Getting a very appetizing fish, with crispy skin and meat cooked to the point can be a difficult task if you do not have the keys to do it in a simple way. Today we tell you how to grill fish so that it does not stick and the skin is crispy.
Fish with soft skin is unattractive and usually results in the skin remaining on the plate, being pushed aside by diners. But nevertheless, a crispy, golden skin makes the dish more appetizing and also the texture contrasts very well with that of the meat, providing one more point of satisfaction.
There are many little things or details to take into account, to get a fish ready to take to the table. We tell you all the technique step by step so that you can internalize it, although in short, it is a matter of temperature, patience and a certain control. In addition, we tell you another very simple way to do it for when you do not have time or you have weakened patience or willpower.
First steps
To ensure that the fish is well cooked on the grill and with a crispy skin, you need to have dry skin before subjecting it to the heat of the stove. If the skin is moist, it will cook the fish and the skin will be soft. To avoid this, it is best to dry the skin of the fish with an absorbent paper towel. This way you will get a better result.
In the case of thick or tall fillets, it may be advisable make some cuts in the skin to ensure even cooking. This also helps prevent the skin from curling and shrinking on the sides, curling up the fish. If the fillets are thinthe cuts are not necessary, although it does not interfere with making them.
to make the cuts, it is convenient to tighten the skin, which makes it easier to make the indentations. With a sharp knife, make cuts about 4 cm long, with 1 cm of separation between the cuts and shallow, just enough to cut the skin and a little more, in the meat, approximately 2-3 mm.
Preparation and grilling
Just before cooking the fish, it is time to season itboth on the skin side and on the meat side. We can use salt and pepper, just salt or the combination of spices and aromatic herbs that we like the most.
While we season the fish, we heat the griddle, carmela or frying pan, lightly covered with a little extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is at maximum temperatureNow is the time to put the fish skin side down and let it cook.
Do not move the fish or try to move it until the skin has browned. It is a matter of faith, of patience or in other words, a matter of waiting a few minutes. At the beginning, especially in slices or fish that are not very flat, you can press down on the meat with your hand or with a slotted spoon to increase its contact with the plate, or even put a light weight on top. The resistance of the fish will break in about a minute.
Then the skin will stick to the pan or griddle, but you have to be patient. In about three minutes, the skin loosens and lifts off the bottom. When the fish can be easily turned or moved, it is time to turn it over to finish cooking the meat part. Here, we have two possibilities, depending on the thickness of the fish fillet.
fish finish
There are two options here, depending on the thickness of the fish:
- For the thin fillets less than 2 cm thick, like those of the sea bream, we can simply turn them over and leave them on the heat for a minute and a half or two, so that they finish cooking on the meat side.
- For the thickest fillets -for example salmon, hake, etc., we finish cooking it in the oven, always with the skin on the bottom, leaving until the center of the thickest part is at 55ºC, if you can measure it with a probe. It will take between four and eight minutes, depending on the thickness of the piece.
By cooking the fish in this way, you will always be left with an appetizing crispy skinwhich will accompany and contrast with the smooth meat of the fish that we have cooked on the grill or in the oven.
Extra trick: how to make sure that the skin does not stick to the iron and also not stain anything
As we explained to you when we did the best technique for cooking prawns, king prawns, king prawns or shrimp on the griddle, a great trick so that the griddle does not stain or pick up odors is cover with satin baking paper.
To make it stick to the grill you can put a drop of oil in each corner and before putting the fish, lightly varnish the paper with a kitchen brush. A) Yes, it is impossible for the fish to stick to the grilleither an electric plugged into the wall or an iron that we put on the fire.
Although a priori it may seem that it will not work, this technique always works. You just have to wait a couple of minutes more than if the paper wasn’t there, but the skin is just as crispy and golden and obviously, it will not stick to the bottom of the griddle because the fish will not be in direct contact with it.
one last recommendation
Before serving the fish, it is advisable to let it rest for three or four minutes so that the juices settle and distribute, to prevent them from spilling onto the plate when you cut the fish. Take the opportunity to accompany the fish with a wonderful side dish such as the pepper salad or these roasted potatoes with shallots
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