Snow and Oven Fried Fish and Chips

This morning I dug my truck out of snow halfway up my calves, locked the tires into four-wheel drive, and drove myself to a final at 7:30 a.m. That's the kind of stuff that makes me happy I didn't grow up in Phoenix. I actually love driving when it's just snowed because it feels like everything is in slow motion. This weather calms me. Instead of leaving two minutes before class, I give myself 20. I drive 15 mph the whole way knowing I won't be one of those people in the ditch. It becomes evident I will never forget the techniques of winter driving. I have a good CD in the player and wish to myself the drive was just a little longer-while thanking God I brought a truck to school this year! My Cobalt never would have gotten me to my test on time.
On to dinner: My parents were wonderful enough to bring me halibut when we met in California. There is no local fish to speak of in Arizona...which is a brand new concept for me. I actually don't like being so far from the cost as seafood has been a big part of my diet for pretty much my whole life. You really don't miss it until it's gone. I remember hating fish growing up. At least once a week I would be forced to eat salmon or halibut that my dad had caught during the summer...practically abusive parents I had. Now, of course, I love fish and I don't think I'll consider living far from a coast of some kind in the future.
So, tonight I made oven fried fish and chips. You can't really compare them to real fish and chips, but they were still really good. With the stale bread we had laying around I ground up some bread crumbs in my fancy food processor. The coating I used was simply seasoned flour, then an egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs. The "chips" were more of potato wedges from organic russet potatoes tossed in oil, salt and herbes de provence.

That's right: my plate says "tree hugger"

Oven Fried Fish and Chips

2 tbsp. vegetable/canola/safflower oil
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. halibut fish fillets
1 c. flour
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
1 egg
3 tbsp. milk
hot sauce to taste
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 russet potatoes
olive oil
1 tsp. herbes de provence

Wash and cut potatoes into 6 wedges. Toss in a bowl with oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Spread in a single layer on cookie sheet. Place in oven while preparing the fish.
Coat the bottom of a baking dish with the oil and preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in one shallow dish. Whisk egg, milk, and hot sauce in another. Spread bread crumbs in a third. Rinse and pat dry fish fillets. Cut into 1 1/2" sticks-dredge in flour, coat with egg mixture, and roll in crumbs. Place in oiled dish and repeat with the rest of the pieces. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the fish is flaky when tested with a fork. The potatoes should be done at the same time.