AIP fish tenders in cassava-arrowroot coating with creamy avocado-cilantro dip

Texture is its own kind of craving, and 30 minutes deep into a weeknight is not when you want to negotiate with it. This dish gives you a genuine crunch, cassava flour and arrowroot standing in for the breadcrumbs and batter you cannot use, with nothing missing from the bite itself.

White fish like flounder or cod is one of the easiest proteins to digest right now, and it is naturally rich in omega-3 fats, linked to helping keep an overactive inflammatory response in check. The avocado in the dip is also a source of potassium and folate, alongside more of those same healthy fats.

Dip each piece while it is still crackling from the oil (a fish pulled from the sea, an avocado grown slow on a tree, worth a small nod on the way in), so this can be the crunchy, fast dinner that proves comfort food and healing food do not have to be different categories.

Ingredients

For the fish:

• 2 white fish filets, about 4 oz each (flounder, cod, or tilapia)
• sea salt, to sprinkle on the fish
• 1/3 cup cassava flour
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (replaces cream of tartar for lift; AIP-compliant)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon AIP Italian seasoning (a blend of dried basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary - no fennel seed, no black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, well-stirred
• about 1/4 cup water, as needed to thin the batter
• about 2 cups avocado oil, for pan-frying

Note on cream of tartar: the original source uses cream of tartar in its flour blend. Cream of tartar is seed-derived and excluded on AIP elimination. This version uses baking soda instead, which gives a similar lift without the restriction.

For the dip:

• 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Method

Make the dip first so it is ready when the fish comes out. Combine the avocado, coconut milk, lemon juice, and sea salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Stir in the chopped cilantro by hand (blending it in turns the dip a muddy green). Taste and adjust salt. Set aside.

Pat the fish filets dry with a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with sea salt on both sides. Cut each filet into strips about 2 inches wide - the size of a generous finger.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, arrowroot, baking soda, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. If the batter feels too thick to coat easily, add water a tablespoon at a time until it coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the avocado oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat over medium-high until the oil shimmers and a small drop of batter sizzles immediately on contact. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, dip each fish strip into the batter, let the excess drip off, and lower it carefully into the hot oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and season with a pinch of extra sea salt while still hot.

Serve the tenders immediately alongside the avocado-cilantro dip.

Air fryer variation

The air fryer gives you crunch without the oil and cleanup of pan-frying. Prepare the fish strips and batter as above. Spray or brush the air fryer basket lightly with avocado oil. Dip each strip in the batter, let excess drip off, and place in a single layer in the basket. Mist the tops of the coated strips with a little avocado oil spray. Air fry at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and cooked through. The texture is slightly different from pan-frying - a little less uniformly crisp - but genuinely good and much less mess.

*Adapted from cook2nourish.com*