Frying Fish

Fish Suitable

Whiting, Garfish, Flathead

Cooking Utensils

Frying Pan

Cooking Time

3-5 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 fillets or cutlets of fish
• 1/2 Cup of Plain Flour
• Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 Eggs - beaten
• 3/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs or Crushed CornFlakes
• 15 gms of Butter
• 1 Tablespoon of Safflower or Peanut Oil

For the best flavour, fish should be fried as quickly as possible. Shallow fry preferably in clarified butter, but only just enough to stop the fish sticking to the pan, and be especially wary with fat when frying oily fish such as mullet.

I find eating battered fish (not beaten fish !) or crumbed fish most enjoyable. As with any cooking of fish fillets, it is desirable to remove any bones from the fillets. Put the flour, egg and bread crumbs into three separate dishes. Then season the fish with salt and pepper and dip each fillet first in the flour, then in the beaten egg and lastly in the bread crumbs, patting the fillets well and coating the fish all over. I use one hand for the flour and bread crumbs and the other for the egg, so that you don't get crumbs stuck to your fingers.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and when it is hot but not smoking, fry the fillets 3-5 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. When serving, sprinkle some lemon juice on the fish, complimented with some tossed salad, mashed potatoes with diced raw onion, buttered hot bread rolls to mop up the juices, and your favourite white wine.

Writing this segment made my mouth water !! I had this recipe 2 nights ago with King George Whiting fillets, and my son thinks I'm the best cook there is. If his Mum cooks the fish, he usually ends up wanting fish fingers !