For fish with crisp, golden skin that won't stick to the bottom of the pan, dry the skin thoroughly, add enough oil to coat the skillet, heat until you see the faintest smoke, and cook mostly skin-side down without moving it before flipping. Few sounds in the kitchen are as thrilling to me as the first sizzle of fish skin hitting a hot pan. The crackle of fat and the faint whiff of the sea turning savory are a promise that you're just minutes away from a piece of fish crowned with a golden, shattering crust. Done right, crisp skin is a work of art: glassy and wafer-thin, giving way to tender, succulent flesh beneath. And yet, many cooks encounter the darker side of this story when using a stainless steel skillet to sear fish. You go to flip your fillet, your spatula poised with care, only to find the skin fused to the pan, refusing to let go. You tug once, then again, until it finally releases—leaving behind a sad patchwork of skin where there should have been a crisp, golden sheet.…