Rethinking fish breading: How it may impact your frying results

Common mistakes during fish preparation can greatly influence the taste and texture of the final dish. For instance, constantly moving the fish around or pricking it with a fork while frying can cause it to lose moisture. Furthermore, disregarding quality and only focusing on the price can be detrimental. One particularly notable misunderstanding is the assumption that all fish must be breaded before frying. Do you bread your fish every time? If so, you might want to reconsider.

The answer to this question is both yes and no, and it depends largely on the type of fish and the filleting method employed.

Small fish, also known as panfish, simply need a light dusting of flour when frying whole. For a thick fillet of salmon with skin, however, there's no need for breading. It's best to cook it slightly longer on the skin side, and for a shorter time on the other. Breading is advisable for delicately flavored fish like pike or carp. Lean fish, such as cod, benefit when breaded in pancake batter, as it locks in as much moisture as possible.

Thus, breading salmon is a culinary faux pas, as it can potentially ruin its flavor and texture. Small fish, like crucians, can be lightly dusted with flour before frying, while breading cod with flour may not yield the best results. In such cases, a pancake batter could work wonders. As it turns out, the technique of breading fish might not be as straightforward as many people tend to assume.