buddha162
Moderator
Perhaps my favorite way to prepare *cooked* fluke, is to coat it in panko and pan fry. Fluke is one of our leanest fish...very easy to overcook, esp when dealing with fillets...but a protective barrier of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs widen your cooking window considerably, protecting the fish from drying out and giving the moist, succulent meat a crunchy contrast on the palate.
The standard breading procedure is a simple, easy technique:
Using a flat, heavy roasting pan is very advantageous for pan-frying, as it will retain more heat and also retain that heat more evenly. You can use cast iron as well, but my preference is for a heavy All-Clad roaster. These are pans that will last you several life times!
Very important note: season the first side of your fillets as soon as you flip them, and season the second side as soon as you lift them out of the pan. You have literally 20-30 seconds to season while the surface of the fish is hot enough that salt will stick. Miss that window, and salt will just bounce off your cutlets. Season from height; you want the salt crystals to separate before landing on your fish. I prefer kosher salt for 95% of my cooking, simply because the crystals are more manageable with less than perfectly dry fingers. More importantly, it's the salt I'm used to, and I can tell exactly how much I'm adding just by touch. Kosher salt is also more forgiving, as it is generally 30-40% less salty by volume.
I should say here that salt...is one of 2 things that commonly separates the home cook from the professional cook (the other is heat control). There is no power in the universe that can correct bland, underseasoned food. A salt shaker at the table is no substitute for the careful layering of seasoning during the cooking process.
Here are some breaded fluke cutlets that take the form of a sammich. Fluke fillets really are made to fit between buns
The standard breading procedure is a simple, easy technique:
- Dry your fish extremely well; see this thread for rinsing/storing your fillets.
- Dredge fish in flour. Corn starch or arrowroot are alternatives that give your fillet a lighter, harder shell. Gently pat away all excess.
- Dip in eggwash. I season the eggwash with salt...I don't season the flour or breadcrumbs since I don't see how you can achieve even seasoning by mixing salt with dry ingredients. A healthy pinch of salt in your eggwash will season your fillets evenly.
- Dredge fish in breadcrumbs. Make sure you run off most of the eggwash first, and gently press all sides of the fillet into the breadcrumbs. I prefer panko breadcrumbs...it fries up lighter, and has a more interesting, 3-dimensional mouth feel than the powdery stuff.
Using a flat, heavy roasting pan is very advantageous for pan-frying, as it will retain more heat and also retain that heat more evenly. You can use cast iron as well, but my preference is for a heavy All-Clad roaster. These are pans that will last you several life times!
Very important note: season the first side of your fillets as soon as you flip them, and season the second side as soon as you lift them out of the pan. You have literally 20-30 seconds to season while the surface of the fish is hot enough that salt will stick. Miss that window, and salt will just bounce off your cutlets. Season from height; you want the salt crystals to separate before landing on your fish. I prefer kosher salt for 95% of my cooking, simply because the crystals are more manageable with less than perfectly dry fingers. More importantly, it's the salt I'm used to, and I can tell exactly how much I'm adding just by touch. Kosher salt is also more forgiving, as it is generally 30-40% less salty by volume.
I should say here that salt...is one of 2 things that commonly separates the home cook from the professional cook (the other is heat control). There is no power in the universe that can correct bland, underseasoned food. A salt shaker at the table is no substitute for the careful layering of seasoning during the cooking process.
Here are some breaded fluke cutlets that take the form of a sammich. Fluke fillets really are made to fit between buns
