How To Cook Fish With Perfectly Crispy Skin

If you're afraid of cooking seafood, it's time to press on

If you're afraid of cooking fish, it's time press on—literally. Sure, some seafood requires a delicate touch, but once you get a few pointers under your belt, you'll realize it's no different than cooking those chicken breasts.

For crispy skin on a fillet of fish, press the fillet down with a spatula when it hits the pan.

As soon as the fish hits the hot pan (and it should be hot), the fillet will immediately start to shrink and curl up at the ends. If you let this happen, you'll have unevenly cooked fish and skin. You can forget about that golden crust, because some of it will probably be left on the pan when you go to remove your concave fillet.

To avoid this mess, all you need is a spatula—one meant for fish or otherwise. Gently press the length of the fillet down into the pan, and that extra pressure and flattening will go the distance. Just be careful not to press too hard, or you may accidentally end up crushing the fish—and that's one thing we don't have a hack for (yet).