Cook fish skin-side down first to crisp the skin
Start fish skin-side down so the skin crisps and you get better texture contrast.
Season, then place fish skin-side down into hot fat. This helps render and crisp the skin before flipping.
The short version
- Skin-side down first for crisp skin
What goes wrong
Starting flesh-side down and ending with soft skin
Begin skin-side down in hot fat
Why it works
Direct contact with heat renders fat and dries the skin surface, creating crispness instead of a soft, steamed skin.
Put it to use
Learn next
Start chicken skin-side down in a cold stainless steel pan over low heat to crisp the skin
Put oiled chicken skin-side down in a cold stainless steel pan and cook on low heat to develop crispy skin.
Season chicken thighs with just salt for a simple crispy-skin method
For this method, use only salt on the chicken thigh before cooking.
Bake chicken skin-side up to crisp the skin
Orient chicken pieces skin-side up so the skin browns and crisps in the oven.
Dry brine chicken uncovered in the fridge for crispier skin
Salt chicken and refrigerate it uncovered for half a day to overnight to dry the surface and improve crisping in the oven.