Any kind of fish can be fried if desired. But not every individual, when fried, comes out juicy on the inside and with a delicious crispy crust on the outside. Moreover, sometimes the fish turns out to be tender and fragrant, and sometimes completely tasteless and dry. But how should you choose fish for frying and how to properly cook it in a pan?
It is necessary
- - fish of moderately fatty or fatty varieties;
- - wheat flour for breading;
- - vegetable oil for frying;
- - butter for frying (optional);
- - salt;
- - frying pan.
Instructions
Step 1
In order for fried fish in a pan to turn out tasty and juicy, you need to know which types of fish are most successful in frying. Low-fat varieties of marine fish, such as pollock, cod, hake, and so on, are not at all suitable for this. But moderately fatty and fatty sea fish (pink salmon, saury, mackerel, horse mackerel, tuna, and so on) is perfectly fried and turns out to be very tasty.
Step 2
As for the choice of river fish, everything is much simpler here. Almost all varieties have the required fat content and are suitable for frying. But here it should be borne in mind that the most juicy are trout, salmon, carp, catfish, as well as crucian carp and silver carp.
Step 3
The fish must be cleaned before frying. To do this, you need to rip open the abdomen and remove all the insides, including the film. In large individuals, in addition, it is necessary to cut off the tail and head. After that, the cleaned carcass must be thoroughly rinsed under cool running water and dried with paper towels.
Step 4
After the fish is cleaned and washed, the question arises as to how best to cut it. If the fish is small, then it can be fried without cutting. If the average size, then everything here will depend on your preferences. But, if you decide to fry it whole, then make a small transverse cut in it at both ends - this way the carcass will keep its shape and will not deform during frying. As for large individuals, it is best to cut them in portions 3 cm thick.
Step 5
The most suitable dish for frying fish is a cast-iron frying pan or any other, but certainly with a thick bottom and walls. A correctly chosen frying pan will allow each piece of fish to fry as evenly as possible.
Step 6
As a rule, fish is fried in vegetable oil. But if you take vegetable oil and butter in equal proportions, the dish will turn out to be even tastier. You need to take so much oil so that the fish is immersed in it by 1/3. After the pan is filled with oil, it will need to be thoroughly reheated.
Step 7
Rub the fish with salt before placing it in the pan. You can use breadcrumbs or flour as a breading. But so that the taste of fried fish is not interrupted by another foreign taste, it is best to roll it in ordinary wheat flour.
Step 8
When the pan is warm enough, place the pieces of fish on it and fry until golden brown, 5-7 minutes on each side. You do not need to use a lid, and to reduce the amount of splashing, you can cover the pan with a colander.
Step 9
Transfer the cooked fried fish from the pan to a plate. It can be eaten both hot and cold as a main course or snack. It is best served with fresh onions, cut into half rings and drizzled with apple cider vinegar or 9% vinegar.
