Yesterday I spent some time perusing the fish counter down at Central Market. I came upon some dover sole. Sole is a plain white fish but it caught my eye because it was cheap ($7.99 lb) and because it was incredibly thin. I've been experimenting with breading and frying fish, but I've had trouble getting it cooked properly.
My last attempt was with catfish. Catfish is a fairly thin fillet (about 1/2 - 3/4 inch at the thickest), with a tougher texture. I had some spectacularly delicious fried catfish when I was down in New Orleans, so I had high hopes. It turned out edible, but it wasn't great. The breading turned golden brown, but the inside of the fish just wasn't cooked. I ended up finishing it in the oven to make sure it was cooked, but this affected the texture of the breading. I think my problem was not having the oil at a high enough temperature when the fish went into the pan.
The sole I got was thin - probably a 1/4 inch thick or less. It was so thin that I figured panko breadcrumbs would completely overwhelm the fish. Instead I decided to just dredge the fillets in seasoned flour. I put maybe a cup of AP flour on a plate and sprinkled it with a generous amount of salt, about a full teaspoon. Then I added a fair dusting of black pepper, and a dash of old bay. I mixed this with a fork until blended.
All the while I had a thin coating of oil heating up in a cast iron skillet. I let the oil heat up to the point where a drop of water would spit and sizzle when dropped in the oil. Then I dredged the fillets in the flour, shook off any excess, and laid them in the pan - being careful not to let them touch or overlap. I cooked them for a minute or two per side. I flipped them when I saw that the outer edges of the fish became opaque. I cooked them until the fish was lightly browned and just starting to crumble when flipped.
Once done I took them out of the pan and laid them on a paper towel lined plate to drain. I then seasoned them with a little lemon juice and scarfed them down. They were delicious. I got two small fillets for $2.38 and it took maybe ten minutes to cook. Quick, easy, cheap. This could also easily be adapted to a larger meal by making more fish and adding a side or two, like boiled new potatoes and green beans. Yum.
My last attempt was with catfish. Catfish is a fairly thin fillet (about 1/2 - 3/4 inch at the thickest), with a tougher texture. I had some spectacularly delicious fried catfish when I was down in New Orleans, so I had high hopes. It turned out edible, but it wasn't great. The breading turned golden brown, but the inside of the fish just wasn't cooked. I ended up finishing it in the oven to make sure it was cooked, but this affected the texture of the breading. I think my problem was not having the oil at a high enough temperature when the fish went into the pan.
The sole I got was thin - probably a 1/4 inch thick or less. It was so thin that I figured panko breadcrumbs would completely overwhelm the fish. Instead I decided to just dredge the fillets in seasoned flour. I put maybe a cup of AP flour on a plate and sprinkled it with a generous amount of salt, about a full teaspoon. Then I added a fair dusting of black pepper, and a dash of old bay. I mixed this with a fork until blended.
All the while I had a thin coating of oil heating up in a cast iron skillet. I let the oil heat up to the point where a drop of water would spit and sizzle when dropped in the oil. Then I dredged the fillets in the flour, shook off any excess, and laid them in the pan - being careful not to let them touch or overlap. I cooked them for a minute or two per side. I flipped them when I saw that the outer edges of the fish became opaque. I cooked them until the fish was lightly browned and just starting to crumble when flipped.
Once done I took them out of the pan and laid them on a paper towel lined plate to drain. I then seasoned them with a little lemon juice and scarfed them down. They were delicious. I got two small fillets for $2.38 and it took maybe ten minutes to cook. Quick, easy, cheap. This could also easily be adapted to a larger meal by making more fish and adding a side or two, like boiled new potatoes and green beans. Yum.
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