Fish Sticks

[FoodMuse]

I used to love fish sticks as a kid.

So are we battering and frying or dredging in egg and panko and baking?

Dipping sauces? I'm more a purist and like mayo mixed with some good chopped dill pickle.

Types of fish?

Edited to add:

I'm actually considering mincing it.

[Chris Hennes]

I've done them using a sort of tempura batter: never actually tried to bread them, even though almost all the store-bought ones are. Mine tend to be more like "fish nuggets" than "fish sticks", too.

[Dave the Cook]

I loved them as a kid; I love them still. These days I batter, usually with the Blumenthal-based recipe revised by McGee. I trade the vodka for gin or some other spirit, and carbonated water for the beer (I really don't get the beer-fish batter thing), but the principle of the formula remains intact, and makes a great crunchy batter that even withstands refrigeration and reheating.

[Deus Mortus]

Generally speaking I just grab leftovers from any white fish I might have, mince them and quickly bread them with panko. I use a simple tartar sauce with it.

I know fishsticks can be made very luxurious, but I prefer them as the leftover sponge they are, usually I'll also spike them with some aromatics (capers are a favourite) mostly just what I have laying around.

[SylviaLovegren]

Generally speaking I just grab leftovers from any white fish I might have, mince them and quickly bread them with panko. I use a simple tartar sauce with it.

I know fishsticks can be made very luxurious, but I prefer them as the leftover sponge they are, usually I'll also spike them with some aromatics (capers are a favourite) mostly just what I have laying around.

With the seasonings that sounds more like a fish cake than what I think of as a "fish stick" (silly name, isn't it?). Fish sticks, to me, are pieces of fish with a crispy breaded coating, like mini fish'n'chips without the chips.

My mom used to prepare frozen boughten ones and I remembered them as being delicious, crispy and good. So I recently bought some frozen major brand ones (Gorton's, I think), followed the directions and ended up with dreadful fish sticks -- soggy and whiffy. Ugh.

[Deus Mortus]

Generally speaking I just grab leftovers from any white fish I might have, mince them and quickly bread them with panko. I use a simple tartar sauce with it.

I know fishsticks can be made very luxurious, but I prefer them as the leftover sponge they are, usually I'll also spike them with some aromatics (capers are a favourite) mostly just what I have laying around.

With the seasonings that sounds more like a fish cake than what I think of as a "fish stick" (silly name, isn't it?). Fish sticks, to me, are pieces of fish with a crispy breaded coating, like mini fish'n'chips without the chips.

My mom used to prepare frozen boughten ones and I remembered them as being delicious, crispy and good. So I recently bought some frozen major brand ones (Gorton's, I think), followed the directions and ended up with dreadful fish sticks -- soggy and whiffy. Ugh.

Seems different country's have different fish sticks, I remember mine as coming out of a frozen box from Captain Iglo. I recently had them again and they were bloody awful.

Fish sticks as you describe them are generally sold here as well - fish, fish sticks being the chicken nugget of the sea.

[Peter the eater]

Great topic. I'm afraid to make fish sticks because cakes are so much easier than logs. Maybe I just haven't tried hard enough.

With the seasonings that sounds more like a fish cake than what I think of as a "fish stick" (silly name, isn't it?). Fish sticks, to me, are pieces of fish with a crispy breaded coating, like mini fish'n'chips without the chips.

FoodMuse, what's your definition?

[budrichard]

I make them all the time but because I don't mash up the fish, the shapes may not always be the traditional 'stick'.

I use only cod sourced from a reliable fish monger that uses no preservatives and only sells fresh, never frozen. Cod when filleted properly has a unique two pronged appearance, simply purchase a whole filleted cod and cut to your requirements.

I use 'Honey Panko' flakes only because the honey allows a very nice brown color and adds to the taste. Seasoning is up to you but for starts it white pepper and salt. Use the flour egg wash method and fry in peanut oil.

You can make your own tartar sauce from what ever type of Mayo you choose from Non-fat to 'Kewpie' (my favorite!). Add chopped sweet, dilled or even capers and your ready to go.

Hake has been showing up at my fish monger lately and besides chowder I may try to form sticks from it.

60 years ago Gorton's fish sticks were manufactured in Gloucester, Mass from cod and haddock. Those days are long gone!-Dick

[annachan]

I tried Giada De Laurentiis' Parmesan Fish Sticks once and they turned out better than expected, quite tasty in fact. I like that it's not fried but was still crispy.

[Country]

60 years ago Gorton's fish sticks were manufactured in Gloucester, Mass from cod and haddock. Those days are long gone!-Dick

Gorton's is still in Gloucester - though they're now owned by a conglomerate in Japan. Last year I was in Rockport (next town to Gloucester) repairing the winch on a fish dragger and, when we went to Gloucester to get some parts for the winch, we went by Gorton's. The owner of the boat I was working on said they still make fish sticks there, but now they're using pollock from Alaska instead of cod and haddock. East coast fish depletion.

Earlier in the thread Sylvia wrote, "My mom used to prepare frozen boughten ones and I remembered them as being delicious, crispy and good. So I recently bought some frozen major brand ones (Gorton's, I think), followed the directions and ended up with dreadful fish sticks -- soggy and whiffy. Ugh."

That's my experience too. Back in the 50's my mother bought fish sticks (probably Gorton's) and they were so much better than now. Delicious and crispy. My mate, Beedy, thinks the difference between then and now is because now the fish used in the fish sticks has been frozen. That could be true. I doubt fresh pollock is air freighted from Alaska to Gloucester.

[budrichard]

As a child I vividly remember the conveyor belts off-loading fresh cod and haddock at Gorton's and other processors in New England. The process fascinated me and of course on Friday it was Gorton's fish sticks which were a palatable product back then. I do know they use Pollack now and I wonder what else but haven't had a Gorton's fish stick in decades! Even the quality of the surimi has declined compared to 15 or 20 years go. McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is of course Pollack also and has also declined over the years in quality. So I make my own Filet-O-Fish!

I suspect there is more than just Pollack in many of these products.-Dick