Bream Fried in Pieces, Coated in Flour

The main thing in this recipe happens in the fridge, not in the pan. An hour under salt with herbes de Provence draws moisture out of the surface of the pieces, and in hot oil they take on a crust right away instead of steaming for a minute in their own water.

The head and tail are set aside separately, and not to save money. A bream's head makes a rich broth, so one large fish gives you two dishes — fried pieces today and fish soup the next day.

It's fried not on two sides but on all four. After both sides, each piece is stood in the pan on one cut edge and then on the other, and browned there — those are the surfaces which, with ordinary frying, stay raw and pale.

Flour gives a thin crust. Bream in egg coating, pan-fried seals each piece in a thicker shell, while braised bream in sour cream trades the crunch for a sauce.

Caloric content: 150kcal

Notes

• The hour under salt is mandatory. This isn't marinating for flavor but drying out the surface. Without it, the piece boils in its own juice for the first few minutes, and the crust comes out pale.
• A cast-iron pan holds its temperature. A thin one loses heat the moment cold fish is laid on it, and frying turns into stewing.
• The cut edge gets fried too. The third and fourth sides are the cut edges, where you can see the flesh. Without it, the piece looks underdone even though it's already cooked inside.
• Set the head and tail aside for fish soup. From a large bream they give a broth richer than many made specifically for the purpose.
• A paper towel isn't a formality. The flour coating holds a lot of oil, and without this step the dish comes out greasy.

Questions and Answers

Why hold the fish in the fridge for an hour?

So the salt draws the moisture out of the surface. A dry piece takes on a crust right away; a wet one boils in its own juice first.

Can it be made without herbes de Provence?

Yes, they're there for aroma. Salt is the essential part; the herbs can be swapped for any others or skipped.

Why specifically a cast-iron pan?

It holds its temperature when cold fish is placed on it. On a thin pan the heat drops, and the pieces stew instead.

What to do with the head and tail?

Make fish soup. A bream's head gives an especially rich broth — it's not worth throwing away.

Recipe and step-by-step photos — kolizhanka.net.ua.