There is nothing I fancy more than being out with friends, on a Friday evening, in a local bar, chilling and sipping my beer, and having bites of fried fish.
Sometimes I extend this bliss home and host friends and relatives. We share a drink and enjoy the comfort brought about by fried fish.
What is fried fish
Fried fish is any deep-fried type of fish. This kind of fish has a crunchy, crispy outer layer, but the inside is quite soft and moist.
Some of the fried fish is prepared by just frying salted fish.
However, some people try to maintain the freshness of the fish’s interior by coating it with egg, batter, breadcrumbs, and sometimes with liquor.
This leads to an amazingly crunchy and crispy texture that will get you licking your fingers.
Fried fish goes well with different meals. You could serve your fried fish with chips, rice, or sometimes as a filling for tacos.
You can serve your favorite salad on the side and accompany it with different types of sauce, including tartar sauce and tangy sauce.
Fried fish is a delicacy enjoyed worldwide, across different races, continents, and nationalities.
There are times when you cook more fried fish than you had should have, and you are forced to store them and eat them later, probably the next day.
You have to know the best way to reheat fried fish, or else you will end up with moist, somewhat soggy fried fish, and to be honest, no one likes soggy fried fish.
You still want to enjoy that fantastic crunch and crisp but still moist the next day.
I will let you know the best methods to reheat your fried fish so that you end up with the same excellent fried fish the next day.
Ways of reheating fried fish
There are several ways of reheating fried fish. If you follow the methods below and to the latter, I guarantee you that you will never eat soggy fried fish leftovers again the next day.
Reheat using a frying pan
This is the oldest and most convenient method in the book. You can reheat your fried fish in a frying pan.
If you have just a couple of pieces of leftover fried fish, then this should be your go-to method.
Go for a skillet fry that uses high heat( for example, cast iron). This would work best as it retains most of the heat for a more extended period without harming the material.
Using this method, your fish will fry so fast; therefore, it is wise to keep checking on it to ensure your fish does not burn.
Process of reheating using a frying pan
- Take your skillet or pan and add enough oil.
- Heat the oil on a stovetop until it is hot enough.
- Put your fried fish into the heated oil and let it refry for a couple of minutes. You can change sides if one side is well reheated.
- When ready, remove the pieces of fish and switch off your stove.
- Wrap your pieces in paper towels to dry your fish. The towels will absorb all the excess oil.
- Serve in a serving dish and enjoy.
Advantages
- Fast
It is fast and easy to reheat your fish in a frying pan or a skillet. You will have your fish reheated in no time.
- Restores the fried fish initial state
Compared to the rest of the methods, reheating using a frying pan achieves similar results to the original state.
Therefore if you want your fried fish to resemble what you ate the night before, then this should be the method of your choice.
Disadvantages
- Fish smell
Most people do not like the fish smell that frying fish produces. If you use this method to reheat your fish, expect a solid smell to fill your house. Unfortunately, this smell takes a long time to clear.
Using an oven
This is the easiest method for reheating fried fish. It has the most miniature work and needs minimal expertise.
Before reheating with an oven, remember to sprinkle some bit of olive oil on your fish.
This helps to maintain the moist fleshy interior. You do not want your fish to dry up.
In case you do not have a conventional oven, you can use a toaster oven.
However, you should know that this only works for smaller batches of fish. Therefore it means, it would take a longer time.
Process of reheating with an oven
- Thaw your fish as you preheat your oven. Let your oven preheat to about 350F.
- Spray some oil on your fish and apply some on the baking sheet. Put the fried fish on the baking sheet.
- Let your fish rehat for about 15 minutes. Some ovens can take up to 30 minutes, though it is rare.
- Keep your eye on the oven and check it from time to time to ensure it reheats appropriately and perfectly. Pay attention to the most central parts of the fish.
- When ready, remove it and enjoy your reheated fried fish.
Advantages
- Even reheating
This method reheats fish evenly from all sides without the risk of losing its moisture. This means your fried fish will still be crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, just as you like it.
- Works for many pieces of fried fish
In cases where there are many pieces of leftover fried fish, this should be your go-to method. This is because you can reheat all of them simultaneously; therefore, you will save time.
Disadvantages
- Time-consuming
Using an oven will consume more time compared to the other methods. This is because you have to factor in the time it takes to heat the oven. To save time, preheat the oven as you let your fried fish thaw. This will save time significantly.
Reheat using a broiler
You can reheat your fried fish by using your oven’s broiler setting. Using a broiler to reheat is convenient and fast.
The temperatures used to reheat your fish are pretty high hence the reason for its speed.
The good news is that these temperatures do not affect your fish in any way, and you will end up with crunchy fish that is still moist in the interior.
The process of reheating with broiler
- Apply some oil to the fish. This will help the fish not lose its moisture as the oil will act as a protective layer.
- Place your fish on aluminum foil. You can use a baking sheet too. Apply some oil to the baking sheet. This will stop the fried fish from sticking to it. Place it in the highest rack or the lowest rack, depending on your kind of oven. Always have your fried fish near the broiler.
- Broil your fish on one side for a minute. If it is not warm enough, give it another minute. Change the side and give it the same time.
Advantages of using a broiler
- Fast
Reheating your fried fish using a broiler is way faster than using an oven. It takes about 5 minutes to reheat your fish perfectly. This is because the temperatures are higher than when you are using an oven.
- Healthies option
This is the healthiest option available as you can reheat your fish by adding oil. All the other methods require you to add some oil, but you can choose not to with broiling.
- Maintains the integrity of the fish’s flavor
Broiling does not interfere with the flavor of the fish. Secondly, its texture and shape will be maintained as there will be no risks of the fish crumbling.
Disadvantages
- Soggy texture.
If you are not careful, your fried fish might end up soggy. This is because of the steam that will be produced and confined within the oven. For this reason, it is essential to leave your oven door ajar. This will allow the steam to escape.
- Reheat with the grilling method.
Reheat fried fish using the grill.
You can reheat your fried fish using a griller too. However, this method requires you to be keener and with a bit of expertise; if you can avoid this method, the better.
It is a suitable method as it allows you to add some spices. All you have to do is brush the spices on the fried fish using a cooking brush. Then wrap it with foil paper.
Process of grilling your fried fish.
- Clean your grill and prepare it for the grilling process.
- Add garnishes and whichever spices you intend on adding to your fish.
- Cover your fried fish with aluminum foil. This keeps the fried fish from crumbling and gives your fish the time to absorb the spices.
- Set your heat to low heat. Let it grill evenly for about 45 minutes. Sometimes it takes up to 1 hour.
- Serve your fried fish when ready and enjoy.
Advantages
It allows you to add spices to your fish.
Disadvantages
- Crumbling of the fish.
The fried fish can easily crumble if not careful. When turning your fish, try to be gentle. You can use two foil paper layers to ensure it does not crumble.
- Dangers of overcooking
Reheating fried fish with a grill requires you to use low heat. This runs the risk of overcooking. Be careful not to.
Conclusion
There are several ways of reheating fried fish. You should choose the one that suits you the most.
Whichever method you choose, I guarantee you that you will retain that fantastic crunch and moist interior.
