If you reside in a cozy space, the temptation of indulging in crispy fish skin — often referred to as the bacon of the sea — can lead to fishy aromas lingering on your pillowcases until laundry day arrives. But the pleasure of a fish dinner doesn’t have to come with the chaos of a hot sear in a pan, leaving your stovetop, counter, and clothes splattered with oil. For evenings when you desire a more relaxed cooking method (for both you and the fish), consider this delightful oil-poaching technique, which yields incredibly flavorful, tender fillets infused with the rich savoriness of scallions.
Recipe: Scallion-Oil Fish
Cooking fish at home begins with a crucial step: selecting the right fish at the store. You might already be aware that the secret to a fantastic fish dinner lies in building a rapport with your fishmonger. They not only sell fish but are also knowledgeable about its freshness, origin, and the best ways to prepare it. Nurturing this connection is the most effective way to deepen your relationship with fish cooking.
“A fresh fish should have an ocean-like scent, not an overpowering fishy smell,” advises Chris Addis, co-owner of Fish Tales, a seafood market in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. He emphasizes that any skin should appear glistening and moist. For this recipe, consider options like cod, halibut, black sea bass, haddock, flounder, tilapia, or even lemon sole. However, heed Mr. Addis’s advice and select whatever looks and smells the freshest on that particular day.
Instead of frying the fish at high heat when you get home, gently nestle a few fillets into a pan filled with hot, flavored oil. Simmering sliced scallions in olive oil over low heat extracts their moisture, crisps them up, and intensifies their savory flavor. Consequently, the oil takes on a vibrant Chartreuse hue and becomes infused with the aromatic essence of scallions. At this point, you can turn off the heat; the residual warmth from the oil will delicately poach the fish, resulting in an incredibly silky texture — all while minimizing splatter, odor, and stress.
Think of the scallion oil, known as pa gireum in Korean, as both a cooking medium and a delectable sauce. If you’re a fan of scallions, consider doubling the quantity of scallions and oil, setting aside half before cooking the fish for future culinary delights: perhaps for frying eggs or eggplants, whisking into vinaigrettes, or drizzling over roasted vegetables.
While this method may not yield crispy skin, the heap of crunchy fried scallions in the pan, paired with the tender white fish, makes for a delightful compromise. Be sure to dip some crusty bread into that luscious scallion oil, and rest easy knowing that this exquisite fish dish will linger in your dreams, rather than on your pillow.
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