Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published August 3, 2007 Broiled Fish: A Rare Pleasure The first gourmet fish dish of my life came from the first restaurant I ever reviewed, back in 1972. The chef of the Flambeau Room (the unlikely but delicious white-tablecloth restaurant at the University of New Orleans) had worked a long time at Brennan's, where he learned that simple could become fancy with the addition of a sauce. He demonstrated that trick best with redfish. He broiled a thick fillet, then top it with hollandaise sauce. It would come out crusty at the edges and just delicious. That left a permanent impression on my tastes. I still love fish broiled that way--especially with that sauce. And I've learned that this preference is not easily satisfied around town. Restaurants love to fry fish. They tolerate grilling fish. But they don't seem to much like broiling anything but steaks. The reason for this is purely operational: Chefs try to minimize the number of times they open and close the broiler, because every time they do, the thing cools down and they don't get the heat blast on the beef the way they like. Fortunately, broiling fish at home is very simple. The hard part is locating some great, thick, vividly fresh fish. Broiling will not cover up mediocrity of flavor or the ravages of the freezer the way frying will. Some of the best fish for broiling are the easiest to find. Salmon, redfish, black drum, lemonfish, flounder, and halibut are particularly fine broiling fish. Pompano--a bit less commonly found--is the best of them all. I like to use a brief (a minute on each side) marinade made of olive oil and white wine, with a squeeze of lemon juice and dashes of Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Then I season the fish up as appropriate (Creole seasoning for redfish or drum,  salt and pepper for salmon, plus garlic puree for lemonfish and halibut). Preheat the broiler rack fir about five minutes first, about four inches under the heat. Then put the fish on. Unless it's very thick, you won't need to turn it. It's done when  the edges get crusty, dark brown. The conclusive test: jab the center with a kitchen fork, hold it there for five seconds, then carefully touch the fork to you lips. If it feels warm, the fish is done. Forget that old advice about cooking fish "until it flakes easily with a fork." That's way overcooked. While waiting, make the hollandaise. Or not. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com