Don’t let the simplicity of this delicious recipe for fried fish fool you: The fillet is fried perfectly on the inside, with a beautiful golden crust. Haddock and cod are excellent choices for our fried fish recipe, but tilapia, pollock, catfish, bass, trout or perch will also make a lovely meal. Ready in 30 minutes, this is the perfect meal for a busy night of the week or as a weekend brunch along with a salad and some sauces, like classic tartar, remolled Louisiana, or chipotle mayonnaise.
The trick to perfecting the fried fish is in the oil, the temperature used to cook it, and the paint used on the fish. Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, corn, safflower, peanut, avocado, or grape seed oil – avoid olive oil or butter, as they will burn at the temperatures required for frying. Don’t skip the flour coating, as it provides a delicious crunchy texture, keeps the fish from absorbing too much oil, and also keeps the fish fillets in one piece. For best results, use a heavy-bottomed skillet to distribute the heat evenly.
Since fish is a smoother protein, if your slices are particularly thin, watch the skillet closely when frying it. For batch frying, add more oil as needed and raise the temperature before adding more fillets. Before starting, gently dry the fish fillets with a paper towel.
Ingredients :
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste
Pepper to taste
1 pound of fillet fish (such as haddock, tilapia, or cod)
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges, tartar sauce, or remolide, optional