20-minute experiment

Fish on gentle vs hard heat

Q: What does the fish on gentle vs hard heat experiment test?

It tests one variable: pan heat. The idea is that fish cooked over medium heat stays moist and flakes cleanly, and fish cooked on very high heat dries out and leaks white protein.

Why fish likes a calm pan.

The idea

Fish cooked over medium heat stays moist and flakes cleanly, and fish cooked on very high heat dries out and leaks white protein.

The one thing you change: Pan heat

You need

2 equal fish fillets, such as cod or salmon
Oil
Salt
Two pans
An instant-read thermometer

Steps

Pat both fillets dry and salt them.
Cook one over medium heat and the other over high heat, until each reaches 55C inside. Lay the fillet in away from you, since hot oil spits.
Rest for two minutes, then flake each and compare moisture and any white film.
55C is a chef's doneness. Cook fish to 63C if kids, anyone pregnant or older relatives will eat it. Fish allergy? Skip this one.

What you should find

The medium heat fish is moist and tender. The high heat fish is drier and shows more white protein on the surface.

From the app

Cook this with Chef Fizz

Step-by-step mode with timers, in the free app.

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The science behind it

Cooking fish gently

Fish has short muscle fibers and very little collagen, so it's tender but cooks fast. Most fillets are done in about 3 to 4 minutes per side. One minute…

Read the explainer

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