Weeknight fish supper: Pan-fried carpenter with thyme butter

7 Aug 2024

Fish and chips. The fish, when I was growing up, was always kingklip, which I still love. But this week a different fish went into the pan: carpenter. And it’s the perfect fish for battering and frying.

The occasional visit to the Fisherman Fresh deli in the docks in Gqeberha/PE netted a petite carpenter fillet, which I froze when I got home, and defrosted this week. And yes, you can do that. We aren’t always able to eat all the fish we buy on the same day, and fresh fish freezes and defrosts perfectly, as long as it is not in the freezer for an extended time. Without freezing, those of us who live in the country would never eat fish.

This was a carpenter fillet, only about 140g in weight, with no sight or feel of pin bones. Ideal for coating in batter and frying. I had finally, finally acquired a packet of panko crumbs, which are not sold in any of our local supermarkets (I found them in a KZN spice shop), so for a change I was not beholden to the alternatives I usually have to use such as, would you believe, cornflake crumbs, which work really well despite that raised eyebrow.

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The bête noire for many when frying fish (or a steak) is getting the pan temperature right. Stoves are different, pans are different, so it’s impossible to say “this is precisely how to do it”. You have to know your equipment and how your stove top temperature behaves.

The best way is to eye that butter when it’s in the pan. It needs a foaming bubble, but not to have coloured yet. If you can identify just when the extreme edges of the butter are beginning to brown, that’s the optimum moment to put the fillet in, give the pan a quick shake, then leave it alone for the fillet to settle into a gentle cook, until it’s done just halfway through, about 3 minutes. Turn it carefully, and only a few more minutes should give you that perfect piece of golden fried fish.

It’s sensible to add a dash of cooking oil such as canola or sunflower to the butter in the pan, as it tends to prevent the possibility of the butter burning.

Panko crumbed pan-fried carpenter fillet with thyme butter

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 carpenter fillets, pin bones removed if you find any

Salt

Potato chips, to accompany (see recipe linked below)

Lemon wedges

To coat the fish:

½ a cup of flour

1 egg, beaten

½ cup panko breadcrumbs, or enough to coat both fillets

Salt and black pepper

To fry the fish:

3 Tbsp butter and a splash of cooking oil

For the thyme butter:

⅓ cup butter

1 Tbsp picked thyme leaves

Thyme sprigs for garnish

Salt and black pepper

Method

Make sure the fillets are fully thawed and at room temperature.

Pat them thoroughly dry with wads of kitchen paper or towel, being careful not to damage the flesh. If you feel any pin bones, pull them out with tweezers, gently. Tugging will break the flesh.

Salt lightly, and leave them in a cool spot for at least an hour, for the flesh to firm up. This can be done in the fridge, but if so, take them out to bring back to room temperature before frying them.

Make the thyme butter before you fry the fish, and also have the chips ready to go, kept warm. Here’s my (and my mom’s) recipe for chips, and I still haven’t found better ones in a long life. All credit to her, not me.

To fry the fish: melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the thyme leaves, salt and black pepper, and turn off the heat. The thyme will infuse the butter while it stands. Reheat/melt just before serving.

Have the flour (seasoned with salt and pepper) ready, as well as containers with the beaten egg and the breadcrumbs.

Dip the fillets, one at a time, first in the flour, then the egg (let it drip off), and then the crumbs, on both sides.

To fry the fish, on a medium heat, melt the butter with a splash of cooking oil.

When the butter is foaming, and just starting to brown at the outer edges, add the fillets, leaving space between them, give the pan a quick shake, and then leave them alone.

Watch them carefully, to identify when they have firmed up and cooked just halfway through. Three minutes will be sufficient for the first side, but if the fillets are skinny, it might be less. Lift the edge a bit to see if it’s golden underneath and if it lifts easily.

Turn them carefully, and cook the other side for only about 2 minutes, if that. Turn again, and transfer to warmed plates.

Quickly reheat the thyme butter, nap it or pour it over, and serve with lemon wedges and crunchy chips. DM

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido. Order his book, foodSTUFF, here

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

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