Frying fish without it falling to shambles

Question

How on earth do I pan fry fish without it turning to hell?

For the fish: Stainless steel pan
Oil heated until it sizzles when droplets of water are thrown in
Plain fish, skin side down first
Try and flip, it falls apart...

Any advice on this?

Answer 1

Fish is just so darned delicate and has so much protein. It sticks to everything and falls apart.

If I want my fish filet to stay whole I will do one of the following:

1- Use a higher fat fish that will hold together such as salmon or tuna
2- Poach the fish instead of frying
3- Use a teflon pan and don't try and get up to searing temps. I only use teflon pans for eggs and fish.

I suppose another alternative is to use enough oil that you are essentially deep frying the fish but I don't like it.

Answer 2

Some fish is simply too tender to stay together when flipped, even if you are very gentle. There's 2 ways you can deal with this:

1. Use a different fish: some fish like monkfish are very steaky and you can flip them easily. Thick pieces of haddock or other white fish can also can work if you are gentle with them.
2. Don't flip it: I typically won't flip most fish, what I do instead is fry it in a pan, then transfer the pan to the oven for a few minutes to cook the fish through. You'll need to use a pan which is oven-safe, cheapo non-sticks usually do not fit the bill