What Temp to Cook Fish?

[college_cook]

I just wanted to do a simple catfish fillet in my skillet with some olive oil, and I thought fish was one of those things you had to cook at a really low temp for it to come out tasting great. To make a long story short my fish sat in the pan with olive oil for about 15 minutes getting almost nowhere before I cranked the heat up.

It came out not so great, which was ok since it wasn't really the star of tonight's dinner, so I don't think anyone really noticed. What is the appropriate heat to cook fish at? (My stove doesn;t have temps on the dial, just the little numbers. So maybe describe that way, or saying med. or high heat)

[Alix]

Hmmmm...I would start out with the skillet on high, then turn it down to medium high. Cook the fillets until they start to turn colour and the flesh flakes when you test it with a fork. It doesn't take all that long.

If you are baking the fish in the oven I think the rule of thumb is 15 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness.

[Andy M.]

If the fish sits in oil at too low a temp, it will taste oily. The heat has to be medium high to keep the fish crisp and tasty.

[college_cook]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

If the fish sits in oil at too low a temp, it will taste oily.

That is what happened. Thanks, both of you, for the tips.

[ironchef]

Next time, heat the oil on medium high until it lightly smokes. Then add the fish to the pan.

[CharlieD]

Medium high, cover when do the first side, fry till golden brown, then flip the fish over and leave the lid of.

[GB]

Originally Posted by college_cook

I thought fish was one of those things you had to cook at a really low temp for it to come out tasting great.

Nope not at all. Fish can be cooked with high heat. You just want to make sure not to over cook it. It will cook very fast with high heat.

[BreezyCooking]

Yup - medium high heat works the best.

For instance, last night I made Skate Wings. I just heated up some extra virgin olive oil & a couple of tablespoons of butter on medium high ("8" on my electric stove knob) until a drop of water spit & sizzled.

I then just added my seasoned-flour-dusted skate wing pieces. Four minutes per side had them crisp, golden, & cooked through with no oiliness whatsoever. This is how I usually saute fish if that's the way I plan to cook them. I even do "fried" oysters that way as well. I never deep fry.

Buy some more catfish & "play" with it. Catfish is cheap, & you can use any mistakes to make a great fish sandwich filling. Oil too cold & the fish will soak it up like a sponge; too hot & the outside will burn before the fish is cooked thru. You'll find out what the perfect temp is on your range.

[jminion]

Oil under 325 degrees is not give the results you are looking for, oil temp of 325 to 350 or 360 will do the job.
Jim