Fish and Chips with Cod is a recipe to share because it’s easy, filling for a family, and made healthy light when baked (and not fried)… and that’s a tasty way to make healthy food count and enjoy the calories.
This one is accompanied with no-fried waffle chips with a salty and tangy sour dip that has balanced tasty notes (…what’s not to love?). The recipe is below. 🧡
My inspiration for making fish and chips takes me back to travel and one special place memory of my time in U.K. 🇬🇧 hoppin’ in and out of London Cabs after dramatically being re-routed from visiting the Mediterranean south.
I didn’t mind as I had worked in food party planning for Mediterranean (Lebanese, Spanish, and Italian) restaurants for years, so that felt a little like home.
And, re-route is part of adventure.
Oh and travel is always an adventure… and GOOD times…
…even if it’s serious business getting history (Stone Henge) downloads.
…And then getting my bearings back up to food familiarities like with these small BUT mighty food bites at Covent Garden near Westminster where I stayed…
…Even as big as London is, somehow I found the comfort food. What a memory! 💕
And one memory dish that U.K. is famous for and you don’t have to look long and hard for there is Fish and Chips.🐟 … it’s as common as U.S. served crab cakes, corn on the cob, and potato chips.
That’s a mouthful of “c’s” to say.
Saying Fish and Chips is much easier…
The common U.K. fishes sourced for the dish are salmon, cod, and haddock.
The healthiest fish are wild fish anywhere you source because the fish eat what they would in the wild… makes sense.
And cod is the best choice.
Why cod?
It’s easy to source and that means affordable groceries .
Most U.K. fish come from the shared seas in the North Atlantic and Norway I learned working with chefs and travel.
My last fishy travel tale was in the Bergen, Norway fish market as I’m going down memory lane 🐟
…And in the U.S., we have our own fish markets. it’s common that we source wild fish from the Northwest Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
But anywhere you are and anytime of the year, you can make your light (aka healthy) baked Fish and Chips.
This healthy baked fish dish is served with waffle potato fries that doesn’t compromise taste or healthy food notes… and is so simple to make.
Potato waffle fries are made with a little extra virgin oil love that’s healthy. You can use a waffle iron if you have one or you use a skillet on the stove and make potato hash or flat potato pancakes.
And if potatoes are not on your menu choice and you want a different style with the same basic ingredients in baked fish and chips, alternatively you can cook your fish with boiled potatoes.
But if you just want to stick with the traditional fish and chips fare made in a healthy cooking way, enjoy this recipe with no guilt.
You can even pair with a healthy cottage cheese dip as the tartar sauce.
Healthy Baked Fish and Waffle Chips
Equipment
- waffle iron
Ingredients
- 6 oz white fish such as cod, whiting, or flounder
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1-2 white or all-purpose potatoes
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese for tartar sauce
- 1-2 pickles or gherkins
Instructions
- Brush fish with olive oil to keep from drying. Add to oven at 325℉/165°C until fully baked.
- For bread crumb topping, toast panko crumbs in a separate pan from fish. Set bread crumbs on the top oven shelf so they don't burn. They will toast brown in about 5 minutes or less on the top shelf.
- Cook/soften your potatoes until they are mashable. Scoop out small balls about the same size and flatten. You can make the "chips" in a waffle iron or on a sautee pan with olive oil.
- For the tartar sauce, mince the pickles and add to a blender with cottage cheese. Add a tiny bit of pickle juice for stronger flavor. You can do this in a Magic Bullet or similar easy blender.