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I would place “how to cook fish quickly” right up there with other essential cooking skills like boiling eggs and cooking a pot of rice. If you can cook a fish fillet, you can have a healthy, easy dinner on the table in 10 minutes. Or less! It’s such a simple and versatile weeknight meal. Here’s how to do it.
Quick Overview
How to Cook Fish in a Pan
Pat your piece of fish dry (this will result in crispier skin!) and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, then cook the fish for 2 to 3 minutes (don’t move it!). Flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Which Kind of Fish Is Best for Stovetop Cooking?
For quick stovetop cooking, go for a white fish fillet. For today’s tutorial, we used tilapia, but any lean white fish can be cooked with this stovetop technique:
If you’re in doubt, just tell the fish seller how you’re planning to cook the fish and ask them which fish they recommend.
I often turn to a non-stick skillet when cooking fish in a pan. It makes this already-easy cooking process even easier, and I don’t get as worried about the fish sticking to the pan and tearing.
However, the advantage of a cast-iron skillet or stainless steel skillet is that the fish tends to get a little more golden and crispy, which I love. If you use one of these skillets, use a dab more oil then you might otherwise to help keep the fish from sticking.
All this said, just use the pan you have and feel most comfortable with. This fish is meant to be an easy weeknight meal, not something fancy, so it doesn’t need to look perfect! Don’t stress too much if the fish flakes apart as you flip it with your fish spatula (or if you leave little bits behind) — think of these bits as fish cracklin’s.
Once you’ve mastered this basic technique, it’s yours to play with! You can brush the fillets with a glaze, coat them in crispy bread crumbs, or serve them with a simple lemon butter sauce. Here are some other ideas for zhuzhing up this basic fish recipe:
Do you often cook fish on the stovetop? What’s your favorite way to cook it?
Comments
How To Cook Fish on the Stovetop
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
1
6- to 8-ounce white fish fillet per person, such as tilapia (pictured), cod, bass, grouper, haddock, catfish or snapper
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons
olive oil or butter
To serve: lemon wedges, minced herbs, capers, etc.
Use a paper towel to pat the fish dry on both sides.
Sprinkle the top of the fish generously with salt and pepper.
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Lay the fish, seasoned-side down, in the pan.
Cook the fish for 2 to 3 minutes without moving it. When ready to flip, the underside should look golden and crispy. It should also release fairly easily from the pan using a fish spatula. (Not a problem in an non-stick skillet!)
While the first side cooks, season the other side with salt and pepper.
Flip the fish to the second side and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. When ready, the fish will be opaque all the way through and flake apart easily.
Serve the fish while still hot from the pan with any finishing garnishes. White fish can often be very flaky after cooking; don't worry if it flakes apart a bit as you serve it.
The rule 10-Minute Rule or Canadian Cooking Method is simple: cook fish for 10-minutes per inch of thickness.Then, flip the fish only once, halfway through the cooking time. Whether you plan to follow a recipe or not, start by measure the thickest part of the fish with a clean ruler.
Cook your fish at 10 minutes per inch of thickness. And that's it. This works whether you're grilling, broiling, steaming, frying or baking your fish. Add 5 minutes if your fish is being cooked in sauce.
Roasting is best for whole fish or very large fillets or steaks. Your fish will also get done more quickly when roasting. Bake or roast on a baking sheet or in a baking pan that has been coated with non-stick spray.
A whole fish, in addition to being cheaper than the same weight in individual filets, is an excellent container for cooking (hey, look, it comes wrapped in a tough, scaly skin!), so barbecuing, roasting, broiling, pan-frying, poaching, and deep frying are all excellent methods for producing a moist, delicious result.
Cooking fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness is an old rule of thumb that works perfectly when roasting fillets or steaks. It's just enough time to cook the flesh through so that it's opaque, but not so much that it flakes.
The oil should be hot enough to sizzle when adding the fish to the pan. Fry the fish until golden on the bottom. For all those wondering, "How long does fish take to fry?": Pan-frying the average fillet takes about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
The USDA recommends cooking fish in general to 145ºF/63ºC, to kill harmful bacteria, but some chefs recommend cooking certain types of seafood a little below this to keep it moist. If you do this, it is important to buy fresh fish from a good fishmonger, to minimise the risk of contamination.
Fish early, and fish late. Many species of fish bite best right at dawn and dusk, in ambient sunlight. During the mid-day hours cloud cover can make for better fishing, and in direct sunlight (especially during the heat of summer) look for areas with shade.
To reduce exposure to contaminants, remove the fish skin and visible fat before cooking. Grill, broil, or bake the fish. Let the fat drip off during cooking. Avoid using the fat for gravy or sauces.
Whether you are pan searing it or grilling it, use a lower heat than you would with other meat. If you are planning to grill it, consider wrapping it in foil to keep in the moisture and ensure it doesn't absorb too much of the charcoal taste.
Frying is probably the most popular method of cooking fish. Shallow frying: The fish should be seasoned and lightly coated with flour or crumb before frying to protect it and seal in the flavour. Use a mixture of oil and butter when frying and turn the fish only once during cooking, to avoid breaking up.
Steaming and boiling, which cook your food using moist heat, are some of the healthiest ways to prepare meat. 3 Both methods require low temperatures, which helps preserve nutrients and protect against harmful fumes and substances.
Baking is a great way to prepare whole fish if you're short on stove space, as oven trays are usually larger than most pots or pans. Score large fish through the thickest part of the flesh to the bone 3-4 times on both sides, to allow even heat penetration.
Brush the fillets with olive oil, perhaps adding lemon juice and herbs, and rub the skin with salt. Lay on an oiled baking sheet, skin-side up, and grill for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp. Rest for 2 minutes, then push the tip of a sharp knife into the flesh – if it goes through easily, the fish is done.
A general rule of thumb for cooking is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, but this varies according to cooking method, heat intensity, and fish size. Use a cooking thermometer to gauge doneness more precisely.
Let it Reach Room Temperature Before Cooking. When you add cold fish to a hot pan, it will cook unevenly. It is a good idea to let salmon sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking so that it can warm to room temperature. Do not let it sit out for too long.
Fish simply doesn't need the long, slow rest of other meats. If anything, the rest should be proportional to cook time. Fish with a higher fat content and more connective tissue can tolerate a 5- to 10-minute covered or sauced resting period.
As a rule of thumb, you will want to bake a steak or fillet of fish at 450°F for 4 to 6 minutes per half-inch of thickness. A pan-dressed fish, or whole fish, will need to cook at 350°F for 6 to 9 minutes per 8 ounces of fish. The above guidelines will produce perfectly flaky fish.
Cook the fish for 2 to 3 minutes without moving it. When ready to flip, the underside should look golden and crispy. It should also release fairly easily from the pan using a fish spatula. (Not a problem in an non-stick skillet!)
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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