What technique is advised to mitigate excessive white, gummy residue when searing leaner fish skin?

Answer

Lightly dusting the skin side with cornstarch or rice flour.

A common failure scenario when searing skin-on fillets, especially leaner types, involves excessive white, opaque, gummy residue bubbling up, which indicates the skin is steaming rather than crisping due to releasing too much surface moisture. To counteract this, a mitigation tip suggests lightly dusting the skin side with a thin coating of either cornstarch or rice flour before seasoning. This thin layer functions as a barrier that assists in rapidly driving off the surface moisture, encouraging an immediate sizzle upon contact with the hot pan, which is essential for achieving the desired crisp texture.

What technique is advised to mitigate excessive white, gummy residue when searing leaner fish skin?
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