An easy fish recipe is always welcome on my menu. In my family, we typically eat fish every Friday. It’s something we really look forward to every week. All over the place there’s recommendations to get some wild-caught (not farmed) fish in our lives. Well, you don’t have to ask me twice. If I’m not the one filleting the fish, it’s a fast meal and everyone feels like they’ve experienced some high-end dining.
There’s many sources of flaky, white fish. It can be a bit delicate, but if you know some handy tips you can make it like a pro. For this recipe, I chose flounder. It’s a fish with a reputation for being extra delicate in the pan. My technique will work for any whitefish you have on hand.
First, you have to make sure the fish doesn’t have any bones left in it. This is important. Typically down that middle line on a fillet is where any fish bones may be hiding. You can run your fingertips along that line and feel them. Pulling them all out would take forever. I cut out that bony piece of connective tissue instead.
Next feel all over the fillet with your finger tips. Fish bones typically congregate together. Cut those pieces out. Depending on the length of your fillets, you may want to additionally cut them horizontally, so they can be cooked in the pan easily.
When your fillets are properly deboned and cut the way you like them, salt them with a mineral-rich salt like Celtic Sea salt here, Real Salt here or Himalayan Salt here. Be sure to salt both sides. After this you can use any herb/spice blend you’d like to sprinkle over them. I chose 2 teaspoons of chili powder here, 2 teaspoons garlic powder here and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper here. I personally store bulk spices and herbs in my freezer and they last a LONG time. When the spices are sprinkled on both sides, finish each side with some freshly, cracked black pepper. These things are what forms a crust on the fish and browns while it’s cooking. I let it sit this way to dry out any moisture for 15-30 minutes.
To keep the fish from sticking (I never use non-stick cookware), use plenty of saturated fat. Have fun, be creative! It’s delicious in a pastured butter (like Kerrygold), expeller pressed coconut oil (this kind doesn’t taste like coconut) here or real rendered lard from pastured pigs (not hydrogenated lard from the store).
I used a cast iron skillet, but I’ve used stainless steel skillets as well with great results. The key is to have enough of the saturated fat of your choice. For about 2lbs of fish, I put 7 tablespoons butter into the skillet on the lower level of the medium high heat setting. Let it melt and then check for it to start bubbling. Once it has been bubbling for a minute or so, you can put your fish down to start cooking.
To brown well, I cooked mine for 4-5 minutes/side. Since there was enough fat in the skillet, the fillets didn’t stick and didn’t fall apart. Turning them over to cook on the other side was a breeze, as was removing them from the skillet after they were done. If you want them browner, simply cook them about a minute longer.
I personally served them family style over mashed potatoes. White rice (here) would work well too. After the fillets were put onto the platter, I poured the pan drippings over the entire dish and surrounded it with lemons and fresh parsley. Even without the lemons or parsley though, you can have an amazing dinner.
Enjoy!
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