Feeds 4
First invented in the twentieth century in Great Britain, where they are called the much more interesting fish fingers, fish sticks have been a favorite kid snack for decades. We make our own panko-like crumbs with stale tortilla chips. Believe us. It works. Anytime you have a leftover bag of tortilla chips that are going a little stale? Pulse up those chips and keep them in a jar. They’ll keep as crumbs for quite a long time, so you can make these or anything you want to give a crisp crust.
Pulse the chips. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the tortilla chips until they become fine crumbs, about 5 minutes. Pour them into a wide bowl, and then put the flour blend into another wide bowl. Beat the eggs in another wide bowl and set all the bowls next to each other: flour, then eggs, then chips.
Prepare the fish. Cut the fish into strips about 1 inch thick and 3 inches long. Make sure the fish pieces are about the same size to ensure that each one is cooked evenly. Season the fish with salt and pepper.
Dredge the fish. Coat each fish stick on both sides in the flour, then the eggs, then the tortilla chip crumbs. Put the coated fish sticks on a wire rack and let them rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Cook the fish. Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Pour in oil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Heat the oil until it hits 350°F on an instant-read thermometer. Carefully add 5 or 6 fish sticks to the hot oil. (You’ll probably have to cook these in batches.) The oil will sizzle and bubble immediately. That’s how you’ll know the oil is hot enough, besides the thermometer. Cook until the coating on the fish is golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the fish sticks from the oil and put them on a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Repeat with the remaining fish sticks. Serve immediately.