Guest Blog by Executive Chef and Fishing Aficionado David Morton

Spring time is just around the corner and soon all of our coolers will be loaded with fish.

Today I would to talk about the art of frying those fish. Did you know fish fried properly has less fat than putting oil and vinegar on your salad? There are a few keys points to know on frying correctly.

Use only fresh unused oil:

In fresh oil the molecules are close together and are inactive. Food dropped into fresh hot oil acts like an irritant to the oil, which responds very quick by sealing the breading so the oil can’t get to the product inside. Everything including crumbs, water, salt, heat, and even non breaded foods (like French fries) start making the molecules separate, so shaking off all excess breading  is a must before frying.

Use plenty of oil at the proper temperature:

Make sure you have enough oil to totally submerge the product. 350 degrees in most cases is a good rule of thumb for the temperature. If the oil is not hot enough, it will start to soak into the breading, instead of sealing it up. The result will be a hard and greasy crust. On the flip side, if the oil is too hot, the crust will not stick to the product and it will brown too fast on the outside and be gummy on the inside. Even worse, the food inside will not be cooked all the way through.

Beware of breading and overcrowding:

Do not bread your fish until right before placing each piece into the oil. The longer the breading sits the gummier it gets. In addition, avoid overcrowding your fryer as overcrowding will lower the temperature of the oil resulting in a greasy crust.

If you follow these guidelines, you will have fish cooked correctly with the perfect crust.

When frying fish I like to ice brine my fish first. For about three pounds of fish, you will need ¼ cup of salt to one gallon of water and 2lb ice. Dissolve the salt in water and add the ice. Soak your fish fillets in the ice bath for about 20 minutes. I like the dry, wet, dry procedure myself. Keeping it simple is the key.

Here is my recipe for…

Perfect Fried Fish

Ingredients:

3lbs. of fresh fish fillet (no more than 1 inch thick)

2 cups of flour (plain)

1 cup corn meal (wet ground, white, preferred)

2 eggs

16 oz buttermilk or evaporated milk

3 Tbsp water

Salt and pepper to taste

A couple of drops of hot sauce (your preference)

Procedure:

You will need 3 mixing bowls

Bowl 1: 1 cup flour, seasoned

Bowl 2: Add your 2 eggs, water and hot sauce. Whisk your eggs until smooth.

Bowl 3: Mix 1 cup of flour and 1 cup corn meal together, seasoned

When oil is ready, Pat your fish dry. Then dip fillets in each bowl, in the order above 1 , 2 , 3. Remember, salt is heavier than flour or corn meal and will sink to the bottom of your bowl.

Gently place in hot oil. (Don’t Throw the product in!!) Oil bites!

Enjoy! Hope these tips help you cook the perfect fried fish too.

About Dave Morton: 

We, at Boat Xtreme, are thrilled to have professional chef and experienced fisherman David Morton contributing to our blog. Dave has over 25 years of experience as a chef and has remarkable skill in developing and testing recipes, as well as in food preparation and presentation. Presently the chef at Hurricane Oyster Bar & Grill in Grayton Beach, FL, Dave works with a variety of fresh fish daily and knows exactly how to prepare them to perfection. In his blog posts, Dave will share his very best tips with you so you get the kind of results you want when you’re cooking your latest catch.