Sesame Seed-crusted Fish Fillet

Fried fish fillet is often blanketed in batter or flour to give it better texture and to help seal in the moisture. But what if, instead of all that unnecessary starch, the fish fillet is coated in something healthier like sesame seeds? Make this sesame-crusted fish fillet to discover a much tastier and aromatic crust for your fish.

Sesame seeds are healthy? Yep, they are rich in minerals which translate to health benefits. But if you weren’t a health nut, the flavor and aroma of sesame seeds are simply divine.

Okay, are you sold on the sesame seed crust already? Let’s talk about the fish. What kind of fish is best for this recipe? Any firm and fleshy fish will do. And fresh is always best whatever recipe you’re following. Once fish is filleted, it loses moisture so fast that it really ought to be cooked as soon as possible. If you can manage it, choose a whole fish, have it filleted, and don’t forget to bring home the fish head and bones to make fish stock with. Once you get home, cook the fish fillets as soon as you can.

For you folks who don’t do your marketing on a daily basis, you can buy your fish two days ahead. Choose your fish, have it filleted and, at home, rinse the fillets, wipe dry with paper towels then wrap in non-stick paper. Cover the bottom of a shallow container with ice, set a rack on top and lay the fish on the rack (the fish wrapper should not touch the ice). Cover the container. Use the fish within two days.

What about frozen fish? I used to be a fan of frozen fish. They scream convenience, don’t they? But, one time, I bought a large fillet of frozen salmon from the grocery. It cost an arm and a leg. I thawed it in the fridge overnight and, the next day, I slit the vacuum-sealed bag. The fish smelled so terrible that I threw it out without a second thought. There was no way that fish was fresh when frozen. Or, worse, the fish was frozen, it thawed, it was frozen again… You know, these things happen during various stages of transport between the fishing port and the grocery.

So, if you can manage it, do try to use fresh fish to make sesame-crusted fish fillet.

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Sesame Seed-crusted Fish Fillet

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 8 minutes

Servings 2

Author Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

• 1 fish fillet about 350 grams in weight
• salt
• pepper
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sesame seeds black, white or a combination (tip: brown is especially aromatic)
• cooking oil for deep frying

Instructions

1. Rinse the fish then wipe dry with paper towels.

2. Cut the fish fillet into cubes. Make them thick cubes. Two inches thick is a good size.

3. Toss the fish cubes with salt and pepper. I'll leave it to you how much salt and pepper. I like to use generous amounts of both.

4. Place the sesame seeds in a bowl. Roll each fish cube in sesame seeds, pressing the seeds on all sides.

5. In a frying pan, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches. The ideal frying temperature is 350F. 

6. Drop the sesame seed-crusted fish cubes in the hot oil. Fry for two to three minutes. Please don't overcook them. Scoop out, drain on a stack of paper towels and serve.

This sesame seed-crusted fish fillet is good as an appetizer or a main dish. If you need a dipping sauce, try a mixture of soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, grated ginger and chopped chilies.