How to Cook Kingfish: Panko in the Pan

A kitchen adventure from February 2013.

Having a wife that loves cooking means that I never even go near the kitchen. Not that I ever did in my bachelor days, because there was a great takeaway store just around the corner. The guy who ran the place knew my needs so well I didn't even have to place an order. Just walked through the door and flicked my finger, like you do at an auction. Within two minutes a delicious feast would be prepared: half a chicken and chips, large bottle of Passiona, and 20 Peter Stuyvesant. Happy times!

So, I'm totally out of the loop when it comes to food prep. But I love eating fish or any type of seafood, and that will never change. What had been a surprise that summer was the number of people aboard who didn't eat fish of any kind. Nephew John was telling me he didn't like the taste.

Coincidentally, a week or so earlier, I was listening to Kaj Busch on Al McGlashan's radio show talking generally about this issue. I've never met Kaj, but you hear nothing but good things about the bloke. So I paid attention while he described a way of cooking kingfish for the fussy eater. It didn't sound too complicated or expensive, so that weekend I gave it a go.

What follows is not for anyone who knows their way around a spatula. It is for unimaginative fishos like myself who would consider a bit of extra cooking effort to be worthwhile, as long as very little energy and/or expense was involved.

What you'll need

Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs. Then you'll need a tub of duck fat, or better, goose fat. The method is simple: little kingfish medallions, a light coating of panko straight onto the fish, then into the pan. No flour-and-egg production line.

For two people:

• About 400 g skinless, boneless kingfish fillet.
• About 60 g panko breadcrumbs, with a little extra if needed to coat the pieces.
• 2 tablespoons duck or goose fat to start, plus enough extra to keep a thin film over the pan base.
• Lemon wedges, potatoes, cucumber and tartare sauce to serve.

A broad frying pan, a bowl for the crumbs and a fish slice will do the job. A food thermometer takes the guesswork out of the centre. Keep the fish chilled until you're ready to prepare it, and have a clean plate ready for the cooked pieces.

Cut the kingfish into medallions

Start by pouring yourself a coldie, because you need to be in a relaxed state of mind to cook well.

Fillet your kingie, skin the fillet, then cut the meat into little medallions. Run your fingers over the fillet and remove any remaining bones. Aim for pieces about 1.5–2 cm thick so they cook at much the same rate; if the tail gives you thinner pieces, keep them together and take them out sooner.

A light coat of panko

Blot off excess liquid. Pour the panko into a bowl and dust the medallions, pressing the crumbs on gently. Shake off the loose excess. This gives you the light, uneven coating shown here, rather than a thick takeaway crust.

Into the pan

While this is happening, have the duck fat heating up in the pan. Treat yourself to another cold one, this cooking is thirsty work.

Use medium heat to start. The fat should be hot enough for a crumb to sizzle, but not smoking. Pop the little kingie steaks into the pan with a gap between them. If they won't fit comfortably, cook in batches.

Leave the first side alone long enough for the crumbs to set. Start checking underneath after about two minutes. When the coating is golden, lift gently with the fish slice and turn. Let the second side colour, then check the thickest piece. Reduce the heat if the crumbs are getting dark before the middle is ready.

Cook the centre to 63°C, the NSW Food Authority recommendation for fish. Insert the probe from the side of a thin medallion so its tip reaches the centre. The crumb colour tells you when to turn; it doesn't tell you the temperature inside. Take each piece out when it's ready instead of leaving a thin one in while a thick one catches up.

If the pan fills with liquid and the fish is steaming, give the pieces more room on the next batch. If the crumbs fall off when you turn, let the underside set a little longer and support the whole piece with the slice. If loose crumbs start burning between batches, wipe them out carefully and add fresh fat before continuing.

Dinner's ready

Serve with lemon wedges and something light and simple, in our case potatoes, cucumber and tartare sauce. Pour yourself a tall cold one to wash it down:

Tasty? You betcha. Able to turn a fish avoider into a fish fancier? Too right. Pour yourself a large cold one to celebrate your contribution to humanity. Dig out that box of cigars your brother-in-law gave you last Christmas and fire one up, you've earned it. Your wife will love you for taking charge of the kitchen, too.

Want to catch your own? Here's our guide to catching kingfish in NSW.

Cheers, Cookin' Andy