Fish pan

So the fillet reaches the plate in one piece

Fish tends to go wrong in two places: in the pan, where a long fillet has nowhere to lie, and on the spatula, when you try to lift it out. In a round pan the tail of a trout curls up and half a salmon steak ends up on the rim. This 35 by 25 by 4.5 cm oval shape takes that problem away: a longer piece gets a straight surface, and the spatula still has room beside it.

The oval shape suits more than fish

Whatever you put next to a fillet is usually long too. Asparagus, courgette cut lengthwise, celery stalks or halved new potatoes all lie far more neatly in an elongated pan than in a round one, where the edges always leave a gap. So the fish and its side cook in one pan, and the oven stays off for the sake of a single tray.

The cooking surface is ridged. The ridges lift the fish clear of the liquid it releases, so the skin can colour instead of steaming, and the grill marks stay on the fillet when you serve it.

Forged aluminium, matt finish

The pan is made from forged aluminium and its outside is matt. The Fashion by Berlinger Haus design language is minimalist here too: the oval body runs on into the long handle in a single line, with a metallic insert at the end. The handle is soft touch and ergonomic, and it stays cool while you cook, so you can take hold of it.

What the Fashion by Berlinger Haus kitchen line has in common is that nothing on it tries to be louder than the cooking. The matt surface does not reflect, and the pattern of the ridges only shows when you look into the pan. You can put a pan like this straight on the table, because it sits well with the rest of the setting.

The long handle matters because of how the weight sits. In an oval pan the food is spread out rather than gathered in the middle, so the handle has to hold the pan from further away. It is long enough for that, and the soft covering keeps it from slipping in your hand even when you hold it through a cloth.

The TitanPro coating

TitanPro

The name of Berlinger Haus's hard-wearing non-stick coating. A smooth surface that lets food release with very little fat.

With fish this coating earns more than anywhere else. A delicate fillet usually tears because its skin sticks to the surface; on a non-stick surface you can get underneath it in one movement.

Turbo induction base

A circular induction disc runs across the underside of the pan. It has a turbo induction base and works on every type of hob: induction, gas, electric, vitroceramic and halogen. Given the elongated shape, look at your own hob before you buy, because the pan overhangs an average cooking zone.

One Friday evening

Two salmon steaks, a few spears of asparagus, one lemon. The pan heats up, the fish goes in skin side down, the asparagus lies down beside it. While the fish colours, you lay the table. Eight minutes later the pan goes to the table on a trivet, and from there onto the plate, carrying the marks the ridges left.

On Sunday the same pan carries chicken breast or a tray of vegetables. Nothing about the name stops you frying mushrooms or peppers in it; the elongated shape suits anything long.

Care

• Wash and dry the pan before first use.
• Let it cool to lukewarm after cooking before it meets water.
• Clean with a soft sponge and washing-up liquid; the coating is easy to clean and needs no scouring agent.
• Lift the fish with a wooden or silicone spatula so the surface between the ridges stays free of scratches.
• After fish, a rinse with lemon once the washing-up is done takes the smell away.
• When storing, lay a cloth inside the pan if another pan goes on top of it.

If you cook fish often

One practical point: because of the elongated shape, look at your hob before ordering. On a smaller two-zone hob the pan reaches across both, which on an electric or vitroceramic surface can mean uneven heating.

Frequently asked questions

Technical data