Chef Juliette
The Preparation of Soups
Préparation des Potages teaches the first obligation of soup: it must announce the dinner in one clear, savory spoonful, then reach every guest fiercely hot in a properly warmed bowl.
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Frying Medium For Fish
Created by Chef Juliette
Bain de friture teaches the rule governing fried fish: match the oil's heat to the fish's size, and milk plus flour forms a crisp, protective coat.
Main Dishes
French
Weeknight
Comfort Food
Game Day
25 min
Active Time
20 min cook•45 min total
Yield4 servings
Bain de friture pour poisson (frying medium for fish) teaches one true thing: the oil's temperature must suit the fish's thickness, so the coating browns at the same moment the flesh finishes cooking. Too cool and the flour drinks oil. Too hot and the coat darkens while the centre remains raw. For these fillets, 180°C is the meeting point.
The original method assumed a large working fryer, repeated batches, and frying fat filtered and used until its strength was exhausted. A home kitchen has neither that turnover nor a brigade watching the vat, so fresh refined oil, a heavy pot, and a clip-on thermometer are the honest equivalents. Pushing dark oil to exhaustion was useful economy at scale; at home it becomes bitter and smoky. That scaffolding can go. The salted-milk steep, the light flouring, and the temperature control are the dish and must stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
When it lands on the platter, the crust should be thin and crisp rather than armoured, with moist flakes beneath and only the faintest sheen of oil. Flour immediately before frying and wait for the oil to recover between batches. That pause decides the whole result.
Along the Rhône and Saône around Lyon, friture of small freshwater fish belongs to riverside tables, while the guinguettes of the Marne around Paris made the same quick frying a social meal. Classical kitchens turned those local practices into a general rule for fish cookery: friture named both the fat bath and the food emerging from it. The exception for Mediterranean nonats and whitebait preserves a practical distinction, since fish this tiny need only flour, while larger pieces benefit from salted milk before dredging.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
skinless firm white-fish fillets, such as cod, haddock, or pollock
Quantity
4 fillets, 1½ pounds total (680 g)
cut evenly, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick
cold whole milk
Quantity
1½ cups (360 ml / 370 g)
fine sea salt
Quantity
2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g)
divided
plain flour
Quantity
1½ cups (360 ml / 180 g)
refined peanut or sunflower oil
Quantity
6 cups (1.4 L / 1.3 kg)
flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Quantity
12 sprigs (about 20 g)
washed and dried completely
medium lemons
Quantity
2 (about 220 g)
channelled and cut into sections
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| skinless firm white-fish fillets, such as cod, haddock, or pollockcut evenly, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick | 4 fillets, 1½ pounds total (680 g) |
| cold whole milk | 1½ cups (360 ml / 370 g) |
| fine sea saltdivided | 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g) |
| plain flour | 1½ cups (360 ml / 180 g) |
| refined peanut or sunflower oil | 6 cups (1.4 L / 1.3 kg) |
| flat-leaf parsley sprigswashed and dried completely | 12 sprigs (about 20 g) |
| medium lemonschannelled and cut into sections | 2 (about 220 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven
- •Clip-on deep-fry thermometer
- •Wire spider or long-handled slotted spoon
- •Wire cooling rack set over a rimmed tray
- •Channel knife or sharp vegetable peeler
Instructions
- 1
Heat the bain
Pour the oil into a heavy, deep pot, leaving the vessel no more than half full. Clip on the thermometer and heat the bain de friture steadily to 180°C (355°F). This temperature suits fillets about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick: thinner fish can take 185°C (365°F), while thicker pieces need 170 to 175°C (340 to 350°F) so their centres cook before the coating darkens. Never leave heating oil unattended.
A wide pot loses heat quickly and invites crowding. A narrower, heavy pot gives you a deeper bath and steadier temperature with less oil. - 2
Steep the fish
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of the salt in the cold milk. Lay the fish in a shallow dish, pour over the salted milk, and refrigerate for 15 minutes, turning once. The milk leaves a fine film that catches the flour and softens any sharp marine aroma without masking the fish. Lift out each fillet and let the excess milk run away; discard the used milk.
- 3
Flour it lightly
Spread the flour in a wide dish. Dredge each damp fillet just before it enters the oil, pressing very lightly so the flour adheres, then shake off every loose veil. You want a thin coat, not a paste. If the flour gums into thick wet patches, brush them away and dredge that area again lightly. Ça se rattrape.
- 4
Fry in batches
Lower two fillets into the bain de friture, moving them away from you to prevent splashing. Fry without crowding, turning once, until the crust is evenly golden and the flesh is opaque and flakes under gentle pressure, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on thickness. The centre should reach 63°C (145°F). Let the oil return to 180°C before frying the next batch.
If the coating stays pale and feels greasy, the oil has fallen too cool. Finish cooking the fish, drain it, let the bain return to 185°C (365°F), then re-fry the piece for 20 seconds to restore the crust. If it browns before the centre cooks, lift it out, lower the oil to 170°C (340°F), and return it briefly to finish. - 5
Drain and season
Lift each fillet with a spider and let it drain over the pot for several seconds. Set it on a wire rack over absorbent paper, touch the underside briefly to the paper, and season lightly with some of the remaining salt. Never stack the pieces. Trapped moisture softens the coating you have just worked to make crisp.
- 6
Fry the parsley
Make certain the parsley is completely dry, because water and hot oil quarrel violently. Lower the sprigs into the bain de friture with the spider and fry for 5 to 10 seconds, just until crisp and deep green. Drain them on paper and salt with the final pinch. If the parsley is even slightly damp, dry it again before it approaches the pot.
- 7
Dish and serve
Arrange the fish on a folded white serviette or fresh absorbent paper set over a warm platter. Add the fried parsley sprays and channelled lemon sections, keeping the lemon beside the crust until each person squeezes it. Serve at once, while the flour still murmurs under the fork. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose refined peanut or sunflower oil. Both tolerate the heat the coating needs; strongly flavoured or low-smoke-point oils impose themselves on the fish before the fish has a chance to speak.
- •The old large-scale kitchen could filter, replenish, and reuse its frying medium continuously. At home, cool the oil completely, strain it through a fine sieve, and keep it covered away from light. Discard it when it smells stale, foams excessively, smokes below its proper temperature, or has turned very dark.
- •For whitebait or nonats, follow the source's exception: skip the milk, roll the tiny fish directly in flour, shake them well, and fry at 190°C (375°F) until crisp. Their small size makes the milk coating unnecessary.
- •Cut every piece to the same thickness. Technique first, always: modest pollock fried at the correct temperature is finer eating than dear cod cooked unevenly.
- •Serve with a cold Muscadet or Picpoul de Pinet. Their clean acidity meets the fried coating and lemon without covering the fish.
Advance Preparation
- •Portion the fish up to 6 hours ahead and keep it covered in the cold. Do not begin the milk steep until 15 minutes before cooking.
- •Wash the parsley and dry it several hours ahead, then leave it between clean towels in the refrigerator. Complete dryness is a safety matter once it meets the oil.
- •Channel and section the lemons earlier in the day, then refrigerate them covered. Flour the fish only when the oil is hot and you are ready to fry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 205g)
Calories
380 calories
Total Fat
17 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
75 mg
Sodium
925 mg
Total Carbohydrates
23 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
34 g
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