Gluten-Free Pan Fried Cajun Cod Fish Recipe

A simple fish recipe perfect for summer or anytime of the year. Spicy, salty, tangy and yet delicate.

Our Gluten-free Pan Fried Cajun Cod Fish recipe is served over a tender and earthy bed of lovely Lundberg wild rice that was simmered with small diced shallots, garlic, Kerrygold butter. The cod was finished off with a tangy spicy remoulade sauce, garnished with fresh parsley, sliced limes, and fried shallot rings.

Good to know stuff that makes this awesome.

This is a delicious recipe that needs to be savored and shared. You'll get a little messy but trust us, it's worth it. We bought two large cod fillets from the seafood department of our local market and they were approximately 4" wide x 10-12" long x 1" thick. We wanted this to be serving-friendly and easy to handle while pan frying so they were cut into about 3-4" pieces.

So, if you're like Angie and I, the fishy aroma can be a little much we prefer it to be a bit milder. The solution we're using is to soak the fish in milk for about 20 minutes.

Milk and buttermilk is ideal for pulling out impurities from chicken, fish, other meats and seafood but I wanted to test that further with a dairy free option. I have a dairy intolerance and I know this problem is apparent in more of our population so now is a great time for me to share my findings.

Benefits to soaking in milk or buttermilk and in this instance, canned coconut milk

• Tenderizes

• Preserves the meat protein vs breaking down with acid tenderizers

• Removes fishy or gamey flavors

• Keeps the meat moist with fats

I used canned coconut milk due to the high fat content (plus is was in my pantry 😆) that will lend a little help to the fish by preventing it from drying out while pan frying. Yes, it's thicker but just keep going. You can find this at the grocery store in the Baking section or also in the World Cuisine product aisle. This exoctic food fun doesn't stop there, you're going to add a few teaspoons of Red Hot to your soaking liquid!

ANGIE's PRO TIP: Add RedHot to your milk to give that mild kiss of cayenne...

What we use to make this gluten-free, potato four.

Before we dive into the recipe there's one more slightly different ingredient we want to talk about and that's the flour we use to dredge our fish in.

Of course you can use your basic all purpose flour but we wanted to remove gluten which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale, it's another allergen or food intolerance that many cannot eat so we're going to swap it out for Bob's Red Mill potato flour. It's light and perfect!

Slap 🌶Ya🌶 Mama! No don't do it, just buy it!

This is the co-star of the show, the Cajun queen seasoning created in Ville Platte, Louisiana! You don't need a long story on this stuff, just try and that's enough to love it. But just in case, the story doesn't hurt if you have time to read about the roots of this amazing blend. It's gluten-free, no MSG, Kosher and certified Cajun!

Buy Slap Ya Mama here and get it delivered in 2 days if you have Amazon Prime and reap the rewards of free delivery in just a few days on things you can't find in the local store (start a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime here).

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SERVING SIZE - Approx 4 people

YIELD: Approx 7 pieces

PREP TIME: 30 min

COOK TIME: 10 min

INGREDIENTS - Have them measured and ready!

FISH

• 2 ea. Large cod fillets thawed, cut into 3-4" pieces. These fillets were 10" and 12" in length.

• ½ cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Potato flour

• 2 tsp Frank's Red Hot cayenne sauce

• ½ can Organic Coconut milk, canned or Lite Coconut (less fat) or you can use buttermilk

• 2 tsp Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning

• 3 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) or use canola or vegetable oil

• 1 Tbsp Fresh parsley finely chopped (for garnishing)

• 1 ea. Fresh lime, sliced (for garnishing)

REMOULADE SAUCE - Make ahead of time if desired

• 1 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise

• ½ cup Creole Mustard

• 2 ea. Juice of lemons

• 3 Tbsp Sriracha

• 3 Tbsp Capers, strained

• 3 Tbsp Dill pickle relish, or a whole pick spear roughly chopped

• Sea salt To taste

• Pepper To taste

INSTRUCTIONS

FISH

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the coconut milk (or buttermilk) and Frank's Red Hot. This will be thick, no worries.

2. Gently add cod pieces and stir to coat well.

3. Cover and let sit for 20 - 30 min.

4. While fish is soaking, grab a small - medium sized shallow bowl and mix potato flour and Slap Ya Mama. With the tip of a clean spoon, pick up a bit of coating and taste it for saltiness or spiciness. Adjust with salt, pepper, or Slap Ya Mama seasoning(a little goes a long way) as desired. Set coating next to the side of the stove that you'll be pan frying at.

5. Place a large skillet on the stove top and add ghee or chosen oil. Do not turn on heat yet.

6. Line a small baking sheet or heat resistant container with paper towel and set to the opposite side of stove top from the coating mix and set out a fish spatula/ turner or other light slotted heat resistant spatula.

7. While waiting, jump to the remoulade sauce recipe below. This is called multi-tasking... you can do it!

8. After 20 min. of fish soaking... the messy part... grab yourself some paper towels and a clean plate.

9. Gently wipe off the mixtures from each piece of fish with a paper towel and place on clean plate. they should have a little wetness still from the coconut milk so the coating will stick. ** Do not rinse under water, we are pan frying and we don't want any spatters or burns to happen here.

10. Heat skillet to just over medium heat. Your ghee or oil should already be in.

11. Once hot, dredge cod fillets on each side then place the presentation side down first (non-skin side facing down). Leaving space in between.

12. Cook approx 4-5 min before flipping over. You should have a nice golden brown crust that developed. Make sure to move the thickest part of the fillets in your hottest area of the skillet.

13. Use a digital thermometer to check the fillet thickest center temperature, proper doneness is 145℉ or if you don't have a thermometer the fish will flake when poked and pulled with a fork and is no longer transparent and is now opaque. You don't want to overcook it or the fish will become dry.

14. As fish are cooked to correct doneness, place on paper towel lined baking sheet, taste the fish when cooled enough and season as needed.

15. Place fillet over a bed of rice or with a side of your favorite veggies.

16. Spoon over the remoulade and garnish with chopped parsley and sliced lime if desired. Enjoy!

** Keep in mind that thickness of your fish plays a role, rule of thumb is 10 min total cooking time per 1 inch thickness of fish. For example, 1" thick fillet should be cooked over med-high heat for 5 minutes on each side. You have to be the judge of the heat and if it needs to be lowered if too high.

REMOULADE SAUCE

1. Throw all pre-measured items in a blender or food processor.

2. Blend until smooth and saucy. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Pour into a squeeze bottle or air tight container such as a canning jar with lid.

4. Pour over finished pan fried fish fillets. Enjoy

** This sauce is also fantastic with Crab Cakes, Vegan Crabless Lion's Mane Cakes, or Fried Calamari!

Please share your thoughts on theis recipe if you tried it and if you have any substitutions that you made!