How to Pan-Fry Cod Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cooking technique for cod in a pan? ›

The key to pan-frying cod without it falling apart is to handle it as little as possible during the cooking process. Make sure your pan is hot before adding the oil and then the fish. Allow the cod to cook undisturbed until it naturally releases from the pan, which means it's ready to flip.

Try a gentle cooking method: Instead of adding fat, you can also try a gentle cooking method like steaming or cooking en papillote. Both of these methods help to preserve Pacific cod's high moisture content and produce incredibly tender results.

Bake in 400 degrees F heated oven for about 10 minutes or until the cod is cooked through. The fish is ready when it turns a beautiful white opaque and flakes easily when you take a fork to it. Garnish and serve! I love adding some parsley for a pop of green!

When you start cooking fish, it's shiny and translucent. When it's done, the fish will be opaque. Flake easily with a fork. When fish is finished cooking, it will easily flake apart with a fork (more on that next) without any pushing or tugging.

Pour about 1/2-inch of oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Working in batches, fry the fillets until golden brown and crisp, about 6 minutes. Turn with tongs and continue cooking until golden brown, crisp, and cooked through, about 6 minutes more.

Fry fish perfectly with brine

If you are going to fry or grill lean, white fish, the flesh will be whiter and firmer if it is soaked for half an hour in a 10% salt solution (brine). The salt penetrates in better and the fish gains a firmer, more satisfying consistency. The flesh tastes better and is easier to handle.

Fish that seems tough when you bite into it is probably overcooked. As it moves from done to "overdone," the flesh continues to firm then shrinks, pushing out moisture, which evaporates and leaves the fish dry and chewy.

Washing raw fish carries the same risks as washing poultry — by attempting to clean your seafood in the sink, you're actually spreading harmful bacteria to surfaces that likely won't be sanitized by heat or disinfectants before they come into contact with other food, according to Reader's Digest.

Take your fish out of the refrigerator 5 to 10 minutes before grilling to let it come to room temperature. You will want to leave your fish on the grill for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Make sure to preheat your grill to 400°F to 450°F and always grill with the lid down.

How do you not overcook cod fish? ›

Dunlap suggests cutting thick, 2-inch cod fillets crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces and cook on the cut sides. If the fillet is an inch thick, just cut the fish into 2-inch squares. “It's better to undercook cod than to overcook it, so test the fish after cooking 2 minutes on each side.

The Level of Fat in the Fish – Leaner types of fish dry out more easily which makes them better suited for wet cooking methods like steaming and poaching. Fatty fish (like tuna and salmon), on the other hand, are ideal for grilling and roasting. Whether the Skin Is On or Off – The skin can affect how your fish cooks.

As fish cooks, proteins in the muscle fibers coagulate and the flesh changes from translucent to opaque in appearance. When the collagen softens in heat, it loses its structure and turns to gelatin; the muscle fibers have little to hold them together and the fish separates easily into flakes.