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Broiled Seafood

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Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds thin fish fillets
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Turn on the broiler to high and position the rack as close to the heat source as possible—3 or 4 inches is good and 2 inches is not too close. Put a sturdy pan on the rack and heat it for about 5 minutes.
  2. When it’s hot, carefully remove the pan and pour in the olive oil. Lay the fillets flat in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (If your pan won’t hold all the fish comfortably, work in batches, transferring the first fillets to warmed plates or a heated platter before proceeding.) Time under the broiler will be 90 seconds to 2 minutes, rarely more. Do not turn the fillets; they’re delicate, and anyway it’s not necessary. The fish is ready when it becomes opaque and the tip of a thin-bladed knife flakes the thickest part easily.
  3. Carefully remove the fillets with a spatula. Repeat with the rest of the fillets, if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley if you like, and pour the pan juices over all. Serve with the lemon.

– Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition 

Recipe variations

Broiled Shrimp or Squid
Good for peeled shrimp or cleaned squid cut into rings and tentacles: While the pan is heating, coat the shrimp or squid in the olive oil, along

Broiled Thick Fish Fillets or Steaks
Shoot for pieces about 1 inch thick. Make sure fillet skin is scaled. While the pan is heating, brush or rub the fish with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, put the fish in the pan; if you’re planning to serve the fillet with the skin, put it skin side down. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Broil, carefully turning sturdy fish once when it’s firm and opaque around the edges; more delicate pieces require no turning. Total cooking time should be no more than 10 minutes. To check for doneness, see the directions in Step 2.

Broiled Whole Fish
Works best with fish under 3 pounds; you can cook as many as will fit in the pan without crowding: Make sure the fish are gilled, gutted, and scaled. While the pan is heating, coat the fish in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; get some inside the cavity too. Broil, turning once, until the skin blisters and chars a bit and the flesh is opaque and just flaking, 5 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness.

Broiled Scallops
While the pan is heating, coat the scallops in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil, turning the scallops once, until they’re opaque almost all the way through, but still a little underdone at the center, 3 to 8 minutes total depending on the thickness. If they’re of uneven sizes, check occasionally and remove the smaller ones from the pan as they finish.

Broiled Octopus
Boil the octopus in seasoned water until it’s fork-tender or if it’s already cooked, thaw it in the refrigerator before proceeding. Cut the body into thick slices and the tentacles into chunks. Heat the pan as in Step 1. Toss the octopus with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil, turning the pieces a few times, until crisped and browned on most sides, 5 to 10 minutes.