Pan Fried Fish

Pan-frying Fish
from Keith "Catfish" Sutton, ESPNOutdoors.com

You can pan-fry, or sauté, almost any fish fillet, steak or small whole fish. This method involves cooking the fish in a large skillet to which has been added a few tablespoons of butter or oil. Heat to the bubbly stage, add the fish and cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides.

If done correctly, the skin of the fish will turn out crispy, not burned, and the flesh will be flaky and moist. Add oil or butter as necessary between batches of fish.

The pan-fry skillet should never be covered when cooking. If this is done, steam forms and the skin will not crisp. It's also important to avoid crowding the fish in an undersize skillet. This cools the oil or butter and makes the fish greasy.

Faith's Recipe for Pan Fried Fish (flour, salt, pepper, and butter)

This is the way I have always cooked fried fish, especially whole fresh trout and whole lake perch. It is a very simple recipe but one of the best ways to cook whole fish in my opinion. To pan fry lighter and more fragile fillets like flounder, try this recipe: Flounder w/ Lemon Butter.

Whole trout, lake perch or other whole fish for frying (gutted but skin left on)
Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
Butter
Fresh lemons

Wash the fish well and let drain leaving some moisture for the flour to adher to.

Heat a cast iron fry pan until fairly hot. You should be able to place your hand over the bottom of the pan and feel the heat. Turn the heat to medium.

Add a couple of tablespoons of butter in the pan to melt. Dredge the fish in seasoned flour and place in the pan skin side down. Squeeze lemon juice over the top of the fish and let fry, uncovered, until the skin turns brown and crisp. The lemon juice in the butter will bubble up. Flip and cook on the other side until crisp.

Serve with extra lemon wedges and tartar sauce, if desired.

Pan-Fried Bream Dilly (cornmeal dredge)

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
  • 6 bluegills, pan-dressed (scaled, gutted, heads removed)
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

    Melt the butter in a skillet and stir in the dill. Dredge the fish in a mixture of flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Pan-fry the fish pieces in the dill butter until done.

Pan-Fried Walleye Fillets (Italian flavored bread crumbs)

  • 10 walleye fillets (about 4 to 6 ounces each)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1½ cups Italian bread crumbs (bread crumbs with Italian Seasoning)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    Soak the fish in buttermilk for 30 minutes. Remove, and dredge in a mixture of the bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Fry the fillets in a combination of the butter and olive oil heated in a skillet. Add more butter and olive oil as needed. Fry until golden brown, or until the thickest part of the fish is easily flaked with a fork.