I have to be honest here… I’m really NOT a fan of seafood! We didn’t eat it very much growing up. In fact, it was never a main course for my family because Granny Darlin (my Momma) doesn’t eat anything that once lived in the water. So on day’s that my Dad would cook up some crab, shrimp, salmon or the like, we would always have an equally expensive steak as the non-fishy option. I was and always will be a steak girl! My Dad would always make sure I had a taste of whatever seafood he cooked, but I still preferred the steak. Every. Single. Time.
Now that I’m an adult and have kids of my own, I try to keep their pallets open to all types of flavors and I started this at a young age. Due to a shellfish allergy that developed in adulthood (yup, that’s me!!), shrimp, crab and lobster are off of our menu for good, but I do try to incorporate healthy wild and sustainably caught fish in our diet. If it was up to me and my taste buds, I would probably never cook seafood. I only do this for my kids. 😉
Where to get the fish?
We steer clear of farm raised fish since these fish are typically fed genetically modified corn/soy and given antibiotics to prevent their inevitable illnesses due to their dense population and poor food quality. Instead, we choose wild caught fish from the store or fish that we have personally caught! This past Fathers Day, my husband and I chartered a boat and went out for some walleye fishing with both of our Dads. Boy was that fun! It didn’t take us long to go through our share of the walleye! We may have to make that fishing trip an annual Fathers Day event! The following recipe is how I made all of the walleye we took home after this trip. It’s lightly coated with almond flour (grain free/low carb flour option) and pan fried. Everything tastes better fried, right? Don’t forget the tartar sauce!! I added my recipe for tartar sauce below this recipe. Enjoy!
For this recipe, you will need:
1 pound of ‘white’ fish like walleye/perch/whitefish (I used walleye), skins and bones removed
3 cups almond flour (organic can be found here or here, I’ve also used this kind found on Amazon or at Costco)
1 tablespoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
2 eggs
Cooking oil (I used homemade tallow, but lard, avocado oil or coconut oil would work fine too)
How to make the fish sticks
First, get yourself all set up:
- cut fish into strips
- scramble eggs in 1 bowl
- in a separate bowl, mix almond flour and seasonings
- heat oil of choice in a frying pan on the stove
- dip fish in egg and let any excess drip off
- then dip fish in almond flour mixture being sure to coat evenly
- lay fish in frying pan and cook on both sides for about 5 minutes each. More or less, depending on the thickness of the fish sticks.
Grain Free Fish Sticks
Whether trying to recreate a healthier version of a childhood classic, or looking for new ways to enjoy fish, these Grain Free Fish Sticks are sure to please! Don't forget the tarter sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fish, skin and bones removed (I used walleye, but perch or whitefish would work too)
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- cooking fat (tallow, lard, avocado oil or coconut oil
Instructions
-
cut fish into strips
-
scramble eggs in 1 bowl
-
mix almond flour and seasonings in a separate bowl
-
heat oil in a frying pan on the stove
-
dip fish in egg and let any excess drip off
-
then dip fish in almond flour mixture being sure to coat evenly
-
carefully lay fish in frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side
Recipe Notes
Tartar sauce goes great with these fish sticks! Check out the recipe below to see how I make it!
What goes better with fish sticks than tartar sauce?? Check out the recipe below for a tasty homemade version!
Tartar Sauce
If I'm cooking fish, I'm also making tartar sauce! They go hand-in-hand here 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonaisse
- 1/3 cup pickles, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
Instructions
-
Mix all ingredients together
Recipe Notes
Check out my post on homemade mayo.
Relish can be used instead of chopped pickles (same thing 😉 ) I just can't find organic dill relish in any of the stores! I'm still working on the perfect fermented pickles at home 😉
