Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (201 page)
SHIMMER AND SMOKE
Pan-searing and sautéing both require you to heat the oil in the skillet to a certain heat level. But how do you know when the pan is hot enough? We find visual cues helpful and offer them in our recipes, as follows: When searing thick fish fillets or thick cuts of meat like a roast, steak, bone-in chop, you want the pan very hot. Searing over high heat will give your food a well-browned crust. Look for wisps of smoke rising from the oil—this means the pan is ripping hot and ready. By contrast, when sautéing thin fish fillets, thin, delicate cuts of meat like cutlets, or vegetables such as onions, you want the oil to be just moderately hot. You’ll know the pan is ready when the oil shimmers. Why does it make a difference? If you put a thin fillet into a smoking hot pan, the food will do more than sear—it will cook through before you’ve had time to flip it.
1.
With sharp knife, cut halfway through flesh crosswise, 2 to 3 inches from tail end. This will create seam to fold tail under.
2.
Fold tail end under to create fillet of relatively even thickness.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
The best versions of fish meunière feature perfectly cooked fillets that are delicately crisp and golden brown on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside, napped with a buttery yet light sauce. Whole Dover sole is the most authentic choice, but it’s also prohibitively expensive; either sole or flounder fillets proved to be good stand-ins. To prevent the likelihood of overcooking the fish, the fillets needed to be no less than ³⁄
8
inch thick. For the perfect coating, there was no need to use eggs or bread crumbs. We simply dried the fillets, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and allowed them to sit for five minutes, in which time beads of moisture appeared on the fillets’ surface. Then we simply dredged the fillets in flour. A nonstick skillet coated with a mixture of oil and butter prevented sticking. For the sauce, we browned the butter in a traditional skillet (so the changing color was easy to monitor), and brightened it with lemon juice, then poured the mixture over the fish.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Try to purchase fillets that are of similar size, and avoid those that weigh less than 5 ounces because they will cook too quickly. A nonstick skillet ensures that the fillets will release from the pan, but for the sauce a traditional skillet is preferable because its light-colored surface will allow you to monitor the color of the butter as it browns.
FISH
¹⁄ | cup all-purpose flour |
4 | (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless sole or flounder fillets, ³⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces |
BROWNED BUTTER
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
1¹⁄ | tablespoons lemon juice |
Salt | |
Lemon wedges |
1. FOR THE FISH:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set 4 heatproof dinner plates on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place flour in baking dish or pie plate. Pat fish dry with paper towels, season both sides generously with salt and pepper, and let stand until fillets are glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes. Coat both sides of fillets with flour, shake off excess, and place in single layer on baking sheet.
2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, then add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat pan bottom. Carefully place 2 fillets, skinned side up, in skillet. Immediately reduce heat to medium-high and cook, without moving fish, until edges of fillets are opaque and bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip fillets and cook on second side until thickest part of fillet easily separates into flakes when toothpick is inserted, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer fillets, one to each heated dinner plate, keeping skinned side down, and return plates to oven. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and remaining fish fillets.
3. FOR THE BROWNED BUTTER:
Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts, 1 to 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
4.
Remove plates from oven and sprinkle fillets with parsley. Add lemon juice to browned butter and season with salt to taste. Spoon sauce over fish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Add 2 tablespoons rinsed capers along with lemon juice in step 3.
Add ¹⁄
4
cup slivered almonds to skillet when butter has melted in step 2.
SAUTÉING DELICATE FISH FILLETS
Sautéing delicate fish fillets such as sole or flounder can be tricky because the tender fish is apt to stick to the pan and break apart. Some recipe coat the fillets with egg and flour, which does create a barrier against sticking, but its thick texture and rich flavor overwhelm the fish. Other recipes dredge the fish in flour, but the flour tends to stick in some places and not others, resulting in “bald” spots and uneven browning. The solution we’ve found is simple: Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper and let them stand for 5 minutes. The salt draws out moisture in the fish, creating a thin, wet sheen—just enough for the flour to evenly adhere to. This method produces a crust thin enough to protect the fish without overwhelming the fillets’ texture or flavor.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Cooking mild fish like cod en papillote—in a tightly sealed, artfully folded parchment package so it can steam in its own juices—is an easy, mess-free way to enhance its delicate flavor. If you throw in vegetables, it should add up to a light but satisfying meal. However, without the right blend of flavorings, the fish can taste lean and bland, and not all vegetables pair well with cod. We found that foil was easier to work with than parchment. Placing the packets on the oven’s lower-middle rack concentrated the exuded liquid and deepened the flavor. Leeks, carrots, fennel, and zucchini all worked well as the vegetable component. And a tomato and olive oil “salsa” or a compound butter contributed to a full-flavored sauce.
See “ASSEMBLING FOIL PACKETS” illustrations that follow recipe.
See “HOW TO CUT CARROTS AND LEEKS INTO MATCHSTICKS” illustrations that follow recipe.
SERVES 4
Haddock, red snapper, halibut, and sea bass also work well in this recipe as long as the fillets are 1 to 1¹⁄
4
inches thick. The packets may be assembled several hours ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook. If the packets have been refrigerated for more than 30 minutes, increase the cooking time by 2 minutes. Open each packet promptly after baking to prevent overcooking and make sure to open packets away from you to avoid steam burns.
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
2 | carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks |
2 | leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, washedthoroughly, and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks |
¹⁄ | cup dry vermouth or dry white wine |
4 | (6-ounce) skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1¹⁄ |
1.
Combine butter, 1 teaspoon garlic, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon lemon zest, thyme, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Combine parsley, remaining lemon zest, and remaining garlic in another small bowl and set aside. Place carrots and leeks in medium bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine.
2.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut eight 12-inch-long sheets of aluminum foil; arrange 4 pieces flat on counter. Divide carrot-leek mixture among arranged foil sheets, mounding vegetables in center of each piece. Pour 1 tablespoon vermouth over each mound of vegetables. Pat fish dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and place 1 fillet on top of each vegetable mound. Divide butter mixture among fillets, spreading over top of each piece. Place second square of foil on top of fish, crimp edges together in ¹⁄
2
-inch fold, then fold over 3 more times to create a packet about 7 inches square. Place packets on rimmed baking sheet, overlapping slightly if necessary.
3.
Bake packets 15 minutes, then carefully open foil, allowing steam to escape away from you. Using thin metal spatula, gently slide fish and vegetables onto plate, along with any accumulated juices, and sprinkle with parsley mixture. Serve immediately, passing lemon wedges separately.