Crispy Oven-Fried Parmesan Fish Sticks

Giada DeLaurentiis, Food Network host, is a delightful inspiration. I appreciate her fresh approach to food.

I rarely have been disappointed with any of her recipes and this one is no exception. The recipe calls for salmon which is what I have always used whenever making this, but any firm fresh fish would do. I think this method would work very well for baking shrimp as well, as long as you don't over cook them (just as with the fish).

Fish is one of my favorites, grilled, baked, poached, sauteed, I must say this is fast becoming one of my preferred ways of preparing it.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

Fish (in this case salmon), grated Parmesan Cheese, fine dry seasoned bread crumbs, flour, egg whites, salt and freshly ground pepper, and oil; either olive oil or canola.

These ingredients are the secret to the flavorful, crispy coating: flour, egg whites, and seasoned dry bread crumbs mixed with an equal amount of grated Parmesan cheese.



Rinse, then pat the salmon fillet(s) and cut them into approximately 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch strips about 4-inches in length (or so). Dip them to cover on all sides completely in the coating ingredients in this order: flour, egg whites, finally the Parmesan/Bread crumb mixture.

Ready for the oven.

Place them on a generously oiled baking pan and drizzle with a little additional oil.

Then bake, turning once half-way through baking time. Be careful not to over cook.

Then just plate up and be prepared for some delicious eating!

Giada's suggested dipping sauce. Don't miss making this~

This one is excellent ~ I always use Best Foods/Hellmann's mayonnaise, and non-fat plain yogurt, but you can substitute low-fat mayonnaise if you prefer. I'm very fond of the traditional (non-sweet) tartar sauce, but this one is much simpler to stir together and ranks right up there among my favorites. Kudos to Giada for another winner!


Here are the recipes, with proportions:

Parmesan Fish Sticks
Recipe inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis

Fish sticks
1 (18-ounce) center-cut salmon fillet, about 9 by 4 inches, skinned
(I've used frozen salmon filets, thawed, they are perfectly acceptable in this recipe. The individually packed Atlantic filets from Costco in the big bag work very well when prepared this way.)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 egg whites
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Olive oil, for drizzling

Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or chives

For the Fish Sticks:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Rinse the salmon fillet and pat dry with paper towels.
Cut the fish in half to make 2 fillets each about 4 by 4 1/2-inches in size.
Starting on the longest edge, slice the fillets into 1/2-inch pieces.
Lay the widest pieces, from the center, cut side down, and slice in half lengthways so all the pieces are equally about 1/2 by 1/2 by 4 1/2-inches in size.

My notes: The idea here is to cut the fish into as uniform pieces as possible; exact size of the "sticks" is not important, just try to keep them about the same size so they will bake evenly. If your "sticks" are larger, just adjust the baking time.

Place the flour in a medium bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in another bowl and beat until frothy, about 30 seconds.
Combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a third bowl.
Coat the salmon pieces in the seasoned flour and pat to remove any excess flour.
Dip the floured salmon in the egg whites and then into the Parmesan mixture, gently pressing the mixture into the fish.
Place the breaded salmon pieces on a liberally oiled baking sheet.
Drizzle lightly with the olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

For the Dipping Sauce:
Mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and parsley (or chives, if using) in a small dipping bowl. Arrange the fish sticks on a serving platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

Additional Notes: The fish sticks can also be dipped in ketchup, marinara sauce, pesto, ranch dressing or vinaigrette.