All You Need To Know About Broiling

Broiling, according to chef Vivian Howard, “is a technique that was really popular in the 80s.” But unlike leg warmers and shoulder pads, the cooking technique shouldn’t be considered out of style.

“I think it’s something we should bring back and use in the modern home kitchen,” says Howard, the star of the PBS series, “A Chef’s Life” “It uses only one pan and it’s easy cleanup.”

Howard shows in this video how broiling works to cook fish or proteins, whereby the food is placed in the top third of your oven, allowing the heat to come from one direction.

By cooking your meat unilaterally, “you’ll hopefully get a nice crispy crust on top and a soft flesh below,” Howard explains.

To try broiling at home, cook up Howard’s recipe for broiled fish, detailed below.

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Classic Broiled Fish

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 thin, white fish fillets, such as flounder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 shallots)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Serve with: Lemon wedges

Position oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat broiler to high.

Drizzle oil in a roasting pan. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper; arrange fish in pan. Sprinkle fish evenly with paprika and dot with butter. Sprinkle shallots and garlic around pan. Pour wine into pan around fish.

Broil until the fish is just opaque in the center, about 8 minutes. The tip of a sharp knife should slip easily into the fish with a little resistance in the center. Arrange the fish on a platter. Stir the parsley into the cooking liquid; drizzle over fish. Serve with lemon wedges.

(Credits: Produced by Markay Media/Deep Run Productions; Featuring Vivian Howard; Culinary Producer Sheri Castle; Music by Reed Benjamin)

For more on Vivian Howard, check out these recipes:

Vivian Howard Takes On Charleston Wine and Food in ‘A Chef’s Life’

Watch How to Perfect Your Poach

Everything You Need to Know to Make Delicious Stews