Conventional wisdom is that steaming is the only way to do justice to a really fresh fish. But I have a problem with that. The skin. I like fish skin crispy. To me, pan frying is a beautiful way to cook a fish fillet. A perfectly fried piece of fish, with a nice sauce, makes a beautiful plate. At its, best, the fried fish has moist, succulent flesh, sandwiched in between crispy skin and a tasty crust, the best of both worlds!
Fish frying can be easy, and get beautiful food on the table in minutes, or it can (and had been) a culinary nightmare. Here are my tips for frying fish :
- (Of course) fresh fish
- Slit the skin
- Skin side down first
- Don’t move it
- Turn once.
Fresh fish
I got this beautifully fresh sea bass fillet from Ah Hua Kelong. Nicely filleted, and pin boned! To me, the best fish for pan frying are those about a kg in weight whole, yielding fillets about 250-300 grammes per side. Sea bass, or snapper, is excellent.
Slit the skin for crispy skin
After you cut the fish into individual servings, making a series of shallow slits in the skin, using a sharp knife. These slits should just break the skin, and if possible, be quite long.
The rationale for this is to prevent the fillet curling up too much when you fry it. Upon cooking, the skin shrinks significantly. If the skin is not slit, this causes the fillets to curl up. This in turn means that only the edges of the fish are in contact with the pan. The result is a fillet that is burnt at the edges, with a central portion of skin that is not really crispy. No, that isn’t nice.
Try to make a series of long, parallel slits, perpendicular to the length of the fish
Skin side down first, onto a hot pan.
Preheat a well seasoned, or a non stick pan, and coat it well with a neutral tasting oil. Allow the pan to get hot, till the oil shimmers, but not smoking. Lay each piece of fish onto the pan, skin side down. You should hear immediately sizzling. With your fingers or a spatula, press the pieces down, to allow the skin full contact against the hot pan. Remember the curling I spoke of? The fish will likely still curl, despite the slits. It helps if you press the pieces down, at least for the first minute or so. When the flesh begins to cook, the tension will be released and the curling will be reduced. As you press it, you should feel the oil bubbling beneath the fish. It feels good.
Don’t move it!
The fish will spend most of its cooking time skin side down. If there is any indication of sticking, don’t move it! Do NOT try to turn it. There is nothing you can do about it at this point. As the skin cooks and crisps, it will become easier to release, and may free itself completely. just wait. You may occasionally lift a fillet to peek how the skin is doing.
Turn once
Only when you see the opaque whiteness moving about two thirds up the fish, should you turn it. Using a flat spatula, carefully work your way under the skin, and gently turn them. if you oil a good pan well, this should be no problem. Another reason to make the slits in the skin is that it results in a nice patten on the skin side after cooking.
Once turned, it should take only a minute or so. Most of the cooking time is spent on the skin side, and you should not overcook the fish.
If I am doing this for a western dish, a touch of butter helps. I add some butter right at the end, and then spoon it over the fish, for a bit more richness, and colour.
You are done!
Plate.
I often fry some shallots or leeks using the tasty oil in the pan, deglaze with white wine, and add some cream to make up a sauce. Do lay this sauce under the fish to preserve the crispy skin.
Eat!
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