Get it right: pan-fried fish
How to guarantee crispy skin and succulent, flaky flesh every time
How to ensure crispy skin and flaky flesh every time
Ajuicy, perfectly cooked fillet of fish with crisp skin that crackles when cut is a thing of beauty – but one that can be tough to achieve. Follow these simple steps, whatever fish you’re cooking, avoid the potential pitfalls, and you’ll get it right, every time.
Crispy soy salmon with quick pickles 45 MINUTES + PICKLING SERVES 2 | EASY
jasmine rice 120g
salmon 2 x 200g fillets
vegetable oil 2 tsp butter 25g
garlic 2 cloves, crushed ginger a thumb-sized piece, finely grated mirin 3 tbsp
soy sauce 2 tbsp
caster sugar Ω tbsp
QUICK PICKLES
rice vinegar 75g
caster sugar 25g
cucumber º, halved and thinly sliced radishes a handful, thinly sliced red chilli 1, deseeded, halved and thinly sliced
• To make the quick pickles, put the vinegar, sugar, 50ml of water and a pinch of salt into a small pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Put the cucumber slices, radishes and chilli into a bowl, pour over the hot pickling liquid and leave until completely cool, turning every now and again.
• Put the rice into a small pan with 240ml of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, put on a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes, then leave to steam for a further 10 minutes, or until ready to serve, then fluff up with a fork.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper. Drizzle the fillets all over with the oil, then season with salt.
• Put the salmon into the pan, skin-side down, and carefully press so the skin remains flat and in contact with the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, without moving the fillets. Flip (the fillets should have released themselves from the pan), add the butter and cook for 1 minute, basting with the butter, then move onto a plate, skin-side up, to rest. The fish should feel firm but have a little give when pressed.
• Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, and stir for 1 minute before adding the mirin, soy and sugar. Bubble for a few minutes until reduced and a little syrupy.
• Spoon the rice onto 2 plates, with a pile of drained pickles, the crispy salmon fillet, skin-side up, and a drizzle of the sauce.
PER SERVING 883 KCALS | FAT 44.5G SATURATES 12.4G | CARBS 72.3G | SUGARS 19.3G FIBRE 2.3G | PROTEIN 47G | SALT 2.5G