Every summer, at the borrowed family cabin, my father routinely took his three oldest children fishing while my mother tended the youngest two. Tough duty for both. He baited countless hooks and removed dozens of teeny sunfish from our poles. Eventually, the small Wisconsin lake yielded enough properly-sized perch for a midday fry.

Seasoned, breaded fillets sizzled in a cast-iron skillet set over a camp stove. (No indoor fish cooking, said Mom.) She sliced garden tomatoes and tossed together a crunchy coleslaw. We kids never helped, opting instead to toss the paper plates about like Frisbees.

As I grew to appreciate the fresh catch, I learned to doctor ordinary condiments into concoctions worthy of my father’s efforts. Creamy tartar sauce, spiked with herbs from the garden, remains a favorite. Likewise, a marinade of citrus, ginger and garlic for the fish fillets. Panko crumbs deliver great crunch with little effort; choose the gluten-free option for dietary needs.

The Wisconsin cabin and the indefatigable parents are now gone. The memories and the cast-iron skillet endure. At least once a summer, we haul out the pan and fry up fish fillets from a friend’s catch or the local market. When the Chicago weather cooperates, I cook on the side burner of my grill. Indoors, an open window and the exhaust fan on high, suffice.

Choose small fish fillets, such as perch, tilapia, or snapper, for quick cooking. If frozen, allow the fish to thaw slowly in the refrigerator set on a rimmed pan. The citrus, ginger, and garlic marinade impart plenty of flavor to the fish in a short period of time. Leave any marinade that clings to the fish in place when coating it in the crumbs.

Well-seasoned cast-iron works beautifully with minimal oil for frying fish. A heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet works, too. With either pan, you’ll need to keep adjusting the burner heat to maintain a steady oil temperature, avoiding both smoking and over-browning the fish.

Use a wide, thin metal spatula to help flip the fillets in the oil. Work carefully with hot oil as it can splatter. Dad understood that it was better to let the children run around than stand near the cooking surface.

Serve the fish with tartar sauce on the side. Or, spread the sauce over a toasted brioche bun, generously smeared with tartar sauce, and a slice of tomato. Best summer sandwich, says the spouse! Let the traditions continue and transform as they will.

Crispy Fish Fillets with Lemon, Lime and Ginger

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 each: seedless lemons, limes

1-inch chunk fresh ginger, finely grated or 2 tablespoons refrigerated ginger puree

4 cloves garlic, crushed to a fine paste

6 to 8 boneless skinless tilapia, snapper or perch fillets, total 2 pounds

3 cups panko or other coarse, dry bread crumbs

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon fine table salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon each: freshly ground black pepper, cayenne

Vegetable oil for high-heat cooking such as expeller-pressed canola oil, avocado oil, safflower or peanut oil

Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, cilantro for serving

Flaky salt, for garnish

Herby tartar sauce, recipe follows

1. Use a grater to finely grate rind from one lemon and both limes into a large, shallow dish. Squeeze the juice from that lemon and both limes into the dish. (Cut the remaining lemon into wedges to serve with the cooked fish.)

2. Stir in ginger and garlic. Add fish fillets and turn to coat each of them with some of the juice and rind mixture. Let stand on the counter up to 15 minutes or refrigerate covered up to 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, mix panko crumbs, flour, table salt, cumin, pepper and cayenne in a shallow dish. Heat oven to 200 F. Have a paper towel-lined baking sheet ready.

4. Remove one fish fillet from marinade; shake off excess moisture but leave the solids clinging to the fish. Press the fillet into the crumb mixture, turn to coat the second side nicely with crumbs. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat to coat remaining fish fillets.

5. Turn on the exhaust fan or open a window. Pour oil into a large heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillet to come up about a half inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking (dip the edge of a fish fillet into the oil and it should bubble vigorously). Add the fish in a single, uncrowded layer. Cook, adjusting heat under the pan as needed, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use a wide, thin-bladed metal spatula to carefully flip fish to brown the other side, about 2 minutes more. Drain fillets as they cook on prepared baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven. Fry remaining fish.

6. Serve fish sprinkled with herbs and coarse salt. Pass tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

Deluxe Herby Tartar Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, labneh or sour cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons or dill pickles

1 small rib celery, trimmed, finely chopped, about 1/4 cup

1 shallot, finely chopped or 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon drained, capers, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped giardiniera or 1 pickled pepper, such as pepperoncini

1/4 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, dill or parsley or a combination

Salt to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt. Refrigerate covered up to two days. Serve at room temperature.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2026 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.