This blog post is in collaboration with Gorton’s
Fall is almost here and school is back in session. Dinners from the grill are being traded for the comfort foods of slow cookers and air fryers. What is it about fall foods that brings out all the nostalgic feels? It seems like not too long ago my mom was putting fish sticks in the oven on a fall evening to serve with tartar sauce (a staple with all seafood here in New England!)
My boys love fish sticks as a quick weeknight meal, but I’m always looking for ways to make “quick” even faster. I decided to cook Gorton’s Cod Fish Sticks in my air fryer instead of the traditional oven method. They cooked up in under 8 minutes (making sure the internal temp was 155°), which left me plenty of time to whip up a batch of homemade herbed tartar sauce.
Gorton’s Cod Fish Sticks are coated in panko breadcrumbs, so they are definitely crunchy even when baking in the oven. But oh my goodness, by cooking in the air fryer the panko created this most amazing, evenly crisp coating. Be sure to use Gorton’s Cod Fish Sticks which can be found in your local grocer’s freezer. They are cut from whole fillets and you can really see and taste the difference!
Now about that tartar sauce. Sure you can buy it, or you can make your traditional mayo and relish sauce. But there is something about fresh herbs and fish completing each other. For my herbed tartar sauce I used what was available in my herb garden, dill and chives, but you could definitely use any blend of herbs you enjoy or have available. Dill just seems to pair so well with fish and since most tartar sauce recipes call for onion I decided to substitute with the mild onion flavor of fresh chives.
Air Fried Fish Sticks with Herbed Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
Herbed Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 TBSP relish
- ¾ tsp fresh dill or ¼ tsp dry dill
- 1 tsp chopped fresh chives
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
To Air Fry the Fish Sticks
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Place Gorton’s Cod Fish Sticks in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. Set your air fryer temperature to 375°and air fry for 8 minutes, giving the basket a shake half way through to prevent sticking. Before serving, use a thermometer to verify the internal temperature of the fish is 155°
Herbed Tartar Sauce
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Combine all your ingredients in a bowl. Can be used immediately or refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors meld. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
