Is it really summer without fried seafood? Not really, if you ask me, and by my own metric, I haven’t really summered yet. I don’t think I’ve had a single fried oyster or clam strip all season long — not the worst problem to have, although it’s enough to have me pining for Maine while settling for a lobster dinner in Red Hook. It might be a nice place to rent a warehouse, but waterfront property does not the Gowanus Canal make.
Not to complain; normally I would simply fry my own fish, maritime views be damned. But the real taste of a Northeastern summer is beer batter, and I haven’t yet mastered that one. Instead, after procuring a large piece of cod this weekend, I opted to look towards Italy, that other vacation spot known for fried foods.
One of the most famous Italian methods of frying — perhaps not as ubiquitous as calamari, but an undeniable classic — is the Milanese, a Northern speciality featuring veal or chicken. I do it quite frequently with chicken and had been itching to try it on a nice filet of fish; I’m happy to report that it succeeded, rendered just as crispy as any cutlet. And yes, it is basically just a large, flat fish stick, but that’s where the fancy name comes in.
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