Instructions on how to make simple dishes from fish Fish is a nutritious food that contains many nutrients that need to be supplemented regularly for your family. Eating fish is also delicious without being bored if you know…
How to get crispy skin on fish
- When moisture is driven away from the skin of the fish it allows the skin to caramelise. The technical name for this is the Maillard reaction: a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that browns and crisps the skin, and tastes delicious.
- Make sure the skin is very dry, pat the skin with kitchen paper to remove all moisture before cooking, as water prevents caramelisation.
- Once the fish is out of the pan, rest or plate it skin-side up – this will ensure any moisture from the fish isn’t re-absorbed into the skin.
- Carefully press down on the fish as soon as it goes into the pan. The heat of the pan will cause the fish to bend away – by gently pushing down will ensure even contact and even crispness.
How to sear fish
This technique cooks the skin quickly until crisp but the heat also pushes through to the delicate flesh. Fish flesh conducts heat easily, making it easy to overcook – it’s better to cook it a touch less than you think it needs and then let it rest and continue cooking out of the pan.
How to avoid fish sticking to the pan
Oiling the fish rather than the pan ensures there is minimum oil between the skin and the base of the pan. The skin will get super-crisp then self-release, helping to avoid sticking – so don’t touch! Let the fish cook undisturbed. Once a crust has formed it will pop away from the bottom of the pan.
Even if you follow all the steps necessary to prevent the fish from sticking to the pan, an old, well-used pan that has lost its non-stick coating will cause fish to stick fast, requiring it to be scraped off.
Ingredients
- Use salmon, cod, hake and more for these recipes