Fried Fish & Deep Sea Fishing

Cooking Your Catch Series: Fried Fish

Deep fried fish and Orlando Deep Sea Fishing go together like hot dogs and baseball.  Both cooking and fishing traditions are older than America, but the methods and ingredients have changed little over time.  Captain Gina considers her breadcrumb crust a “Canaveral Seafood Recipe,” as our family shared for years.  The late June Tubb (Richard’s Mother) introduced Vigo Italian breadcrumbs to the family recipe in the 1960’s.

June’s parents, Ruby and Grover deep fried fish with cornbread and collard green sides.  Grover did all the frying while standing vigilant over the oil under the old royal Poinsettia tree in their front yard, minding their small tribe of barefoot children.  Oakland, Florida is a short distance from Orlando and fewer than two hours from the coastline today, but in the 1930’s and 40’s the automobile and unpaved roads made for a journey.   The Tubbs regularly enjoyed Lakeside fishing around Lake Apopka and the adjacent towns.

June married Richard Bradley and moved to the coast where they had children, one of which became a charter fishing Captain out of Port Canaveral.  They all enjoyed fishing the local lagoons and deep sea fishing afforded to be so close to the coastline.

There are only three main ingredients, not including the frying pan and oil.  I typically use a little leftover and strained peanut oil from our Thanksgiving turkey and discard after each fish fry.  Please watch your oil temperature and be careful when cooking indoors.

Frying fish is not the healthiest Canaveral Seafood recipe, but it’s a sure way to get almost anyone’s tastebuds favorably matched to good fish and other shellfish.  We use this recipe with shrimp, scallops, and even deep fry softshell crabs.

• All-Purpose Flour
• Egg
• Vigo Italian Bread Crumbs (our favorite brand)

Flour each piece of fish and then dunk in egg and roll in breadcrumbs.  Fry till golden brown.

You might consider a Summer Passion of Nearshore Fishing with Captain Richard so you can enjoy a fried fish dinner at home too.