Don’t Be Afraid to Cook Fish

Fish is delicious and healthy. Full of fatty acids fish is good for you as it reduces heart disease. People are often afraid of cooking fish at home. This is evidenced by the fact that Americans eat twice as many fish at restaurants as at home. Cooking fish is not complicated, but it does require a little bit of knowledge.

When buying fish be sure to smell it. It should smell sweet, not smelly. That infamous fishy smell means the fish is old. Fresh fish has the best taste and is moist. The fish should look healthy. The eyes should be bright, and the body should be plump and firm. The colors should be bright with no spots or discoloration. In other words, the fish should look very close to how it used to look when it was alive.

Fish only stays fresh for a couple of days. If you don’t plan on cooking it today or tomorrow, wrap it up in freezer paper and freeze it. In general, most of the fish you buy will be frozen. Only areas that are near large bodies of water have large fresh supplies of fish. If the fish is already frozen when purchased, don’t thaw it until you are ready to cook it. Fish can be thawed a number of ways. One way is to soak it in milk overnight.

When cooking fish, do not disturb it. Leave it alone for between 2 and 4 minutes depending upon the thickness. The fish will develop a crust and be easy to turn. There’s a thin line between cooked and overcooked fish. Since fish will continue to cook for a little bit after the heat source is removed, turn the heat off when the fish is almost cooked but not completely cooked.

If you choose to marinate fish, don’t marinate for more than 30 minutes. Acidic marinades will denature protein in the fish. Even meatier cuts such as tuna and salmon shouldn’t be in a marinade for more than an hour. If you marinate too much, you will be left with mushy fish as opposed to flavorful fish.

There are numerous ways to cook fish depending upon your preference. Heartier cuts grill beautifully, but you can also sauté, steam, broil, and bake. Experimentation is a must in cooking fish.