easy fish fillets

Easy and tasty fish that doesn't take too long to make.  Because we're using frozen fish, you can easily make it for one person or for as many as you want.  Choose any (cheap) frozen white fish, like cod or flounder.  It goes well with rice or any sort of vegetables.  Most people say run the fish under cold water to thaw it right before using it, but I sometimes just throw it in a bowl of warm water and change the water when it cools down.  Fish cooks fast, so start rice or potatos early.

Once thawed, pat the fish dry.  While a good amount of butter melts in a non-stick pan, season the fish with salt, pepper, and paprika on one side.  When the butter stops bubbling, it's ready.  Cook the fish on high heat (but not high enough to burn the butter) spiced side down.  Season the other side while the fish cooks.  The trick is to not move the fish.  This makes it crispy and keeps it from falling apart.

With a spatula flip the fish after 3-4 minutes and cook it again undisturbed.  If you're serving vegetables with it, I like to throw in frozen vegetables a minute after I flip the fish.  Cooking things together not only spreads the flavor but saves on dishes.  They say fish is ready when you can easily flake it with a fork.  Perfect fish can be flaked with a fork on top but center should be just short of flaky.  Add some lemon or lime juice and enjoy!