Along Germany's North Sea and Baltic coasts, lunch on the move very often comes in a Fischbrötchen, a crusty roll split and filled with fish. Kiosks, harbor stands and fish shops sell them by the hundred, and at Hamburg's famous Altona fish market, trading since the early eighteenth century, one of them is the traditional early morning breakfast, sometimes for people whose night has not quite ended. The most beloved filling is Bismarck herring, a pickled fillet, with raw onion and gherkin, but the menu runs on through matjes, smoked mackerel, salmon, tiny North Sea shrimp and a hot piece of fried fish with remoulade.

That fried fish version, the Backfischbrötchen, is the one given here, because it is the most welcoming to a cook far from the coast: any firm white fish will do, the batter is quick, and the remoulade is a few minutes of chopping. The pickled herring version is in the variations for purists. Either way it is a sandwich that demands to be eaten standing up, ideally somewhere windy, which describes most grandstands rather well.

The remoulade

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115 g) mayonnaise
• 2 small dill pickles or gherkins
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives
• 1 teaspoon medium hot mustard
• 1 teaspoon pickle brine or lemon juice
• a pinch fine salt and black pepper

Method

1. Put all the remoulade ingredients in the small bowl and stir until evenly combined. Taste and add more pickle brine, salt or pepper if needed.
2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes while you prepare everything else, so the flavors blend.

The fried fish

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) skinless firm white fish fillets
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) very cold sparkling water
• about 6 cups (1.4 liters) sunflower, canola or peanut oil

Method

1. Pour the oil into the heavy pot to a depth of about 2 inches (5 cm), clip on the thermometer and heat over medium heat to 350°F (175°C). This takes about 10 minutes.
2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with the salt. Put the dusting flour in the shallow dish and turn each piece in it, then tap off the excess.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the cup of flour with the baking powder. Add the egg and the cold sparkling water and whisk briefly, just until combined. A few small lumps are fine.
4. Dip a piece of fish in the batter, let the excess drip off for a few seconds, then lower it gently into the oil, laying it away from you. Fry 2 pieces at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once with the slotted spoon. Lift onto the rack and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
5. Let the oil come back to 350°F (175°C) before frying the second batch. When you are done, turn off the heat and leave the pot to cool completely on the back of the stove before you move it.

The rolls and assembly

Ingredients

• 4 crusty white bread rolls
• 4 leaves of soft lettuce, such as butter lettuce
• 1/2 small white or red onion
• 2 dill pickles or gherkins
• 1 lemon

Method

1. If the rolls are not straight from the bakery, warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 4 to 5 minutes while the fish fries. Split each one along the side with the bread knife, leaving it hinged at the back.
2. Spread a generous spoonful of remoulade on the bottom of each roll and lay a lettuce leaf on it. Put a piece of hot fish on top, then add a few onion rings and pickle slices and another spoonful of remoulade. Close the roll gently.

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