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A delicious piece of fried fish on a rectangular white plate. The fish has lemon slices behind it and is topped with onion grass. The plate is on a black placemat with a cafe menu print.

Pan Fried Japanese Sea Bass

Japanese Sea Bass (Suzuki) is commonly eaten as sushi or sashimi, but it cooks up flaky and white. It’s wonderful pan fried, topped with a simple soy based sauce and finished up in the broiler.

Pan Fried Japanese Sea Bass is light, flaky, and bursting with flavor.  Pan frying is one of my favorite ways to prepare fish fillets.  A light breading can help enhance the flavor of the fish while also helping to hold the fish together so it cooks up in a single piece.  After pan frying the fish in a mix of butter and oil, I top it off with a savory soy based sauce loaded with sesame, Japanese Ginger and Scallions and then finish it up under the broiler.

Japanese Sea Bass (Suzuki-鱸), is a sweet and flaky white fish often used in sushi or sashimi.  The fillets are easy to debone and the fish does not taste or smell “fishy”.  If you cannot find Suzuki in the store, then cod or flounder fillets can be substituted.

A piece of fish being held by chopsticks cooked up moist and flaky
Japanese Sea Bass (Suzuki) is a light and flaky white fish.

The sauce I use is a combination of soy sauce, sesame seeds, scallions, and Japanese Ginger, also known as Myouga.  Myouga is actually a rhizome which can be purchased at Japanese groceries.  You can also purchase Myouga paste online which makes an acceptable alternative to fresh Myouga.  Fresh Ginger can also be substituted for the Myouga.

Pan Fried Japanese Sea Bass needs to be coated prior to pan frying – and by the way, the coating can be handled differently depending on the fish you are using.  I double coat Suzuki, first with flour and spices, then I dredge it in egg and Panko to create a slightly heavier coating.  This helps hold the fish together as well as sealing in the moisture as it cooks.

Pan Fried Japanese Sea Bass (Suzuki)

Pan Fried Japanese Sea Bass (Suzuki) is double coated and then fried in butter and oil and then topped with sauce and finished under the broiler.  When pan frying fish it’s important that the oil and butter are hot when the fish is first added, and then the heat can be reduced so as not to burn the fish.

Using high heat initially seals the breading around the fish and prevents it from drying out while cooking.  Make sure that when finishing it up that the broiler is set to 250 degrees C/480 degrees F and cook for 5 minutes checking regularly to be sure the fish does not burn.

This is a true restaurant quality dish – give it a try and I think you’ll be quite pleased with the results.

PREP COOKING YIELD
10 mins 15 mins Makes 2 Fillets
PREP 10 mins
COOKING 15 mins
YIELD Makes 2 Fillets
A delicious piece of fried fish on a rectangular white plate. The fish has lemon slices behind it and is topped with onion grass. The plate is on a black placemat with a cafe menu print.

Ingredients:

Fish

  • 2 Japanese Sea Bass (Suzuki) Fillets
  • 1/2 cup wheat flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1 tsp Old Bay Spice (substitute 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp celery salt)
  • 2 TBSP Rice Bran Oil
  • 2 TBSP Butter

Ingredient to fry fish

Sauce

  • 2 TBSP Soy Sauce
  • 1 bud (about 1/4 cup) of Myouga, chopped finely (you can substitute 1/2 tsp of fresh ground ginger)
  • 1/4 Cup finely chopped Scallions
  • 2 TBSP Sesame Seeds

Sauce ingredients in cups on a board

Instructions:

  • Mix the flour and the Old Bay Spice until well combined.
  • Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
  • Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then the egg, and finally the Panko.

Suzuki fillets breaded on a plate

  • Heat up the rice bran oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add the butter when the oil is hot and melt.
  • Place the fish in the skillet skin side down.  Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.  Turn carefully and fry for another 3 minutes until browned on both sides.

Suzuki in the skillet Fried to golem brown

  • Transfer to a broiler pan.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the sauce well.  Spoon over the fried fish fillets.
  • Place under a hot broiler (250 deg C/480 deg F) for five minutes.

Suzuki under the broiler

  • Plate and serve.

Suzuki on a plate ready to be served

Notes:

  • Instead off Old Bay Seasoning, you try other spices such as salt and pepper, sansho, or shichimi.  You can experiment until you get the right taste.
  • This recipe works great with other thin fillets such as cod, flounder, or Tachiuo (beltfish).

 

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