Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with olive oil cooking spray; set the sheet aside.
• Pat the cod strips dry with paper towels, then evenly sprinkle them with the kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and sweet or smoked paprika.
• Set out three shallow bowls for a dredging station: put the all-purpose flour in bowl 1; in bowl 2 whisk together the beaten large eggs and the Dijon mustard; combine the panko breadcrumbs and the seasoned breadcrumbs in bowl 3.
• Working one piece at a time, dredge a fish strip in the flour, turning to coat all sides and shaking off excess.
• Dip the floured strip into the egg–Dijon mixture, letting excess drip off.
• Press the strip into the breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides and pressing so the crumbs adhere.
• Place the coated fish stick on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, leaving a little space between pieces. Repeat steps 4–7 with the remaining strips.
• Lightly spray the tops of the coated fish sticks with olive oil cooking spray. Bake on the middle rack for 6 minutes. Carefully turn each fish stick, spray the exposed sides lightly with cooking spray, then return to the oven and bake 6–10 more minutes, until the coating is golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Transfer the cooked fish sticks to a serving platter and serve immediately with tartar sauce.