Pan frying or searing is a simple, straight-forward method, easy to do at home, and works well on a variety of fish. No breading or coatings, just a generous piece of fresh fish on the griddle with a little oil, cook until nicely browned on the surface and still juicy inside.

​

When fish is pan-fried, it is simply placed on a hot pan with a small amount of oil until the surface is browned, and the fish cooked through. The most important thing to work out is that the thickness of the fish matches the intensity of the flame, so that ideally the fish is cooked through at the same time as the surface is nicely browned.

 

I find it best to use a medium flame, and be patient about letting the browning develop. If the fish is not cooked through by the time the browning is correct, simply place the fish in a warm place for a few minutes to complete the cooking. The browning gives the fish a beautiful texture and flavour by caramelising the surface. This way of
cooking fish is a great for simple fish dinners, with the unaltered taste and texture of the fish as the star.