How to Make Perfectly Crispy Fish Skin
March 19, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Austin
• 0 Comments
How to Make Perfectly Crispy Fish Skin
Many people love to eat fresh seafood. And why not? Few proteins pack as much good nutrition and flavor. With everything from shellfish to white fish to darker varieties like salmon and snapper, there is also a huge variety to choose from. A restaurant with a menu of fresh fish choices is sure to be a popular one. Attend a cooking school in Austin and they’ll be sure to teach you how to properly cook all varieties of seafood.
Why then do so few people cook fish at home? Certainly, location has a little to do with it. People in the middle of the country have fewer fresh and affordable seafood choices than those who live closer to the coasts. There are, however, still quite a few options available. So then what could it be?
We think it’s fear – not like fear of heights or riding a roller coaster, but fear inspired by a lack of knowledge. The truth is that most people just don’t know how to cook fish if it isn’t breaded and frozen. Many think that cooking seafood is best left to professionals with culinary art school degrees and years of commercial kitchen experience.
Sure, most chefs and professional cooks can cook up a mean filet of sole or flounder. But guess what? So can you. And the secret, if there is one, is the skin.
Perfectly Crispy Fish Skin
That’s right! The secret to delicious home-cooked fish starts with the skin. You must first start with a fish that still has skin on it like salmon, sea bass, or trout. Follow the recipe below to get crispy, flaky, and moist results every time.
Ingredients:
- 4 6- to 8-oz fish fillets with skin still on
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Use regular olive oil not extra virgin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Preheat a stainless steel pan over med-high heat for 3 minutes
- Add oil and let it heat for another 2 minutes until oil runs smoothly across the pan
- Place fish skin side down into the hot oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Do not move the fish in any way during this time. Just let it cook. If the oil splatters too much or starts to smoke, then turn the heat down to medium
- Release the skin with a spatula and turn the fish
- Place the skillet in the oven and cook the fish all the way through. Times will vary from 3 to 5 minutes depending upon desired doneness and the thickness of the fillets
- Remove from the oven add salt and pepper to taste and serve
But what if you want delicious home-cooked fish but don’t like fish with skin on it? Don’t worry; you can use this same method with skinless fish. We suggest adding a little butter to the olive oil and decreasing your cooking times by a minute or two.
Now you don’t have to wait to go to your local seafood restaurant or cooking school in Austin to have your favorite piece of fish. You can have it tonight.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Austin, Texas. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Austin for more information.
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