I Thought This Fish Weight Was Another Useless Kitchen Tool—Until I Used It

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My husband is a chef, and he often brings home a lot of useless kitchen tools. Just look at our closet—it has a broken pasta roller, a spherification kit, a wooden tofu press with an accompanying 10-pound bag of soybeans, and three (three!) blowtorches. So when he came home with this fish weight, I initially dismissed it as another new toy he’d play with for a week before shoving into our closet. Then, I noticed that his sear game had gone up a few notches. His steaks were more deeply and evenly browned than ever—even lean cuts, like pork and chicken, were somehow perfectly golden brown. I’ll admit, we’re a little competitive. So when all of the sudden his steaks started looking better than mine, I needed to know what the hell was going on. Was this oversized (and not inexpensive) paperweight really giving him such an edge?

Although it’s designed for fish, I first gave it a try on a grilled cheese sandwich. It was nothing fancy—just pullman slices, butter, and cheese—but the press ensured the sandwich had even contact with the pan as it cooked, giving it smushed panini vibes and a perfect crust. But that was just the beginning. Soon I was using the fish weight for everything. I crushed boiled Yukon golds for the ultimate crispy-crunchy smashed potatoes. I struck the delicate balance of charring vegetables while maintaining their crisp-tender texture. And because it’s made of a nonreactive stainless steel, I used it to weigh down crocks of fermenting cabbage for all my sauerkraut and kimchi projects.

Now, let’s not forget about what it does for fish. Crispy-skinned fish is an elusive thing. As soon as your filet makes contact with a hot pan, it wants to curl up, which leads to uneven cooking and floppy skin. This weight flattens the filet and holds it down, so the skin can render and crisp up while the meat evenly cooks.

Unlike other presses, which are usually cast-iron, this one—the work of Josh Niland, the chef at Saint Peter in Sydney who knows, loves, and respects fish—is made up of slick stainless steel that’s super nonstick and doesn’t require seasoning, so you won’t tear up your delicate filet when you remove the press. Its heavy weight and thick body retains heat, which allows you to cook food from both sides at once. And coming in at four pounds and six inches in length, this press is small but mighty. Other presses of the same weight usually are big and unwieldy, making them tough to use in smaller pans and requiring more room to store.

But let me assure you: This weight is never going into storage. I use this fish weight nearly everyday, so it’s earned itself a coveted spot right by the stove. Move over, Joyce Chen shears and mortar and pestle, there’s a new “it” tool in town.

Buy it: Josh Niland Fish Weight, $150 at Mr. Niland

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Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit