Crispy-Skinned Fish

A restaurant-quality preparation of branzino or black bass fillets with perfectly crispy skin. This technique-driven recipe ensures a beautifully seared exterior while maintaining moist, flaky flesh.

2 servings

1 hr 11 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2 fillets branzino or black bass
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 to taste Kosher salt

Cooking Instructions

1.
Starting with parched skin is the key to a pro result- try to cook wet fish and it's going to steam, stick, rip, and generally be a huge, frustrating bummer. One hour before cooking, put your fillets on a plate, skin side up (no seasoning, please!), and leave them uncovered in the fridge to dry out.
60 min
2.
Get a large stainlesssteel skillet ripping hot over high heat (2 minutes should do it), then pour in 1 tablespoon oil and add a big pinch of salt. Once the oil is smoking, take the skillet off the heat and use a handful of paper towels to wipe oil and salt around and out of the pan (be extra careful-you might want to use tongs to hold the towels).
3 min
3.
Put your now-seasoned skillet back over high heat and take those beautiful air-dried fillets out of the fridge. Add another 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and hit both sides of each fillet with a decent amount of salt. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully lay a fillet skin side down in the pan (be sure to lay them going away from you to guard against spatters).
2 min
4.
Use a fish spatula (call it a "fish spat" if you want to sound like a pro) to apply firm, even pressure to the fillet until it relaxes and lies flat. Repeat with remaining fillet, then keep at it! Periodically press down each fillet and cook until flesh is nearly opaque and cooked through, with just a small raw area on top.
5 min
5.
Slide your fish spatula under each fillet and-using your other hand as a guide-turn it away from you (watch that oil). Remove the pan from heat. At this point you're just letting the raw side kiss the skillet to finish cooking, about 1 minute.
1 min

Cooking Instructions

Starting with parched skin is the key to a pro result- try to cook wet fish and it's going to steam, stick, rip, and generally be a huge, frustrating bummer. One hour before cooking, put your fillets on a plate, skin side up (no seasoning, please!), and leave them uncovered in the fridge to dry out.

60 min

Get a large stainlesssteel skillet ripping hot over high heat (2 minutes should do it), then pour in 1 tablespoon oil and add a big pinch of salt. Once the oil is smoking, take the skillet off the heat and use a handful of paper towels to wipe oil and salt around and out of the pan (be extra careful-you might want to use tongs to hold the towels).

3 min

Put your now-seasoned skillet back over high heat and take those beautiful air-dried fillets out of the fridge. Add another 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and hit both sides of each fillet with a decent amount of salt. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully lay a fillet skin side down in the pan (be sure to lay them going away from you to guard against spatters).

2 min

Use a fish spatula (call it a "fish spat" if you want to sound like a pro) to apply firm, even pressure to the fillet until it relaxes and lies flat. Repeat with remaining fillet, then keep at it! Periodically press down each fillet and cook until flesh is nearly opaque and cooked through, with just a small raw area on top.

5 min

Slide your fish spatula under each fillet and-using your other hand as a guide-turn it away from you (watch that oil). Remove the pan from heat. At this point you're just letting the raw side kiss the skillet to finish cooking, about 1 minute.

1 min