Seared Crispy-Skin Black Bass
Crispy fish skin is a treat. When done right, it’s crunchy and salty, and tastes like the ocean. I’ve come up with this method for getting fish skin perfectly crispy because in my career I’ve spent a lot of time being frustrated by sticking fish skin to the pan. My solution is more than a recipe; it’s a technique. And it will work for any fish with skin. This approach is all about having a hot pan, patience, and my secret . . . a second sauté pan. Use my method and you will always make fish with delightfully satisfying and crispy skin.
Recipe information
Yield
serves: 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Take the fish out of the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before you’re ready to cook. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt.
Step 2
Coat a large sauté pan generously with olive oil and bring it to high heat, almost smoking. Coat the UNDERNEATH of another smaller sauté pan with olive oil. Place the fish fillets skin side down in the larger pan and gently place the other sauté pan directly on top of the fish. The purpose of this is to gently press the skin of the fish onto the bottom of the larger pan to create a lovely, even, crispy skin. (The first thing fish skin wants to do is stick to the pan, and the first thing cooks want to do is move it. Resist the urge; it will unstick itself when it’s ready. This is where patience comes in—if you try to move it before it’s ready, the fish skin will win every time.)
Step 3
After a couple minutes, remove the top sauté pan to allow the steam to escape and the skin to get really crispy. As the fish cooks it turns from translucent to opaque—the idea is to cook the fish two-thirds of the way through on the skin side and then flip it over for the last third of the cooking time. The rule for fish is 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness, a little less if you like your fish on the rare side.
