How to: pan-fry fish skin-side down
Nothing beats a piece of fried fish with a wonderfully crispy skin. It sounds easy, but things often go wrong. Here’s how to make sure the skin never sticks to your pan again.
Keep your fingers away from the heat
We understand the reasoning: you want such a deliciously crisp skin, and everything in you is screaming to crank up the heat, just as you sear a steak. Then you finish cooking it over a lower heat. From now on, never do that with fish.
Crack
Do this instead: add a tablespoon of oil to a non-stick pan (there are several brands of PFAS-free non-stick pans), place the fish (which you’ve sprinkled with salt on both sides) skin-side down in the pan, and then slowly increase the heat from zero to medium: that’s the trick. This gently draws the fat out of the skin, which helps it continue cooking until it becomes deliciously crispy.
Patience, patience
Do this for about four minutes, then gently press the fish slightly flat against the pan. Continue frying gently for about another 10 minutes, depending on how thick your fish is. Only at the end of the cooking time do you turn it over onto its ‘bare’ side for another minute. The result: buttery-soft fish on one side and crispy, salty crunchiness on the other. Mmmm!
Also read:
- How to: fry fish without making your kitchen smell
- Ode to the fish stick
- These 5 pans shouldn’t be missing from your kitchen
