne (depending on how spicy you want your sandwich), brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Generously drizzle the chili butter over the fish.
• Assemble the sandwiches. Spread the tartar sauce on the bottom bun, top it with a fish filet, vinegary cabbage, and the remaining bun. Serve immediately.

Notes

The vinegary cabbage and tartar sauce can be prepared the day night. If preparing the cabbage the day before, drain the liquid after 30 minutes.

Pale ale, lagers, and IPA beers work best for the beer batter. Avoid using dark, heavily flavored beers such as stouts which will affect the flavor of the batter.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make condiments

This Nashville fried fish sandwich wouldn't be complete without the toppings. As delicious as the fish is, you need to balance the spicy sauce with a tangy element and a fresh component.

Over the years of cooking as a professional chef, I learned how important it is to maintain a balance of those flavors. Without the creamy tartar sauce and tangy cabbage slaw, the sandwich would feel incomplete.

To make the tartar sauce, all you have to do is mix everything. It's best to let the sauce sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. You can make the sauce the night before if you prefer.

For the cabbage, first, thinly slice the vegetable. I like to use my handy mandoline to get consistent cuts.

Then, combine the boiling water with vinegar, salt, sugar, and mustard seeds, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare fish

Whenever I fry fish, I usually use a standard beer batter. I wanted to incorporate the same batter for this recipe, but added an extra step of coating the fish in rice flour to ensure it stays extra crispy.

After much trial and error, I discovered that when frying a "wet" ingredient such as fish, you need to take an extra step of incorporating rice flour to yield a crispy batter.

The rice flour helps soak up any moisture on the fish so that the batter won't be soggy.

Step 3: Fry

Now it's time to make the beer batter. I personally prefer IPAs, light ales, or lagers so that the beer flavor isn't overpowering. You can also swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version.

To make the batter, simply whisk the ingredients just until combined. It's fine if there are some lumps. In fact, it's better to have a few lumps and avoid over-mixing.

Make sure to mix the batter before using it because it will thicken as it sits and the gluten begins to form. It's also important to use cold beer. This will help ensure a crispy batter.

Dip the fish in the batter, letting the excess drop off, then carefully drop the fish in the preheated frying oil. If you're frying the fish in batches, keep the batter in the fridge to make sure it stays chilled.

Continue to cook the fish for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Then, remove the fish with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil on a wire rack.

Step 4: Assemble sandwiches

While the fish is resting, throw together the seasoned butter by combining melted warm butter with the spices. Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper according to your preference.

Brush that heavenly butter on the fish, giving a generous slab of all the spices.

Assemble the sandwiches, topping buttery brioche buns with tartar sauce, fried fish, and vinegary cabbage. If you're feeling extra dangerous, drizzle a little extra butter on top.

In my head, I thought this Nashville fried fish sandwich was going to be a pretty good sandwich. In reality, it was amazing. It's got the best of both worlds, both the classic fish sandwich and the Nashville sandwich combined into one. And it's glorious.

For another Nashville-spiced recipe, check out these Nashville sweet potato balls and Szechuan Nashville fried chicken!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: If you are preparing a large quantity, you can fry the fish at 350 degrees F for about 2 minutes, then re-fry them a second time at 400 degrees F for another 2 minutes or until golden brown.
• Store: Store any leftover fish, coleslaw, and buns separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, reheat the fish and assemble the sandwich.

More seafood sandwich recipes

Looking for more seafood sandwich ideas? Try these: