You, too, can make your pan seared fish look like a top chef was cooking in your kitchen. Do it in 6 simple steps.
What you need?
A large frying pan for your to cook your fish on
- A slightly smaller frying pan
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper and other herbs to your liking (rosemary, oregano, thyme)
- Firm fish like salmon or sea bass
- Lemon wedges for a splash of zest at the end
- Parsley sprigs if you really want to get fancy on your guests (for decorating)
- Prep your fish. Pat it dry on both sides with paper towels and season it with salt & pepper (and herbs if you like). Here I just used salt & pepper. Rub olive oil into the top of the fish, massaging the seasoning into the flesh.
- Light coat a large frying pan with olive oil. Heat the pan on high heat to get it really hot.
- Oil the bottom of the smaller frying pan.
- Once the large frying pan is heated, put the fish in he pan skin side down. Then, put the second smaller frying pan on top to make sure the skin of the fish is pushed into bottom of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-high. Leave the pan on the fish for 3-4 minutes. Take the top small frying pan off and continue to cook another 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. You want to cook the fish with the skin side down till the fish is cooked through 2/3 of the way through before flipping.
- Flip the fish after about 6-8 minutes and let cook another 2-4 minutes or until the fish no longer look translucent/raw on the top.
- Take the fish off the heat and flip onto a platter. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top. Garnish the platter with parsley and lemon wedges.
Psst…. The rule of thumb for cooking fish is to measure the fish at its thickest point and cook it 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Given the thickness of your fish, adjust cooking times accordingly.
Quick Meal Idea: Serve the salmon or sea bass with rice and sautéed spinach for a healthy, balanced meal. Simply, start cooking the rice before while you prep your fish. For the spinach, chop up a few cloves of garlic, put them in a heated frying pan, add a few shakes of red pepper flakes, stir the cloves around till aromatic and then add the washed spinach. Stir every so often until all the leaves have slighty wilted. Remove from heat.
Salmon Wine Pairing Suggestion:
Rosé – Salmon pairs lovely with rosé. As a rule of thumb, rosé pairs nicely with anything that is pink in color (salmon, lobster, strawberries, etc.). Click here for my rosé wine suggestions.
Pinot Gris – Try a Pinot Gris from Alsace or the New World. They tend to be fuller bodied, spicier, and viscous in texture.
Pinot Noir – the tannins help cut through the oils of the fish, but yet are not overwhelming.
Sea Bass Wine Pairing Suggestion:
Chablis – these bone-dry French Chardonnay wines have flinty aromatics, high acidity, lightly oaked, with green & citrus fruit characteristics.
Riesling – dry, medium-bodied Rieslings tend to have nice citrus (apple, grape) and mineral notes and the high acidity pairs nicely with fish.
Pinto Noir – This light red wine has medium, low tannins, red fruit flavors (strawberry, raspberry) and can develop pleasant vegetal characteristics (mushrooms). It does not overpower fish like some other red wines.
Images are personal photos.
