Top tip: confit your fish in olive oil
We’re absolutely crazy about fish – briefly and quickly fried in a pan, skin-on, skinless, deep-fried on a soft white bun… all delicious. And if you (also) love soft, rich fish, you really should try the following:
You’re probably familiar with poaching, whether it’s eggs or gently cooking a chicken breast without letting it dry out. But did you know you can also slowly cook food in fat, such as olive oil, over low heat? This is called confiting (not to be confused with sweet candied fruit, for example). It’s absolutely delicious, and it gives you those wonderful fish flakes that you can pull apart so photogenically… Not that all food always has to be photographed, of course. Much more important is that you enjoy it, and with this method of confiting fish, you certainly will!
A lovely oil bath
When you confit fish, the oil doesn’t need to be piping hot. You can do it in the oven at a low temperature (around 130° C) or in a pan over medium-low heat, where the oil certainly shouldn’t bubble vigorously but should simmer very gently. I’d recommend not using a very wide pan, because you want the fish to be almost completely submerged (in oil). Don’t use very expensive olive oil either, because you may need quite a lot of it—assume at least 200 ml. Season the fish with salt and pepper before placing it in the oil.
Soft and flavorful
The cooking time varies depending on how thick the pieces of fish are. In a pan, you can start checking after about ten minutes to see whether the fish (in flakes) comes apart when you gently move a knife or fork through it; in the oven, this may take a little longer. Once the fish has reached the desired doneness (and is now wonderfully soft), remove it from the oil with a slotted spoon and let it drain briefly before placing it on a plate or serving dish.
You can reuse the oil
Of course, you don’t have to throw that oil away! Let it cool, pour it through a fine sieve into a jar, and use this oil (within a week or two) to fry fish again, or, for example, to make incredibly delicious garlic prawns.
Also read:
- Aha! That’s why there’s a little tab on the olive oil bottle!
- This is the secret behind Sergio’s shrimp croquettes
- With this trick, you can make the most delicious fish from the grill or BBQ
