An air fryer fried fish recipe thats crispy and quick
As soon as Lent arrives, I begin to crave fried fish. It’s a conditioned response — not unlike Pavlov’s dog and that bell — that stems from years of living in a predominantly Catholic city where on Fridays during the solemn season, churches and community groups fry thousands of fish fillets to raise money for nonprofit groups and feed the faithful — or anyone who loves the crispy plate.
The fish fries attract lines of cars as folks gather to pick up food after work, but fried fish also is something we frequently made at home during the season when many Christians abstain from meat, especially on Fridays. We’d slip battered trout and catfish fillets into hot oil in a black cast-iron skillet and fry them until they turned golden on the outside and flaky on the inside.
I love fried foods, but it can be a messy kitchen project, especially on a weeknight, and these days I’ve relegated deep-fried foods to the occasional treat.
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Recently, Cynthia R. Greenlee wrote in The Post about how an air fryer reignited her cooking enthusiasm, something she was losing because of the pandemic. She offered insight about how she once “groused … that these miniature convection ovens aren’t fryers at all. Instead, they surround food in an El Niño of hot air, cooking with little or no oil. Baking and roasting, yes; frying, no.” But then she began experimenting and found the little countertop box was a great way to get that fried experience, but through “easier, healthier cooking with less oil and time.”
I’ve followed in her footsteps, first making recipes she recommended for Air Fryer Korean-style chicken wings and trying bacon-wrapped shrimp. Then, I began experimenting a bit myself with mixed results. (Taquitos work well, but I still have not mastered those mozzarella sticks.)
So, when the fried fish craving hit, it followed that I’d experiment to see if I could get a satisfying piece of golden fillet from the appliance.
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It was easiest to get my hands on fresh cod, so I used that with the recipe below, but any white-fleshed fish will do, such as trout, flounder or even tilapia.
I tried simply doing an egg wash and dusting of spiced flour, but I found that the resulting exteriors were just not crisp enough. I had the same result when I tried a coarser fish fry coating. Then, I tried an egg wash with just panko, but ended up with a few bald spots on the fish. Also, I missed the spice that the finer flour delivered to the fillet.
What worked best for me was a three-step coating: A light coating of a well-seasoned cornstarch/flour mixture, followed by an egg wash given a flavor boost by a generous splash of hot sauce and finally a generous coating of panko. The flour mixture coated the entire fillet and added flavor, and the coarse breadcrumbs browned beautifully and came through, delivering that telltale crunch.
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A few other tips:
- If it is crispness you’re after, do not use super-thick fillets. If the fillets are very thin, you may want to reduce the cooking time.
- Longer pieces of fish may break as you try to lift them out of the basket, so if the fillets are long, cut them in half or into thirds before coating and cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket. This allows the fish to get crispy all over.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can achieve similar results in a convection oven (see directions in the recipe), but I found that the air fryer delivers a crisper finish faster.
Serve the fish immediately, with lemon wedges and cocktail. To go with the fish: A green salad, coleslaw, cheesy grits or french fries will do.
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