Crispy Fried Breaded Fish (Roach)

Name: Breaded Fried Fish – Crispy Roach in Breadcrumbs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Roach 1 (350–400 g); Breadcrumbs 2–3 tbsp (15–23 g); Sunflower oil 1/3 cup; Salt, black pepper to taste; Sprig of fragrant herbs (basil, mint, rosemary) optional; Lemon to taste

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50 mins

It’s hard to find a place on Earth where fried fish is missing from the local culinary tradition. Fried plain, or in a flour coating, or in breadcrumbs. An appetizing crispy crust and an irresistible aroma that tickles the nose. In Bulgaria, on some evenings, we simply follow the smell of frying fish to enjoy small fish: anchovies (the locals call them “tsatsa”) or gobies.

Many dream books agree that dreaming of fried fish is a hint of coming success and prosperity. Fried fish is a good sign, and fried flounder is a tasty one. But for gangsters, fried fish (fried fish?) is a death sentence.

There are plenty of Odessa jokes on this subject. I always thought fried fish was practically a national dish, and perhaps I’m not far from the truth. My mother loves cooking small fish, for example crucian carp. When a lot of small fried fish is cooked, you can’t tear yourself away from it, like from sunflower seeds. Since we live quite far from the sea, frying sea fish isn’t popular here. Fish is usually fried in a small amount of vegetable oil or butter. After preparation (cleaning, adding spices and salt), the fish is dipped in breading and fried until done. Large fish is usually cut into pieces so it cooks through better, while small fish is fried whole. Sometimes fish is cooked without breading. There are also plenty of arguments about whether to skin the fish before frying and whether to trim off the fins.

From experience, fish is best cooked in a heavy skillet, which heats more evenly. A cast-iron skillet or roasting pan is ideal. Still, an ordinary modern skillet is just as good with a bit of skill.

Cooking fish by immersing it in hot fat, or simply frying, is an easy and common process. Frying cooks the fish perfectly and gives it a wonderful golden crust. To make the crust wonderful, the fish is breaded before frying. Wheat flour is usually used for breading. But to my taste, fish fries best in breadcrumbs. There’s hardly any need to buy breadcrumbs in a store; they are easier to make. Just grate a piece of dried white bread, as we always do at home.

I promised my friends a long time ago that I’d write a recipe for fried roach. Roach fried in breadcrumbs is an almost obligatory spring dish.

On my last fishing trip the result was not quite what I expected: while I was fishing for pikeperch, a perfectly peaceful fish, the river roach, took the bait. Usually roach is released in such cases, but this year I hadn’t caught any roach, so I kept one for the recipe: breaded fish.

Breaded fish (roach) is an almost obligatory spring dish. In my opinion, fish fries much better in breadcrumbs than in flour.

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Ingredients

1 fish

Roach 1 (350–400 g)
Breadcrumbs 2–3 tbsp (15–23 g)
Sunflower oil 1/3 cup
Salt, black pepper to taste
Sprig of fragrant herbs (basil, mint, rosemary) optional
Lemon to taste

Step-by-step recipe

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Preparing the roach

Spring roach is the first fish we usually catch after the ice melts and before spawning. Most of it is salted and dried. But a roach fried in breadcrumbs must be on the spring menu at least once. It’s a tradition.
We cook fresh, just-caught roach weighing 300–500 grams. Naturally, the fish shouldn’t have been frozen. Preparing the roach means scaling and gutting it.
Scale the roach. Compared to river perch, roach is easy to scale. Under running water, with a knife or a special scaler, it goes quickly.
Gut the roach: carefully cut open the belly, trying not to damage the roe sacs. With a bit of luck the roach will have roe, and you should make use of it. Fried roach roe is probably even tastier than roach in breadcrumbs.
Set the roe aside in a separate bowl.
Be sure to remove the gills.
With a sharp knife, make 5–7 shallow cuts along the sides of the roach, along the back, without cutting the ribs. This way the roach salts and fries better.
Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste.
If you like, place a sprig of fresh (or dried) fragrant herbs in the cavity: basil, mint, rosemary. The herb gives the fried fish a faint aroma and a hint of flavor. But it’s optional.
Let the roach stand for 15 minutes so the salt dissolves and the flesh is salted through.
If the roach had roe, salt and pepper the roe too.

Breading

Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumbs. As I said, it’s ideal to grate dry white bread (a baton or French baguette is perfect) on a fine grater and sift it.
Coat the roach thoroughly and generously in breadcrumbs. Make sure the fish is completely covered, but that no breading gets into the cavity, where it simply won’t fry.
Coat the roe sacs in breadcrumbs as well.

Frying

Pour sunflower oil into the skillet. The amount of oil is quite large, but the fish doesn’t absorb most of it.
If you’re frying more fish, the amount of oil doesn’t increase proportionally, but rather “by eye”. The breaded fish should be submerged on one side in 3–5 mm of oil while frying. As you keep frying, just top up the oil to the needed level.
Place the breaded roach and roe in the well-heated oil and fry over slightly above medium heat until a golden crust forms.
Then turn the fish over and fry the other side. Frying usually takes 6–8 minutes per side.
Then lower the heat and fry the roach until fully cooked. The sprig of herbs can be thrown away; it’s no longer needed.
To be safe, many people finish the fish under a lid. I don’t. Steam forms and spoils the crispy golden crust. I’ve read somewhere that fried breaded fish can also be put briefly into a hot oven or microwave. Perhaps. But in my opinion, fish should be fried in one go.
Roe in breadcrumbs fries a little faster than the fish itself. Keep an eye on the roe separately. Put the finished fried roe on a plate. Consider it a side dish.

Serving

As soon as the breaded fish is fried, put it on a plate right away, add the roe and a wedge of lemon. Cooked roach goes very well with lemon juice.
Serve the breaded roach immediately, while it’s still hot.

Calories and macros

409 kcal

100 g

Protein18.3 g18% of kcal
Fat34.4 g76% of kcal
Carbs5.9 g6% of kcal

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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To Get It Right

Which fish to choose

Fresh, just-caught roach weighing 300–500 g, not frozen. Small fish is fried whole; large fish is cut into pieces so it fries through better.

Make your own breadcrumbs

There’s hardly any need to buy breadcrumbs in a store: it’s easier to grate a piece of dried white bread on a fine grater, as we always do at home. Fish is usually breaded in wheat flour, but to my taste it fries best in breadcrumbs.

Skillet

A heavy skillet that heats well is best: cast iron or a roasting pan is ideal. Still, an ordinary modern skillet is just as good with a bit of skill.

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Questions and answers

How do you fry fish in breadcrumbs?

Season with salt and pepper, let stand for 15 minutes, coat generously in breadcrumbs and place in well-heated oil, so the fish is submerged on one side in 3–5 mm of oil. Fry over slightly above medium heat until golden on both sides, then lower the heat and cook through.

How many minutes should you fry fish in a pan?

Roach weighing 300–500 g usually takes 6–8 minutes per side, then more on lowered heat until fully cooked. Roe in breadcrumbs fries a little faster.

Should you fry fish under a lid?

No. Under a lid steam forms and spoils the crispy golden crust. In my opinion, fish should be fried in one go.

How do you fry fish to get a crispy crust?

Coat it thoroughly and generously in breadcrumbs, put it only into well-heated oil, and serve right away, while the fish is still hot.

Can you fry roach roe?

Yes, and you should make use of it: fried roach roe is probably even tastier than the fish itself. Salt and pepper the roe sacs, coat them in breadcrumbs and fry them along with the fish, but take them out earlier.

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