Ballpark Boom Crispy Fish Sandwiches

Crispy fish starts with a dry fillet and oil that gets back to temperature between batches. Coat the fish in seasoned flour, egg, and panko, then give every piece enough room to fry instead of steam. TGCS Co Ballpark Boom turns into the sandwich sauce with pickles, lemon, and just enough mayonnaise to soften the mustard bite without losing it. Stack the fish on a soft, low-profile potato roll with cold shredded iceberg, dill pickles, and enough sauce to barely run over the edge. The batch makes 4 sandwiches, so eat them while the crust still crackles.

What you need

Food (sandwich sauce):

1/3 cup TGCS Co Ballpark Boom

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Food (fish and assembly):

600 g skinless haddock or cod fillets, cut into 4 bun-sized pieces (pieces about 2 cm thick cook most evenly)

3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs (use gluten-free flour, panko, and buns if that matters at your table)

Neutral oil, for shallow frying

4 soft, low-profile potato rolls, split

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 packed cups very finely shredded iceberg lettuce, washed and thoroughly dried

8 dill pickle slices

Equipment:

Three shallow bowls

Large heavy skillet

Instant-read thermometer

Wire rack set over a sheet pan

Tongs or a fish spatula

How to cook it

1. Stir the TGCS Co Ballpark Boom, mayonnaise, chopped pickles, lemon juice, and dill together. Set the sauce aside while you cook so the pickle and dill settle into the mustard.
2. Keep the shredded iceberg cold and dry while you cook. DO NOT DRESS THE LETTUCE. Its clean crunch is the contrast to the hot fish and rich sauce.
3. Pat the fish completely dry and season both sides with 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Put the flour in the first shallow bowl, beat the eggs in the second, and put the panko in the third with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt.
4. Coat each piece of fish in flour and shake off the excess. Dip it in egg, then press it firmly into the panko so every edge is covered. Let the coated fish sit on the wire rack for 5 minutes. That short rest helps the crust hold on when it hits the oil.
5. Pour 1 cm of oil into the skillet and heat it over medium-high to 350 F. DO NOT FRY UNTIL THE OIL IS READY. Cooler oil soaks into the crumbs before the crust can set.
6. Fry two pieces at a time for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the oil between 335 F and 355 F and pull the fish when the crust is deep gold and the centre reaches 145 F. (Very thin fillets may finish a minute sooner, so trust the colour and thermometer before the clock.)
7. Move the fish to the clean wire rack and season it lightly while hot. Let the oil return to 350 F before frying the second batch. Personally I would rather wait one minute for hot oil than spend dinner apologizing for pale fish.
8. Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a clean skillet or under the broiler until the edges turn gold.
9. Spoon the Ballpark Boom sauce onto both sides of each roll. Add the crispy fish, a loose handful of shredded iceberg, and two pickle slices. Finish with another small spoonful of sauce along one edge of the fish so it just begins to run, then close the sandwiches and serve right away.
10. ENJOY!