Unexpected Sides You Should Be Serving Up With Fried Fish

Whether it's a backyard fish fry or dinner at a seafood restaurant, enjoying a meal with other people can make you happier and strengthen social bonds. In the same way dinner is best enjoyed with multiple people, fried fish is best enjoyed with multiple flavors. Don't just take our word for it, either — Executive Chef Kory Foltz from Sunseeker Resort has delicious recommendations for sides that work well with fried fish.

For more expected pops of freshness that pair well with fried fish, Foltz enjoys sides on the light and vibrant side. Accompaniments like lime cucumber salad, grilled pineapple salsa, or coleslaw with a vinegar dressing, for example, provide balance to the dish. However, a side does not have to be light and vibrant to pair well with fried fish! Savory, earthy flavors are also sure to please.

While light sides like salads and salsas are reliable sides and toppings, Chef Kory Foltz also emphasizes that sometimes the most delicious sides to fried fish can come from unexpected places. "You could get more funky with roasted beet salad with goat cheese," he advises, elaborating that, "the earthiness of the beets with the vibrant goat cheese or tangy feta provides a refreshing contrast to fried fish." If you want to test this balance out yourself, this roasted beet and orange salad recipe is a good starting point as all you need to add is the goat cheese or feta.

If you find yourself drawn to Southern cuisine and flavors, Foltz knows just the pairing for fried fish. "With southern roots I always enjoy a spicy jalapeño cornbread with a fried fish meal, it provides a comforting savory/sweet element with a kick of heat," he says. This jalapeño cornbread recipe will hit the spicy and sweet notes he's referring to.

Regardless of what you choose to pair your fried fish with, Foltz leaves with you a timeless piece of advice: "Take a chance and try something different as long as it doesn't make too many dirty dishes to wash afterwards." Happy frying!