Air Frying Class

Kyl Haselbauer has 20 years of experience working in fine-dining and modernist kitchens, including Bar Cotto and Anchovies &amp; Olives in Seattle. He is also the owner of Bright Spot, a café and coffee shop in Seattle.

Kyl Haselbauer

Light, crispy, delicate, and super moist fried fish is a tall order for the home cook—especially without a fryer.Fish can go from raw to overcooked in a flash, so the high, consistent heat produced by a vat of hot oil is well suited to the task. But an air fryer can make crispy fish fillets, too, and it can produce a result that’s equally delicious—if we make some careful adjustments. To keep the cooking time short, you want to start with fish fillets that are half an inch thick. We found that with thicker fillets, the moisture exuded from the flesh tended to soak into the breading and make it spongy before the fish was cooked through. Instead of a batter or flour dredge, we found that using toasted and finely ground panko breadcrumbs yielded a crispy crust that insulated the fish without getting soggy.We like to serve the crispy fish with a simple, bright salad of shaved fennel, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/fresh-bright-pickled-lemons-in-an-instant">pickled lemon</a>, and of course, tartar sauce.This recipe comes together in about 40 minutes—and the cleanup is significantly easier than a traditional deep-fried version—so you can get your fix of fried fish any night of the week.

Air-Fried Crispy Fish Fillets With Fennel and Pickled Lemon Salad