The Basics for Frying Fish
By Renee Shelton
_____________________________________
Frying fish can mean two things. The first involves taking fillets, seasoning with salt and pepper, dipping in egg wash and some kind of crumb coating for texture, then friying in a frying pan. The second involves dipping fish in some kind of batter or coating similar to the first method, then frying in a deep fat fryer.
Pan Frying Fish
Pan frying fish is good for any number of fish, and results in crisper and thicker crusts than simply sautéeing the fillet. A basic procedure for pan frying fish is as follows: Take the fish and cut it into serving-sized pieces. Season, then dredge in flour. Dip in egg wash then roll in some kind of crumb. Fry in a heated pan with about 1/8 inch of oil on the bottom, until golden. The coating can be anything from dried bread brumbs or panko flakes, crushed soda crackers, cornmeal, or even plain flour.
Deep Fat Fried Fish
This uses a deep fat fryer to completely cover the fillets in hot fat as it cooks it. This results in the crust being browned on all sides at the same time. The key is to not overcrowd the pot during frying so that the temperature does not dramatically drop during frying. Also, evenly coat the fish in the batter or coating to ensure there is adequate batter or coating on the fish fillets. This layer helps to protect the fillets from simply soaking up the fat as it fries.
Deep fat frying fish can be done on fillets that are coated with a bread crumb coating, similar to pan frying, or dipping the fish into a batter, then frying. Both methods are acceptable and results in a crispy crust for the fish.
Great Basic Recipes for Frying Fish
Try these for your next fish fry.
Above photo courtesy of pdphoto.org.
