Fried Pan Trout
Back when I was in high school we hung out at Estella’s Tavern on Moonbeam Street. It had Formica tables, walls covered halfway with variegated shag carpet and then mirrored the rest of the way up, low lighting, and a hell of a jukebox that had the Nat King Cole song “Sweet Lorraine” on it. I remember some very-late-night meals of pan trout (which was most likely whiting) doused with hot sauce, fried, crisp, and served on slices of white bread—completed, of course, by cold beer in a can. Man, oh man, were those delicious! Pan trout are what we call just about any fish small enough to fit in a little skillet. Giving the fish fillets a coating of white bread crumbs and a good shot of hot sauce whisks me back in time and has me humming “Sweet Lorraine.”
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sprinkle the fish with the hot sauce.
Step 2
Set up three shallow dishes—one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the bread crumbs. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Dredge each fish fillet in flour, then egg, and finally pat in bread crumbs.
Step 3
Heat the lard in a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Working in batches so the pan is not overcrowded, cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side or until the crust is deep brown. Set them to drain briefly on paper towels and serve piping hot.
