Oh, fish sticks!

I want to start this post by saying I never ate fish sticks as a child. My mom's idea of serving us fish involved traditional Taiwanese dishes with ginger and onions, and with the head still on {to this day if I see a fish served w/o one, I think something's amiss}. Nor did I think I would be a mom that served fish sticks to her children. My bff, who grew up in Washington State, shared horror stories of people working on the fish ships & the fisheries and the conditions they worked in. Let's just say it's not conducive to one wanting to scarf down fish sticks. My son, however, has other ideas about food on our dinner table. For the past couple of weeks, C has been eyeing the blue Van de Kamp boxes in the huge freezers of our big box stores. He yells, "Fishsticks!," while I shudder & usher the babes quickly away.

Bella has no say about it one way or the other. She has made it abundantly clear that fish is not something she cares to eat. She does, however, love her some Cake Boss. How do fish sticks and the Cake Boss meld? Well, I didn't think it did until this morning when we saw that the Cake Boss was doing a cooking show not involving cake called Kitchen Boss. I know, it was hard for me to wrap my head around, too. He had a really easy idea for fish sticks. I'm sure other people have seen this recipe elsewhere, but it's the first time I have actually watched a food show with fish sticks. Having a pound of halibut in the freezer, I was hooked to give this a go.

The consensus? It's a hit! Even with my anti fish eating daughter! So, I thought I'd share this with you... {P.S. We did ranch in exchange for the honey mustard. We have neither honey nor mustard, so it was an easy out}

Crispy Halibut Fingers with Honey Mustard by Buddy Valastro (via TLC)

1‑1/2	pounds skinned, fresh halibut filets
1‑1/4	cup panko
1‑1/2	teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2	teaspoon fine sea salt (plus extra)
1	large egg, beaten with a fork
Neutral oil for shallow pan frying
Lemon wedges
HONEY MUSTARD:
1/4	cup Dijon mustard
1/2	cup mild honey

PREPARATION:

1. Cut halibut across the width into thirds. Cut each portion into "fingers," approximately 3" x 3/4-1". Lightly salt and pepper the fish strips. Place in a bowl with the beaten egg and toss to coat.
2. Toss panko with Italian seasoning, salt and paprika together in a pie plate.
3. Heat a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium. Pour in enough oil to a depth of 1/4". When hot, remove pieces of fish from the egg, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Drop into the panko, turning to coat, and lay carefully into the hot oil. Place as many pieces into the pan as you can without crowding.
4. Cook, monitoring heat, until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Remove pieces to a plate lined with double thickness of paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt. When all of the halibut has been cooked and drained, serve with honey mustard and lemon wedges.

HONEY MUSTARD:

1. Whisk ingredients together in a bowl.