Inspired by smoked white fish on an everything bagel with the works, this meal comes together in less than 45 minutes, making it ideal for both weeknight cooking and easy entertaining. First, thin filets of white fish are breaded in an extra seedy mixture of panko, store-bought everything-bagel seasoning, and sesame seeds (the added seeds, usually already part of the mix, bulk up the breading and keep it from getting too salty). The breaded fish gets shallow-fried to deep golden, crunchy perfection. Serve them up with a lemony Greek yogurt (to mimic cream cheese) and a punchy, vibrant salad of all the things you’d want on your bagel: tomatoes, cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, dill, and capers.
One note: Jarred everything-bagel seasoning usually has a hearty dose of salt, which is why you won’t see it in the ingredient list for the fish dredge. If you are using a homemade version without salt, add 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt to the panko mixture. —Asha Loupy
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What you’ll need
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$17 At Amazon
Whisk
$12 $10 At Amazon
Large Skillet
$90 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt in a small bowl and finely grate in zest from 1 lemon. Season with kosher salt and mix well. Cut lemon in half; set aside. Chill lemony yogurt until ready to serve.
Step 2
Place ½ cup all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat 2 large eggs in another shallow bowl to blend. Mix 1¼ cups panko, ½ cup raw white sesame seeds, and ⅓ cup everything bagel seasoning in a third shallow bowl.
Step 3
Pat 4 thin Dover sole fillets (about 1½ lb.) dry and season with salt. Working one at a time, dredge fillets in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip back into bowl. Dredge in panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer fish to a baking sheet.
Step 4
Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet to come ¼" up sides and heat over medium-high. Working in batches, cook fish until golden brown and crisp, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack.
Step 5
Cut 1 English hothouse cucumber in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Combine cucumber, ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced, 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 Tbsp. chopped drained capers in a large bowl. Squeeze in juice from reserved lemon halves and season with salt; toss to combine. Add ½ cup coarsely chopped dill; gently toss again. Taste and season salad with more salt if needed.
Step 6
Spread some lemony yogurt on one side of each plate. Place fish alongside and top with salad; season with freshly ground black pepper.
