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Fish is a delicate ingredient, and the right care and technique are needed in order to cook it properly. When cooking fish, the kind of oil you use is an important detail. To find out what kinds of oils work best to get perfectly cooked fish, Daily Meal spoke exclusively to chef Richard Sandoval, owner of the contemporary Latin restaurant group Richard Sandoval Hospitality, which has over 60 global locations — many of which are found in The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons luxury hotels.
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“The technique and temperature should guide your oil choice,” says Sandoval. When searing fish, “Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point — like grapeseed or avocado oil. This allows the fish to sear beautifully without burning the oil or overpowering the natural flavor of the fish.”
Something like deep-frying “demands oils with high smoke points — like canola, peanut, or sunflower — because of the sustained high heat,” recommends Sandoval. So, choose one of those varieties if you want to make pub-worthy fish and chips at home.
Can you ever cook fish with olive oil?
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“Oily fish like salmon or mackerel can handle slightly richer oils like olive oil for gentle pan roasting, while leaner white fish like halibut or snapper benefit from cleaner, neutral oils that let their delicate flavor shine,” says Richard Sandoval. “The key is respecting the fat content and flavor profile of the fish.”
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A recipe like pan-seared salmon with pistachio gremolata calls for extra virgin olive oil and butter on medium-high heat. A baked sheet pan haddock or seared tuna would do nicely with something more delicately flavored, like avocado oil. Sandoval says to avoid cooking fish with low smoke point oils, like unrefined sesame. When oil goes past its smoke points, it releases a chemical that gives food an acrid flavor. To learn more about different oils and their smoke points, refer to our ultimate guide to smoke points.