Fish and Chips, the Maryland Way :)

All you frying naysayers out there, avert your eyes! But, to all you people who can appreciate a little fried food, I have yet to find better fried fish than this :)

These recipes are both extremely simple! A little effort for big taste :) The fish is actually a recipe my mother got from my grandfather that I in turn got from her. This is Seth's favorite way to cook tilapia, and every other recipe I have tried paled in comparison for him. Now, if this was real Maryland fish and chips, the "chips" would probably be Thrashers boardwalk fries or something like that. However, the potatoes were a random try from a recipe I found on Pinterest, and they include salt and vinegar just like true boardwalk fries should! They ended up being really good!

Old Bay Tilapia

1/3 C cornmeal

4 tsp Old Bay (wouldn't be Maryland fried fish without it)

3/4 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp garlic salt

4 fish fillets (we normally use tilapia, but I think it should work with most light fish)

1 egg, beaten 

oil for frying

Mix together first four ingredients. You will be dredging the fish through this mix so we usually put it on a plate.

Dip each tilapia fillet in the beaten egg, then cover it with the cornmeal mix. Place the fish in a HOT skillet with HOT oil. There should be enough oil to cover the fish halfway up.

Fry fish until the bottom is a nice golden color and the shell is hard when you poke it. Flip. Cook the other side. Done :) See?! Told you it was simple :)

Smashed Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

2 small red potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

rosemary

cider vinegar

I know! I know! Those ingredients are really vague, but it's entirely up to your preference.

Place potatoes in a pot of water and boil until potatoes can be easily skewered with a fork.

Take the potatoes out of the pot and place them on a well oiled pan. We actually used our pizza stone because I thought it might give it a nice crisp, but I suppose a regular cookie sheet would work as well :)

Using whatever you have available (we used a spatula), smash down the potatoes as mush as possible. Brush the top of the smashed potatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Put them in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

Once the potatoes come out of the oven, brush the tops with the vinegar and serve!

On another note, I finished another item on my to-do list! Organize my closet :) And isn't it just the prettiest closet you've ever seen? It makes me happy!

Hopefully doors will be added soon ;)