The Sweet Ingredient You Need To Start Adding To Fish Sandwiches

Any seafood lover will know that fish pairs well with bright and sour flavors. Think of a fresh, summer ceviche, a squeeze of lemon drizzled over crispy fish fillets, or a baked fish dish made with tangy tomatoes and onions. However, sweet and fruity flavors can also be used to complement seafood, cutting through oily richness and overly fishy notes to give things a juicy and refreshing balance.

Grapes and fish are a staple in traditional French cuisine — famed French chef Auguste Escoffier included Sole Véronique (white fish cooked with cream, wine, and whole grapes) on his menus. But, if you want to keep things a bit more modern, there's another unexpected way you can use fruit to upgrade a fish sandwich: top it with a pineapple ring.

Pineapple pairs well with fish for a variety of reasons. For one, the zesty sweetness of pineapple mimics the balancing effect of lemon citrus but with a bolder, more tropical flavor. Another reason a pineapple ring is the perfect fish sandwich topper is the texture. Fresh pineapple gives a toothy bite and a burst of flavor that complements the soft, flaky texture of common fish fillets like cod, pollock, or halibut. If your fish is breaded and fried, the added crunch will be even more satisfying.

When you think about it, combining fish with sweet, juicy pineapple isn't so strange. Fish has a mildly meaty, briny flavor, making the combo similar to a sweet and sour pork glaze or salty maple bacon. If you're lucky enough to live somewhere you can get your hands on high-quality fresh pineapples, you'll find there are a whole host of ways you can incorporate it (both cooked and raw) into seafood dishes.

When cooking salmon steaks on the grill or frying breaded sandwich fillets, toss the pineapple rings on the grate alongside your fish or use your air fryer to crisp up the fruit. Browning the pineapple will give it toasty, caramelized notes. You could also coat it in cornstarch for an ultra-crispy finish or incorporate it into a Thai-inspired fish curry. 

If you want to load your fish sandwich up with chutney, dice the pineapple finely and add it to a tropical salsa or sweet and crunchy slaw made with onions, carrots, jalapeños, lime juice, and cilantro. You could also mix grilled mango and pineapple into a salsa to dress mahi-mahi fish tacos.