Grilled dishes

Pan-fried hairtail (Galchi gui)

Name: Pan-fried hairtail (Galchi gui)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: Cleaned unsalted hairtail pieces (Trunk sections with skin and backbone, weighed after thawing in the refrigerator if frozen, removing the head, tail, innards and fins, and blotting dry) 300 g; Cooking oil 9 g; Fine salt 4.5 g

Season cleaned hairtail pieces with salt and sear both sides in a hot skillet until golden.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min

Jump to the steps

Scale the recipe

Base quantities · 2 servings · Cleaned unsalted hairtail pieces (Trunk sections with skin and backbone, weighed after thawing in the refrigerator if frozen, removing the head, tail, innards and fins, and blotting dry) 300 g

Ingredients

Cleaned unsalted hairtail pieces Trunk sections with skin and backbone, weighed after thawing in the refrigerator if frozen, removing the head, tail, innards and fins, and blotting dry: 300 g
Cooking oil: 9 g

Seasonings

Fine salt: 4.5 g

Level measures: 1 T (tablespoon) = 15 mL, 1 C (paper cup) = 180 mL. Household spoons and cups can vary in size.

Method

Clean the hairtail pieces

Prepare cleaned unsalted pieces 7–8 cm long. Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator. Remove any innards or black membrane remaining inside the cavity.
Blot dry and score

Blot with a paper towel and prepare 300 g. Make shallow cuts in the thick flesh on both sides about 2 cm apart. Wash the board and knife before using them for other ingredients.
Salt and blot dry

Sprinkle the salt 4.5 g evenly over both sides. Cover, refrigerate for 10 minutes and blot away any beads of moisture with a paper towel.
Heat a wide skillet

Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the oil 9 g. Tilt the skillet to make a thin coating. If the pieces cannot fit without touching, divide the oil and work in batches.
Sear the first side

Space the pieces apart in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the edges turn golden and a wide spatula slips easily under the skin. Lower to medium-low if the skin darkens quickly.
Brown the second side

Support each piece with a wide spatula and flip once. Cook over medium-low until the skin is golden and the pieces release easily.
Check the center of the fish

Insert a food thermometer from the cut side of the thickest piece, avoiding the backbone. Cook until the center stays at or above 85°C for 1 minute. If the temperature is lower, keep cooking over low heat.
Transfer to a clean plate

Transfer the hairtail to a clean plate and serve immediately. Remove the small bones along the edges first, then lift the flesh off the backbone.