Recipe for pan-fried garfish
After trying sous vide garfish, I naturally had to try the more traditional preparation of garfish, namely pan-fried.
Here, it’s typically prepared the same way as eel, meaning the fish is cleaned, filleted, dredged in flour, and fried in a pan.
Garfish is not the easiest fish to clean because the bones are positioned somewhat tricky—and they are quite firmly attached.
I was quite challenged and actually gave up on removing the “backbone.” Instead, I simply cut the fish in half and discarded the middle section where the bones/backbone are located.
Pan-fried garfish is usually eaten with potatoes and parsley sauce, but I served it with potatoes, butter sauce (melted butter), pickled white asparagus, and celeriac purée.
Servings: persons
Pan-fried Garfish
Ingredients
- 1 pcs. Garfish
- Salt
Instructions
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First, remove the fish bones.
This is done by making a slanted cut on each side of the bones. There are a total of 3 rows of fish bones, one running down the middle ("backbone"), one on the right side, and one on the left side. As mentioned, I gave up removing the "backbone" and instead cut it out entirely.
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Then, dry cure the fish. It draws out a bit of moisture from the fish, making it firmer and more meaty in texture. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the fish and let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Rinse all the salt off the flesh under cold water and pat it dry with a clean tea towel.
- Heat your frying pan over medium-high heat (10 / 14 on my stove).
- Put the butter on the hot pan.
- Coat the fillets in rye flour and place them on the pan.
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Let them fry for 3 minutes.
- Turn them over and let them fry for another 3 minutes.
- After this, the fish is ready to be served with your chosen accompaniments. You can also finish off by giving the fish a sprinkle of freshly ground salt and pepper.
-
First, remove the fish bones.
This is done by making a slanted cut on each side of the bones. There are a total of 3 rows of fish bones, one running down the middle ("backbone"), one on the right side, and one on the left side. As mentioned, I gave up removing the "backbone" and instead cut it out entirely.
