Crispy Restaurant Style Sauteed White Fish Fillets | Homemade Process

JD

October 04, 2019

0

tasty-fish-recipe, tasty-food-recipe

Sautéed fish fillets seem simple, but in reality they are rarely executed well. Attempts often result in dry, overcooked fillets, especially with thinner cuts. Yet sautéing adds a delicate, crispy texture and flavor to fish
fillets that you can’t get with other techniques. The trick to our method was to brown the fillets undisturbed on the first side, in the fat and with assertive heat, until the edges and a thin border turned opaque, resisting
the temptation to check doneness constantly. (All that activity can cool down the food, meaning the fish won’t brown and will be more likely to stick to the pan.) Thickness determines in part how long fillets must
cook. This recipe gives cooking times for both thin and thick fillets. Do not use fillets thinner than ¼ inch, as they will overcook very quickly. These fish fillets can also be served with Grapefruit and Basil Relish, Cherry
Tomato Salsa, Salsa Verde, or one of the savory compound butters on this blog.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
4 (6-ounce) skinless thick white fish fillets, ½ to 1 inch thick, or 8 (3-ounce) skinless thin white
fish fillets, ¼ to ½ inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lemon wedges

Cooking Procedure

1. Place flour shallow dish. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper; let stand until fillets are glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes. If using any tail-end fillets, tuck thin, tapered end under to create even thickness. Coat both sides of fillets with flour, shake off excess, and place in single layer on baking sheet.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Place half of fillets in skillet in single layer and immediately reduce heat to medium-high.
3. FOR THICK FILLETS Cook, without moving fish, until edges of fillets are opaque and bottoms are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip fillets. Cook on second side until thickest part of fillets is firm to touch and fish flakes easily, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. FOR THIN FILLETS Cook, without moving fish, until edges of fillets are opaque and bottoms are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip fillets. Cook on second side until thickest part of fillets is firm to touch and fish flakes easily, 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Transfer fillets to serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining fillets.
6. Place second batch of fillets on platter with first batch; tilt platter to discard any accumulated liquid. Serve fish immediately with lemon wedges.

ONE FISH, TWO FISH, WHAT IS WHITE FISH?

White fish is a marketing term that encompasses many species of deepwater saltwater fish, all of which are mild-flavored and whitefleshed. It’s a big group (sometimes lumped together under the label “scrod”) that includes cod, flounder, grouper, haddock, hake, halibut, pollack, sole, and many others. The term “white fish” is often used to differentiate these species from oily fish, a designation that includes meatier, moister fish such as salmon, swordfish, and tuna. (Confusingly, “whitefish” is used for a second and entirely different

sort of freshwater fish—which we’re not referring to here—that is often smoked and used for whitefish salad at delis.)

Because of its flaky flesh, white fish can be tricky to cook. Here are some tips for keeping it from falling apart when cooking on the stovetop:

• Always use a nonstick skillet to keep the fish from sticking, and be sure to preheat it properly so that the oil is just shimmering before you add the fish to the pan.
• We recommend a two-spatula turning method, which supports the fillets as you flip them. We like slotted fish spatulas for this job. They have long, thin, pliable metal blades that can easily shimmy underneath delicate fillets. And these spatulas are good for way more than just fish; they’re actually our favorite all-purpose spatulas in the test kitchen.
• Overcooked fish is more likely to fall apart, so check the temperature of your fish at the start of the time range and immediately transfer the fish to plates once it’s done.