ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN / INACTIVE TIME: 4 HRS or more
This is another way to cook fish skins, but this time there is no flesh, so the skin puffs up like a chip. It is a three-step process of brining, dehydrating, and then frying, but you can make batches and freeze them for later. For serving as a snack, I sprinkle them with seaweed vinegar powder. I like the acidity of the vinegar.
Yield will depend on how large a fish you have the skin from, or how many skins you can collect from your fishmonger. Try to get enough skin for an 11 × 8-inch baking sheet or rack, to make one batch of between 10 and 20 skins.
Large salmon or other fish skin, without flesh (ask your fishmonger to remove it for you, or peel it off a cooked salmon). Try to get enough to spread across an 11 × 8-inch sheet.
Salt for brine
Oil for frying
(Optional) powders for finishing with different flavors: I like seaweed vinegar powder
For a large batch: Make the brine by combining ¼ cup salt and 2 quarts water; stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the fish and brine at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours (or up to overnight).
For a smaller batch: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the skin and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and clean off any remaining bits of flesh.
Use a dehydrator at 150°F, or preheat the oven to 150°F. After brining, lightly sponge the salt off the skins, lay them out flat on a wire rack or sheet with holes (see Note). Dry in the dehydrator or oven for 2 hours. When done, the skin will still feel slightly viscous and pliable, not completely dry and crackly.
Cut the sheet into 2-inch squares. You can freeze the skins at this point if you made a large batch, but of course you can fry them immediately.
To fry, heat at least 1 inch oil in a deep fryer or saucepan over high heat. In batches if necessary, drop the skins into the hot oil and fry for 35 seconds, until crispy and puffy. Remove with a slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to remove any excess cooking oil.
NOTE:
If you use a sheet for dehydrating, the sheet must have holes, or the skins will stick.
TESTER’S NOTE:
I put the skin on solid baking sheets first, and that’s when I found out you must have a wire rack instead. Frying, it only took a second or two to puff up and it tasted a bit briny but not fishy or slimy at all.
EATING FISH SCALES SOUNDS CRAZY, like eating some kind of metal armor. Eating fish bloodline sounds just about as appealing. Trust that when done right, they are really good. I’m not talking about eating a chunk of bloodline or a plate piled high with nothing but fish scales! But they add pizzazz to a more bland meal, shaved or sprinkled on top.
SERVES 4, as a first course or light meal / TIME: 15 MIN
This is very simple to make. I like the textures: the crunchiness of the fish scales and the softness of the tartare and capers. Fish, acidity, herbs, and crunch. I love that combination.
3–4 fillets (total 24 ounces) of tilefish (or fluke), sliced and diced (must be fresh; see Note about raw fish here)
Drizzle of grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon capers
Minced fresh chives or green onions
Juice of 1 lemon
Black pepper
1 cup Fried Fish Scales (here)
In a medium bowl, combine the fish, oil, capers, and chives.
Season liberally with lemon juice and pepper and top with the crunchy fish scales.