Cabillaud Frit

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 quart (4.7 L) heavy Dutch oven or deep saucepan
• •Clip-on deep-fry thermometer
• •Three shallow coating dishes
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed sheet pan
• •Long-handled spider or slotted spoon
• •Splatter screen
• •Small heavy saucepan for the sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry and season

   Run your fingertips over the cod and remove any loose pin bones. Blot every surface thoroughly, then season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and all the pepper. Leave the steaks for five minutes and blot them once more if the salt draws moisture to the surface. Wet fish loosens its coating and cools the fat, so dryness begins the crust before frying does.

   Keep the steaks a true 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Thin tail pieces cook before their crust has time to colour, while very thick steaks demand a longer fry and make temperature control less forgiving.
2. 2

   Arrange the panure

   Put the flour in the first shallow dish, the prepared Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) in the second, and the fine breadcrumbs in the third. Set a clean wire rack beside them. Keep one hand for flour and crumbs and the other for Anglaise; this small discipline prevents your fingers acquiring more breading than the fish.

3. 3

   Coat the cod

   Roll each steak lightly in flour and shake away the excess. Dip it completely into the Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), let the surplus drip away, then cover it with breadcrumbs, pressing gently around the edges and central bone so no wet patches remain. Set the coated fish on the rack. If you find a bald spot, touch it with a little Anglaise and patch it with crumbs now; once the fish reaches the fat, leave the crust alone.

4. 4

   Heat the fat

   Pour the frying fat into a heavy pot, filling it no more than one-third full, and attach the thermometer without letting its tip touch the bottom. Heat steadily to 180°C (355°F). Keep the pot handle turned inward, a fitted lid nearby, and water away from the frying station. Butter belongs in the sauce, not this pot; ordinary butter burns before the fat reaches the temperature the crust requires.

5. 5

   Fry in batches

   Lower two cod steaks into the fat, one at a time and away from you. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once if they are not fully submerged, while keeping the fat between 170°C and 180°C (340°F and 355°F). The crust should turn an even deep gold, and the fish should reach 63°C (145°F) at its thickest flesh, clear of the bone. If the fat falls below 170°C and the crust begins to look pale and oily, wait until the coating is firm, lift the fish to the rack, restore the fat to 180°C, and return it briefly to finish. Ça se rattrape. Drain the first batch on the rack while you bring the fat back to temperature and fry the second.

6. 6

   Fry the parsley

   Let the fat settle at about 175°C (350°F). Lower the bone-dry parsley in two small batches with a long-handled spider and cover the pot with a splatter screen. Fry for 10 to 15 seconds, just until the leaves darken slightly and become crisp, then drain them on the rack and season with the remaining salt. If the fat snaps violently, step back and wait; the parsley still carried water, and adding another handful only makes matters worse.

7. 7

   Sauce and serve

   Warm the Butter Sauce (No. 66) over the gentlest heat, whisking until smooth, but never let it boil. If an oily rim appears, remove it from the heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon of cold water until the sauce closes again. Arrange the cod on a warm oval platter with the fried parsley and lemon wedges, then pass the sauce separately while every crust is still crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger for steaks cut across the thick middle of the cod, not tapering tail pieces. If only loin is available, use four portions of equal weight and thickness; the bone is lost, but the cooking principle remains intact.
• •Use fine, even breadcrumbs rather than coarse panko. The source calls for a dense resisting coat that seals closely around the fish; large flakes make a rougher, more open crust and brown before the cod is cooked through.
• •Let used frying fat cool completely, then strain it through a fine sieve and keep it cold. Reuse it once for another fish preparation only; cod is mild, and stale or scorched fat announces itself before anything else.
• •A lean Muscadet from the Loire estuary suits the crisp crust and mild cod without crowding either. Serve the fish at once, because no holding cabinet, clever trick, or speech at the table improves a crust that has begun to soften.

Advance Preparation

• •The Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) may be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and kept cold. Whisk it briefly before pouring it into the coating dish.
• •Wash the parsley several hours ahead and dry it thoroughly between towels, then leave it uncovered in the cold. This is preparation with a purpose: dry parsley crisps quickly and does not throw water into hot fat.
• •Have the Butter Sauce (No. 66) finished before the first cod enters the fat. Hold it covered for no more than 20 minutes over barely warm water, then whisk gently before serving; it must never simmer.
• •The cod may be coated 20 minutes before frying and refrigerated uncovered on its rack. Longer holding softens the crumbs as moisture migrates from the fish, so this is a short pause, not an afternoon’s work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 340g)