A good rule of thumb is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees. Try the 10-minute rule, which says you should measure the fish at its thickest point, and cook it for 10 minutes per inch, turning halfway through the cooking time.
Dip fish fillets in egg mixture; dip in flour to coat. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add fish; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and fish flakes easily with fork, turning once. If desired, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fish is prepared in four stages: scaling, trimming, gutting and, if necessary, filleting. Fish is generally scaled before it is gutted, as it is easier to scale if the belly is slightly rounded. The tools used are a fish scaler or the back of a knife.
Season the fish well on both sides with salt and pepper (key!). Mix the flour and paprika on a plate. Heat a heavy based skillet (normal or non stick) over medium high heat until you see wisps of smoke. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan - it will heat within seconds.
For all those wondering, "how long does fish take to fry?": Roughly, it takes about 3 to 4 minutes per side to pan-fry the average fillet. Once the first side is golden, flip the fish over, using tongs or a large metal spatula and a fork to steady the fish.
Cooking fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness is an old rule of thumb that works perfectly when roasting fillets or steaks. It's just enough time to cook the flesh through so that it's opaque, but not so much that it flakes.
Fry fish in batches in hot oil about 4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
Wet the fish fillets with water or beer, then dip into your dry batter. The wetness will allow for more coating to stick to the fish, making for a more flavourful and crispy coating.
Don't flip it back and forth. Just let it go. When you can see a nice golden brown color on the edge of the skin, gently slide the spatula under and turn it over. The fish is most likely to flake and fall apart when it's cooked, so be nice to it.
Preheat a medium-size, cast-iron pan and use tongs to carefully lower the filet into the oil, placing the side you want displayed on your plate down first. Once you pour olive oil into the pan, it should cover one-third of the thickness of the fish so the meat doesn't absorb too much oil while frying.
Butter or oil for fish
Fry fish in a mixture of oil and butter, it creates more heat resistant frying fat. The oil should go in first. Wait until the butter stops spluttering and baste the fish during frying. Once you have fried a piece of fish in butter, you've virtually created your sauce in the pan.
Most of the cooking can happen with the fish skin side down. Not only will the skin become more crisp the longer it's in contact with the pan, but it also acts as an insulator, protecting the delicate flesh from becoming tough and dry. It's only time to flip the fish when it's nearly cooked through.
6 Add the fillets to the pan skin side down.
If using a cast-iron or stainless-steel pan, the skin may stick at first, as proteins bond with the metal surface, but as the fillet cooks and its proteins set, it will release on its own.
All you have to do is pop a wooden spoon into the oil. If no bubbles start dispersing around the spoon, then it's not hot enough. Try it again a couple of minutes later and keep doing it until you get bubbles. Et voila!