Dip the fish pieces in the seasoned egg white and roll them in the cornmeal while the oil is heating. Place two to three filets (depending upon size of each) in the hot oil. In the center, thoroughly whisk 2 eggs in a shallow bowl for each pound of fish. The steps here show how to do a full three-step coating, but the basic idea can also be used to simply coat the fish once with flour to improve browning for pan-fried fish. Pat fish dry. The fish can be coated, covered, and chilled up to several hours before cooking. She is hard at work on her first cookbook, which combines healthy eating with science-based natural remedies. Copyright © 2020 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. turn and continue cooking until golden brown and fish flakes with a fork. Flip them over and cook them until they've browned on the second side and the fish is opaque and flaky in the center, about 3 more minutes. Cook the fillets until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Canola oil, vegetable oil and peanut oil all work fine. Brynne has been writing fun and informative non-fiction articles for almost a decade. Step 3. Heat the oil over medium high until a bit of cornmeal scattered over the top sizzles. For an extremely lightly coated fish, you can go directly to Step 7 to Cook the Fish Fillets. Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. You can use fine or medium cornmeal by itself, mix it with a little flour or use a packaged cornmeal fish-fry mix. To know if the fish is either well prepared or fit for eating, various methods are used to check. (If you're left-handed, start from the right and go left.). in 10" skittle heat oil until hot. Cut your fish fillets in half lengthwise, Cut both halves crosswise into nuggets. Lay the fish in the plate of crumbs or whatever final coating you're using. Homemade aioli is an easy and tasty choice. Look for firm, uniformly textured flesh and clean smell of ocean, river, or lake. Depending on the specific fish and the pan size, you may be able to cook anywhere from one to four fillets at once. Do not crowd the fish. Keep the size of the nuggets as consistent as possible so that they all cook at the same rate. Fill a skillet with about 1/2 to 3/4 inches of oil. Fry them for another 2 to 3 minutes, depending upon how thick they are. Place an egg white in a second pie plate or shallow dish. Serve pan-fried fish hot with wedges of lemon or the sauce of your choice. Place the cornmeal on one plate, flour on another plate (use about 1/2-cup of flour for every four fillets) … Remove the fillets from the pan and hold them on a warm baking sheet or tray. Lay each fillet in the cornmeal mixture, pressing down so the cornmeal coats the fish. Especially with mild fish, you will want to season both the flesh and the cornmeal to make the most flavorful dish. Dip the fish fillet in the egg mixture, turning it as necessary to coat it completely. Set the frying pan on the stove and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/8 inch of oil. Serve with potatoes or rice. Coat the fish fillets in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess cornmeal. Heat up the oil in a frying pan set over a medium … Pan-frying fish is one of the most delicious ways to cook any non-fatty fish. cook over med heat until golden brown. Brynne Chandler raised three children alone while travelling, remodeling old homes, taking classes at the Unioversity of California Northridge and enjoying a successful career writing TV Animation. Place them into the hot oil in small batches. Repeat steps 4 to 6 with the remaining fillets. Coating fish in cornmeal adds a finely-grained texture that fries up into a delicately crisp crust as well as adding another layer of flavor without overwhelming the fish. Keep each fillet whole or cut the fish into portion sizes or fish sticks. Lay the coated fish fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray. Season it with salt, pepper and your choice of seasonings. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Place a fillet on the flour, pat it down, turn it, and pat it on the other side to thoroughly coat the fillet with a thin layer of flour. Almost any spice goes with fish, but plain salt and pepper are enough to bring out the natural flavor of both the cornmeal and the fish. Step 6 Fry the fish nuggets for 2 … Place the cooked fish nuggets on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and serve immediately. Getting the cornmeal to stick can be a challenge because a traditional egg-and-milk batter is too heavy for fish. Do not crowd the pan when frying fish nuggets because if the temperature of the oil falls too low, the coating won't get properly crisp and if the pan is overcrowded it can bubble over.