Food is much more than the sum of its parts. For instance, a whole wheat berry is comprised of three layers--a bran, a germ, and an endosperm. When wheat berries are milled into flour, the bran and germ layers are often removed to prevent spoilage. In the process, essential vitamin b complexes are lost. Even when all parts of the wheat berry are retained in 100% whole wheat flour, the fiber is so altered that it loses its beneficial properties.
Likewise, eating whole fish is far better than eating fish fillets. While fish fillets are easier to eat, their skin is often removed during packaging. The skin is the best part! Fish skin is high in omega three fatty acids, an essential nutrient which has been associated with longevity and cardiovascular health.
The other day, I had a nicely prepared bronzini with a perfectly crispy skin. Crispy fish skin is the potato chip of the sea. Crunchy, savory, and salty, crisp fish skin can really elevate any fish dish. But whenever I tried to make my own crispy fish skin, the skin would end up sticking to the pan. Then, I figured out that the key to a nicely crisped up fish skin is to make sure to thoroughly dry out the skin before frying it. Then, you want to fry it in oil at medium-high, a temperature above the boiling point of water. This ensures a hard sear as opposed to a limp steam.
In the following video, Dr. Chris Ko teams up with Dr. Seuss to tell one tasty fish tale. In this video, I used my Anova Immersion Circulator to first sous vide the salmon, but you could just as easily crisp up the skin first, then finish it off in the oven.
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