HOW TO PERFECT CRISPY-SKINNED FISH

Try this with skin-on fillets of sea bream, sea bass, salmon, mackerel, cod or hake…

1. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper (wet skin will stick to the pan). If possible, leave the fish uncovered in the fridge for an hour before cooking.

2. Using a sharp knife, score the skin a few times diagonally across the fillet, to help the fish cook evenly and to prevent the fillet curling. Sprinkle both sides with fine sea salt.

3. Put a heavy-based frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add a generous splash of oil (rapeseed or vegetable oil are good neutral oils that won’t overpower the flavour of the fish) and wait until it shimmers.

4. Add the fillets, skin-side down. Using a spatula, press down lightly until the fillets have stopped curling.

Don’t move them until you can see golden colour at the edge of the skin and you can see the edges of the fillet are starting to turn opaque. Turn down the heat a little if necessary to prevent the skin burning. 5. When the skin is done, gently flip the fillets over and remove from the heat. Leave for a minute or two until the fish has just cooked through. As the skin cools it will crisp further.

6. Serve with a lemon, caper and mustard sauce: mix the zest and juice of ½ lemon with ½ tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp capers and a pinch of salt. Stir in 3 tbsp extravirgin olive oil plus a handful of finely chopped flatleaf parsley and drizzle over the fish.

Tips from the expert team at delicious. magazine. The latest issue is on sale now. Visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk for recipes and more step-by-step techniques.