The fake fried fish is a tasty idea to enjoy excellent fish with a delicious and aromatic coating without the calorie load of frying! I chose prawn tails and squid that I found on offer at IperNova and the dish was much appreciated by my friend Ilaria who came to dinner with her family. Frying is certainly not the best cooking technique from a nutritional point of view but it is definitely the one that most satisfies taste and the palate. If you fry with butter it is essential to use clarified butter otherwise, if you choose oil, peanut oil is the best because it reaches a high smoke point and is perfect for this technique — but let’s prepare this special fake fry…
What are the best cooking techniques for fish? Fish is a rather tender food compared to meat and it is important that it is not overcooked so it does not become rubbery and inedible!
One method of cooking fish is in a flavored liquid (court-bouillon) — in fact there are two: poaching and braising. In poaching, the liquid must never reach boiling point because that could dehydrate and contract the proteins of the fish.
The types of fish most suitable for poaching are sea bass, cod, hake and salmon.
Braising fish, unlike with meat, is done with very little, rather concentrated liquid which will then be the fundamental base for the accompanying sauce. You can certainly use whole fish or steaks such as salmon, sea bass, turbot, John Dory and sole.
Other types of fish like eel and swordfish are perfect for roasting, a fairly simple method that is sure to succeed even for beginner cooks. Baking fish in foil instead is a very easy method that many of us have tried in our kitchens!
In the foil you can add cubes of potato and tomato, capers and olives which help flavor and add great taste to the preparation.
Also cooking fish in a crust for large fishes is highly recommended and can be done with a dough like bread dough, with salt or with clay. It is a very common method that will leave the meat tender and juicy — truly delicious!
Another cooking method for fish is grilling, particularly suited to lean fish such as sea bass, turbot and swordfish.
Now remains pan-searing, which can be done with butter, meunière style and even with a light coating, and is perfect for fish like smooth-hound, perch, tench and red mullet.
I also suggest this collection of fritters, both sweet and savory, and tips for making perfect batters: 
Special savory fritters
Special sweet fritters
I also have a free WhatsApp channel with one sweet and one savory recipe per day: click and subscribe → https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHbGIn9cDDig7Cw2x0F
FAKE FRIED FISH
La cucina di ASI
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients RECIPE FAKE FRIED FISH
- 1.1 lbs squid (whole and cleaned)
- 14 oz prawn tails (peeled)
- 1 1/4 cups stale bread
- to taste thyme and chives (chopped)
- 1 organic lemon (zest)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools RECIPE FAKE FRIED FISH
- Baking pan
FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE FAKE FRIED FISH RECIPE
• Wash and cut the squid into fairly thick rings and remove the shells from the prawn tails; then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Preheat the oven to 356°F.
• Finely chop thyme and chives and combine them with the grated lemon zest. Blend the bread in a food processor and brown it in a pan over high heat for a few minutes, then add it to the aromatic herb mixture, mixing everything well.
• Take the seafood, coat them well in the mixture and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly brushed with EVO oil.
• Bake for about 15–20 minutes, then finish under the broiler for about 5 minutes, adding a little more aromatic bread if any is left, to obtain an even crispier coating.
All that remains is to transfer the fake fried fish to a serving platter and present it triumphantly to your guests. It’s healthy, nutritious and very tasty!
Enjoy your meal with the fake fried fish!
Annalisa
