Fish can be difficult to cook perfectly, with skin often sticking to the pan and turning out flabby. Top chef Jack Croft from Fallow restaurant in London shared a simple fix on TikTok in July.
The trick is to spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise over the fish before cooking - either on the skin or flesh side. It's not butter. In the video, Jack explained the problem: "One of the biggest issues when fish is cooking is that the skin sticks, and you're left with a dodgy bit of fish."
Why mayonnaise stops fish from sticking
The chefs wrote in the caption: "This hack is the perfect way to stop your fish sticking in the pan." According to Jack, the mayo creates a thin layer of egg and oil between the fish and the cooking surface. "This both helps to improve the Maillard reaction and also helps the fish stop sticking," he said.
Jack added: "And as if by magic, perfectly crispy skin, perfectly nonstick, extra glass-like finish." Mayonnaise works because its thick emulsion clings to the wet surface of the fish without melting or running off like plain oil, forming a protective barrier of oil and egg proteins.
An extra benefit of cooking with mayo
Another advantage is that mayonnaise has a higher smoke point than butter or oil. This means the fish can be cooked at a higher temperature without the outside burning before the inside is fully cooked. The Maillard reaction is what gives the fish its brown colour, indulgent flavour and crispy crunch.
