Sometimes the reason our families don’t like eating fish at home is because we don’t know how to cook it properly. Probably the most important thing you can do when cooking fish is to be sure and not overcook it. In fact, most fish will taste best if it is just the tiniest bit underdone when you remove it from the stove, grill, or oven.
- The perfectly grilled fish - Yum!
Fish that is ‘just done’ keeps its texture and flavor. Overcooking fish leaves it dry and flavorless, or worse yet - fishy tasting! Follow these tips to get your family to eat more fish.
Look at Your Fish
Cooking fish is not rocket science. It’s is done when the flesh begins to turn from translucent to opaque or white. Fish should be firm but still moist. The real trick is getting enough practice with a particular recipe to know just how long it needs.
It’s also important to note that ovens, grills, and microwaves cook differently. So the best way to determine when a fish is done is visually. Again, the perfectly done fish is opaque or white, and flakes easily with a fork.
All that said, ten minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb to start with.
Fish Keeps Cooking!
If you’re no stranger to the kitchen, you understand that food continues to cook after being removed from the heat. Fish is no different. The tricky part with fish is that because it requires such a short cooking time, the margin of error is smaller. If fish is already fully cooked when you take it off the heat, and it continues to cook, it’s likely to be overdone by the time it gets to your plate.
Go ahead and experiment. You can’t really go wrong because if you take the fish out too soon and after a couple of minutes it doesn’t get to the point where it flakes easily with a fork, you can always put it back on the heat for another minute or two. (I sometimes zap mine in the microwave when this happens.)
Testing Technique
Okay, so you’ve heard it many times: fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Except that when I use a fork, I tend to mutilate my fish into a not-so-pretty mess. Instead of my method, try slipping the point of a sharp knife into the flesh and gently pulling it aside. If it separates easily, you’re set! (Make sure to test multiple places if you’re cooking in the microwave.)
And that’s it! I hope these tips provide you a little confidence to get out there and play with some more fish recipes!
Image Credit: mccun934, Flickr
Tags: cooking fish, eat more fish, eating fish, eating fish at home
