Filet-O-Fish Bao

with a very cute fluffy clamshell steamed buns!

Happy Fry-day, friends! It’s a double newsletter week because I just couldn’t wait to share this Filet-O-Fish Bao with you. Also after a brief break, I’m bring back Bun of the Month! I had absolutely so much fun developing this recipe and I’m so happy with how it turned out. This bun is pure nostalgia. My grandparents’ restaurant was around the corner from a McDonald’s, so we would often visit the drive thru to pick up a treat meal. I would often rotate between a filet-o-fish, chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, or a plain cheeseburger hold the pickles and mustard.

The perfect square of crispy fish is iconic and embedded into so many of our childhoods (if your parents indulged in fast food and you weren’t afraid of fish). I feel like I’ve been seeing more and more versions of the filet-o-fish pop up on my feed as homemade recipes or as fun menu item at pop-ups. Maybe we are in a filet-o-fish renaissance? If so, this is my submission to be part of the movement!

4 components of a good crispy fish sandwich

my version doesn’t stray too far from the source material but here are a few details that make this fish sandwich stand out.

the bun: a very adorable clamshell steamed bun really drives the seafood theme home. It’s an easy but effective design if you’re planning to make your own steamed buns. It’s fluffy and tender, very reminiscent of the textures from a McDonald’s bun. You can of course use store-bought steamed buns. I used some while testing and I personally can’t get over the fact that they sort of taste like cardboard, but they get the job done. Once you taste homemade buns it’s hard to go back. The recipe is the same as the one in my first book, Mooncakes and Milk Bread. Here’s a video of making the clamshells for the visual learner out there.

the fish: cod is the perfect flaky mild fish for this. I like to look for filets that aren’t super thick so that they can fit nicely within the buns. Since I made my own buns I could control the size of them. I portioned my fish accordingly and found that a piece of fish about the size of a credit card is a great fit.

the tartar sauce: I love to do a mix of mayo and sour cream so it’s on the thicker side and the sour cream gives the tartar sauce a nice tang. Dill pickles are classic, but you could also add some capers or cornichons too.

the cheese: The first time I tested this I used the sliced cheddar we already had in the fridge and it was just lacking something. American cheese is really the only cheese that works here to complete the nostalgic meal. I like to place the cheese in the bun while the bun is still warm and the fish is hot so it has a chance to get melty!

Hope you have a happy meal and weekend!!

Filet-O-Fish Bao

Makes 10