# Question about frying fish!



## chocojun (Jul 20, 2006)

I'm looking to make some fried fish sometime, Insha Allah (god willing), this week.  If i'm not baking a cake or some cookies, I'm clueless about cooking.  How would you go about doing such a thing?  I don't even know what kind of fish I have.  It's frozen in a bag in my freezer.  No one in this house are big fans of fish unless it's fish sticks.  SO...  throw out some ideas here


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## FryBoy (Jul 20, 2006)

If you want to get your family to like fish, you need to start slowly, especially if they aren't used to it. Frozen fish is generally terrible, in my opinion. Freezing breaks down the cellular structure of the fish and leaves it mushy and often strongly flavored and rather odorous (i.e., it stinks, and it tastes like a fish cannery smells). I'd either dump the unidentified frozen fish or make a fish soup or stew with it, which hides the problems.

The biggest reason people don't like fish is that they've never had good, fresh fish properly prepared. Too often it's overcooked, which makes it taste and smell awful, and ruins the texture. Bleh! 

Get some good fresh fish, and cook it using the Canadian Fisheries method -- 10 minutes total for each inch of thickness. Doesn't matter if you fry, broil, or grill, that generally works. BTW, I hate (most) baked fish. 

I'd suggest fresh salmon, which is moist and flavorful. Halibut can be good, but it's often a bit dry and bland, especially if cooked a bit too long. Chilean sea bass is a universal favorite, as is tuna (ahi) but they're expensive. Mahi Mahi is a good choice, too, as is most cod -- mild flavor, sort of meaty texture, moist. Shark is somewhat like steak, as is swordfish -- mild, too. 

Most people like fish grilled on the BBQ -- easy, eliminates the smell, and it tastes great just plain. Oil the grill and the fish well, and season it with salt and pepper. Cook it like a steak until it's still a little opaque or raw looking in the middle -- it will be fine by the time it's on the table. Again, overcooking ruins fish -- you want it moist. Serve it with lemon.

Frying may turn off your family due to the smell, which can be quite strong indoors unless you have a very good range hood. 

I've attached (I hope) a few favorite recipes that even fish haters have found appealing.


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## Steve A (Jul 20, 2006)

Choco,

If you're going to use the fish you've got, here's how:

Thaw the fish covered in the refrigerator.

Get two pans and one bowl. In pan #1 pour in flour, season if you wish with salt and pepper. You may also add any other dried herbs or spices depending on your taste.  Combine thoroughly.

In the bowl, crack several eggs and add some milk. Mix the eggs and milk together; this is called an eggwash.

In the remaining pan put in breadcrumbs, panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), crushed soda crackers or more flour if you choose to go that route. Some folks choose to add grated parmesan cheese and granulated garlic in this too.

Pat your fish dry. Begin by dredging each fillet in the pan 1 (flour). Shake off excess flour and dip in bowl with eggwash. Let excess drip off back into bowl.

Take the fillet to pan 2, and cover with breadcrumbs, patting lightly to ensure it adheres.

In a skillet, or fryer, heat oil until it shimmers (350F). If you're using a skillet, you'll probably want to use a wide pan and about 1/2" (or possibly more) of oil. You can test the oil temperature by either using a thermometer for that purpose or dropping a cube of fresh bread into it. If it browns nicely, you're on. If it takes too long to brown and gets soggy, you need to wait for hotter oil. If it turns BLACK, you're too hot.

Okay, place your fillets in carefully so that the end you are holding is AWAY from you body. This helps keep splattering to the body to a minimum. Cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes, turn fish over (if it wasn't completely submersed) and cook for approximately another 3 minutes. *NOTE: Those times will differ based on the density of the fish, thickness of the fillets and temperature of the oil*.

Once you get the hang of it, you can vary your flavoring agents in the dry breading.

This will provide you with a breaded fillet.  There's a different recipe for battered, but the process is very close to that of the above.

I hope this helps you out. Don't be afraid of it, but DO be careful. Much like diamonds, oil burns are forever.

Ciao,


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## skilletlicker (Jul 20, 2006)

Steve A's advice was was pretty good, except he didn't emphasize enough to "place your fillets in carefully so that the end you are holding is AWAY from you body. This helps keep splattering to the body to a minimum".  Especially if you're not wearing a shirt!


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## Steve A (Jul 21, 2006)

Sure I did, Skillet.. LOL. Didn't you see this part?:


> *I hope this helps you out. Don't be afraid of it, but DO be careful. Much like diamonds, oil burns are forever.*


 
Ciao,


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## brinorwood (Aug 17, 2006)

*Ok, from a southren Va Redneck..*
*We do a lot of bream, Crappy(speakle) and large mouth bass.*
*But you can get cat fish at any store..*
*Easy depening on how many fish. 1 Part self rising flour, 1 part yellow corn meal. 1 teaspoon salt per cup of mix, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoon O'bay season. mix in a bowel or large zip lock bag Prefer bag.*
*If doing a lot of fish you can mix in large bowel and pour as needed into bag.For just a few , and about a full cup of mix.*
*In a bowel mix 1/2 cup milk with 1 small egg. beat well. about 4 to 6 fish..Use a good veg. oil in heavy fry pan, I use cast iron. about 1/4 to 1/2. Temp about 350% to 375%. Coat fish with egg milk mix.. Let it drip off so it dose not run off. Coat in flour mix. Carefully place in oil. Thin fish less then 1/2 inch gose fast. about 3 mins. turn or until golden brown each side..If doing more then 12. And plan to do it a lot.. get a Turcky fryer. Fance word for out door deep fry.. This is easy. Oil half way up stock pot. Heat 350 to 375%. Coat fish, drop in, when start to float to top DONE. May want to use basket to make it easy to get out. and tongs to help move fish around so all sides cook. When done cooking fish. Get some hush puppy mix and cook in same oil Mmmmmmmmmmm*
*GOOD.*
*Salmon, Tuner are not a breaded deep fring fish. If doing salt water. Flonder, Cod, small blue fish(cut out any black or dark blue parts along back),*
*drum, And poor mans Crocker, spot..*
*Good luck*
*Brian*


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## Ellen (Aug 17, 2006)

I am very picky with fish, and would not be inclined to use unidentified frozen fish.  Go to the fish mongers and ask about the lighter tasting fish available. Flounder is a good choice, so is schnapper and terekihi.   Choose filleted fish, a bone can be very upseting. Dredge in seasoned flour shaking any excess off.  Cook in foaming butter until edges become opaque then turn over.  Serve with lemon wedges.   And perhaps a salad and baked potato.  It is a very easy meal, and tasty.


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## Half Baked (Aug 17, 2006)

For light fish, I mix some mayonaise, Old Bay, lemon, s&p and dill together and spread it over the fish.

Bake at 350 until it flakes easily.


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## ChefScotty (Aug 17, 2006)

I really like flatfish like sole and flounder.    Dip in flour, egg then a good panko, 2-3 mins either side cooked in butter.


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## Yakuta (Aug 17, 2006)

The only way I cook fried fish (and I don't cook it too much) is hot and spicy and with some unusual Indian ingredients.  If you'd like give it a try and it's really delicious:

I like to use white fish - I prefer trout and tilapia fillets (skin is fine)
Wash and pat it dry with paper towels
Prepare a spice mix -  1 tsp of red chili powder. 2 tsp of cumin powder, 2 tsp of corrainder powder, 1/2 tsp of turmeric, salt, juice of two limes, 1/4 tsp of grated ginger and 1/4 tsp of minced garlic.  Mix all of this in a bowl and taste for salt (adjust if necessary).  Now pour this over the fish fillets and use your hands to ensure it's all mixed well.  

Marinate it for an hour in the refrigerator (no more than that). 

Heat 1 cup of oil in a saute pan (It's to pan fry not deep fry)

I then take each spiced fillet and roll it lightly in besan (chick pea flour, available in Indian and middle eastern stores) you can substitute plain flour if you can't get chick pea flour (But besan adds that delicious taste).  

Add it slowly to medium hot oil (don't crowd it about 3 to 4 fillets at a time) and cook both sides (turn it carefully) until lightly golden brown. 

This fish is so delicious that you can't eat just one peice,  you have to eat many many  to satisfy your taste buds.


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## txoldshirley (Aug 17, 2006)

We go fishing every weekend.  What we do when we fry fish is grind cracker crumbs in the food processor to a very fine mixture.  We soak our fish in a mixture of egg and evaporated milk then dip it in the saltine cracker mixture.  We deep fry it and between batches of fish, we fry french fries to "clean up" the grease.  it's great although for diet reasons, I usually eat my fish grilled or broiled.  I don't grill or broil frozen fish as it is just too fishy tasting.


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## Half Baked (Aug 17, 2006)

chocojun said:
			
		

> I'm looking to make some fried fish sometime, Insha Allah (god willing), this week. If i'm not baking a cake or some cookies, I'm clueless about cooking. How would you go about doing such a thing? I don't even know what kind of fish I have. It's frozen in a bag in my freezer. No one in this house are big fans of fish unless it's fish sticks. SO... throw out some ideas here


 
 I must have been off in space when I answered this with a baked fish idea.


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## Ellen (Aug 17, 2006)

I like baked to HB.  Filets with bacon tomato onion.  Or a whole schnapper not scaled.  Inside filled with lemon and herbs,  layed over and under with herbs.  Just slip the skin off after.


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## Half Baked (Aug 17, 2006)

Sounds great, Ellen.  I love rockfish with lemon and herbs.


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## txoldshirley (Aug 18, 2006)

Half Baked said:
			
		

> Sounds great, Ellen. I love rockfish with lemon and herbs.


 
I ate Lemon Crusted Catfish at a restaurant one time.  Didn't think I'd like it, but it was to die for!!!!


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## lulu (Aug 18, 2006)

I too would be wary of using an unidentified frozen fish.....do you even know how long its been in there?  lol

I pan fry salmon frequently, its a stand by meal for us.  I use a small knob of butter and about the same amount of veg oil, dip the salmon in seasoned flour and cook skin side down over a medium high heat, until the skin is crispy and brown and the flesh looks cooked about half way through.  Then I turn over the fillet, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat of and leave it for about 10 minutes.  I find this always cooks salmon perfectly so the the middle is only just done and its all moist and tasty.  We usuaaly have this with salad or rice and vegetables.  I love it drizzled in balsamic vinegar.  I think salmon is the best way to start liking fish.


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