Bone the bonito Pound together pennyroyal, cumin, pepper, mint, nuts, and honey Stuff the fish with this mixture and sew it up Wrap the fish in paper and place it in a covered pan over steam Season with oil, reduced wine, and fermented fish paste — Apicius, first few centuries CE Frying Fish is fried in hot metal pans in two different ways: with just enough oil to lubricate the fish surface in contact with the pan, or with enough oil to surround and cover most or all of the fish Either way, the fish is exposed to temperatures sufficient to dry out and brown its surfaces, and therefore develops a contrastingly crisp outside and characteristic, rich aroma Because high heat also makes the lean flesh fibrous and chewy, fish to be fried is often given a protective coating of starchy and/or proteinaceous material, so that the coating can crisp while the fish remains moist Common coatings include flour and flour-based batters; cornmeal or breadcrumbs; ground spices or nuts or shredded coconut; thin shreds, strings, or sheets of potato or another starchy root (sometimes cut and arranged to look like fish scales); and rice paper The adhesion of coating to fish can be improved by first lightly salting the fish, which draws some protein-rich, sticky fluid to the surface Frying is also an excellent way to crisp the skin on a whole fish or fillet The skin will dry out more rapidly and thoroughly if it’s first salted to remove moisture Fried surfaces stay crispest when they’re exposed to the air; confined between the moist fish and plate, a crisp skin or coating soon reabsorbs moisture and softens Serve crunchy-skinned fillets skin-side up, or at least give the skin room to breathe Sautéing When frying in a small amount of oil, it’s best to heat the pan before adding the ... Frying is also an excellent way to crisp the skin on a whole fish or fillet The skin will dry out more rapidly and thoroughly if it’s first salted to remove moisture Fried surfaces stay crispest when they’re exposed to the air; confined between the moist... exposed to the air; confined between the moist fish and plate, a crisp skin or coating soon reabsorbs moisture and softens Serve crunchy-skinned fillets skin-side up, or at least give the skin room to breathe Sautéing...include flour and flour-based batters; cornmeal or breadcrumbs; ground spices or nuts or shredded coconut; thin shreds, strings, or sheets of potato or another starchy root (sometimes cut and arranged to look like fish