Food Fusion: Miso Filet-O-Fish

Author and Photographer: Isabella Sun

If you have ever been to McDonalds, chances are that you’ve probably tried the fast food restaurant’s signature fish sandwich: Filet-O-Fish. Since its inception in the 1960s, Filet-O-Fish has been one of the most popular sandwiches across all McDonalds nationwide. Indeed, who doesn’t love crispy fried fish combined with the creaminess of cheese and tartar sauce? Yet despite the obvious appeal of  the sandwich, I’ve always found it to lack the distinct flavor of a fish dish. The battered, deep-fried filet  covers up the rich, oceanic fragrance of the fish and reduces the Filet-O-Fish to a typical, fatty fast food sandwich. This is how I came up with the idea of incorporating a popular companion to fish dishes: miso paste, into the sandwich. Marinating the fish filet in miso paste would give it  a special kick that enhances the flavor of the fish while keeping its texture fresh and succulent. Before we get started with the recipe, first let’s investigate the interesting history of the Filet-O-Fish sandwich and why being a fish sandwich is so important to its origin. 

Filet-O-Fish was the invention of a brilliant businessman named Lou Groen, the owner of a Cincinnati-based McDonald’s franchise. Groen created the sandwich after noticing that burger sales from his restaurant would plummet on every Friday of the week. This reduction in sales, he realized, was due to the fact that his restaurant was located in a predominantly Roman Catholic area. Many Catholics abstain from meat during Lent or on all Fridays of the week. In order to boost his sales, Groen decided that he needed a sandwich that could replace McDonald’s signature beef burger to accommodate his customers’ religious practices. Fortunately, fish is not considered to be meat by Roman Catholics. Groen fried up some fish, whipped up some tartar sauce, and placed them between two burger buns. The first Filet-O-Fish was thus born, and it has remained a popular item on the McDonald’s menu ever since. 

From observing the intriguing history behind the Filet-O-Fish, we now know that Groen invented the sandwich to specifically serve customers who look for an alternative to the typical, meaty fast food sandwiches. It thus suffices to say that we must find a way to preserve the special flavor of the fish. Miso paste is a Japanese seasoning made out of fermented soybeans that is used in a variety of different traditional dishes, especially with fish. The fermentation process results in the creation of umami compounds that can elevate the flavor of the fish without drowning out its natural fishing as. The funkiness of the paste gives the sandwich the flavor punch it needs to become a truly perfect sandwich.

Ingredients

Wet Batter

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp miso paste

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp milk

  • 1 tbsp sugar 

  • Salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste 

Fish Filet 

  • 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

  • 6 oz white fish filets such as tilapia

  • 1 tbsp canola oil 

Miso Sauce

  • 1 tsp Miso paste 

  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise or yogurt 

  • 1 tbsp cream cheese 

  • 1 tsp hot sauce of choice 

  • Salt 

  • Pepper

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice 

To Assemble

  • Burger buns

  • Cheese of choice

  • Tomatoes

  • Mixed greens of choice

Directions

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Fish Filet

  1. Add egg, miso paste, soy sauce, milk, sugar, and flour into a bowl. Whisk until well-combined.

  2. Place fish filet into the batter and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Make sure all of the fish is covered in the batter. 

  3. Meanwhile, toast breadcrumbs on a stove on  low heat until they become golden brown. 

  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

  5. Remove the fish filet from the batter, coat the filet with ample breadcrumb. Place the coated filet carefully into the oven then drizzle oil over the filet. 

  6. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip the filet and bake for another 5 minutes until the fish is cooked through. 

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Miso Sauce

  1. While the fish is baking, add the miso paste, mayonnaise or yogurt, cream cheese, hot sauce, and lemon juice into a small bowl. Whisk until well-combined. 

  2. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Assemble: 

  1. Toast burger buns on a stove. Top the bottom bun with the piece of cheese. 

  2. Add the baked filet onto the bottom bun. Top the filet with tomato and other veggies of choice. 

  3. Spread the miso sauce onto the top bun. Add the top bun to the rest of the burger. 

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Fusion CuisineMelanie WangFood FusionComment