What is so hard about preparing fish?

Fish is super easy OP

If you have a grill, just take a piece of salmon and put some butter and chopped up dill on it-- or any other spice that suits you-- wrap it in tin foil and cook for about 8 minutes.

That's it.

You can also do it in an oven though not sure what temperature--one of our DL cooks will know.

I mean if you are getting whole fish, skinning, fileting and deboning is work.

Assuming you're not talking about a whole fish, you've got to find fish that is fresh or frozen (from a reputable source).

The mistake most people make is over-cooking the fish.

If you're talking about a whole fish, I agree it seems daunting. I hate dealing with fish bones. I would try to find a fish that wasn't very bony.

It can get overcooked, smelly, dry, ... it needs (usually) a delicate hand with the seasoning. You don't want to do too much to it and you don't want to cook in a way that dries it out more or tears the filet. Some fish is very very delicate (flatfishes like flounder, sole, turbot, etc) and falls apart on a whim. If you serve with one side skin-on, you want that skin crispy- not a soggy mess. It's tricky.

Or you take a butter knife and remove the "soggy" skin R4

DLers make cooking so much more difficult than it needs to be.

Mostly because they're thinking "Dinner Party" and not "Dinner"

Simple seasoning: lemon juice & soy sauce.

People tend to over cook fish. Plenty of salt needed, then a light touch to cook. Keep your eye on it...always.

The hardest part is getting fresh fish.

R7 Plenty of salt? Ugh.

Thanks.

I have given up on trying to cook meat.. (It never comes out well.) Maybe I will try fish.

Pre heat oven to 4oo.

Remove frozen breaded fish square from box and place on baking tray.

Bake for about 10 minutes then flip square to to other side to brown for another 10 minutes.

Prepare bun with tartar sauce and lettuce (optional).

Place American Cheese square on fish in oven and let melt for 1 minute.

Place fish on bun.

Eat and Enjoy.

I don't really understand not being able to cook meat, or any basic kind of food.

It's really not hard. It just requires some seasoning and paying attention to cook times.

If you can't do it, then you must be stupid.

Oh good, don't forget the processed cheez.

R13 Processed American cheese really is the ideal melting cheese for a burger or fish sandwich.

Just another "cooking" thread for views and numbers.

You must be serving bland flood r9.

Yes, throw lots of salt on that fish. Cooking food well requires it to be well seasoned or it will just be bland and flavorless.

I love cod loins. They are pretty forgiving when it comes to overcooking.

Gutting and descaling it.

That's brave R14, there are probably some nasty cheese queens around here somewhere....

R19 Bring'em on. Putting fancy cheeses on burgers and fish squares is a waste of good cheese. And, the artificial creaminess of the processed cheese really blends well with cheap cuts of fried/grilled meat.

I don't know what monstrosity you are cooking with your fish that you want put cheese on it. No.

But American cheese is fine for a burger. One of the times it's use is acceptable. But using a real cheese is hardly a waste, it depends on what else is going on the burger. Certain cheeses pair really well with certain flavors (like smoked gouda and bbq sauce is a match made in heaven)

R21 Frozen Fish Sticks/Squares for a fish sandwich with tartar sauce.

You don't put American Cheese singles on any other kind of fish.

duh

Here’s an easy recipe. Just follow what the woman says. I’ve been meaning to try it.

The main thing with those cheez squares is to make sure it doesn't reharden. Turns to crayon shavings. A nice hot burger is a good application. But pepper jack is better.

Get yourself some nice lake perch and sauté it with a lemon butter sauce. Check out this video. The cooking part starts at the 2:35 mark.

This is dead simple and works every time. And no fishy smell in the kitchen (my main issue with cooking fish).

The most difficult part of cooking fish is finding a method that doesn't leave your home smelling like a sweaty vagina for days.

Fish is easy to cook. Just follow the recipe like anything else.

Drawbacks: - You gotta buy it fresh and cook it immediately or it can go hinky on you. - If you fry it (which I love) you will stink up the whole house for days.

[quote] Yes, throw lots of salt on that fish.

I’m not R9 but that’s a ridiculous comment…who does that? There are wonderful seasonings and herbs to cook with. Salt is certainly not one of them unless you have zero regard for your health and the taste of your food.

R29 = obviously not the salt of the earth

"Lake Perch" may be one of those foods found in Flyoverstan.

Let me try Googling "Lake Perch + All You Can Eat"

[Quote]There are wonderful seasonings and herbs to cook with.

And unless you properly salt your food you won't taste any of those wonderful seasonings or herbs. So many home-cooks wonder why their dishes don't taste quite as good as the dish at whatever restaurant.

Food. Need. Salt.

Flyoverstan like Switzerland, philistine?

"All You Can Eat Lake Perch, lightly dusted and flash fried, served with drawn butter and tartar sauce"

Valparaiso, which is a canton in Switzerlindiana

This one is in Switzichigan

I've never had fish overpower my kitchen.

In Switzconsin "fish fries traditionally use local freshwater fish: lake perch, bluegill, and walleye."

Lake perch. Let’s just call it what it is: ugly goldfish.

Ugly goldfish for $23.

It's a SWISS fish R38

Freakin' HEIDI ate it after she milked the cows and yodeled.

Preparing it is hard. Keeping it fresh is impossible!

[quote] The hardest part is getting fresh fish.

I would argue that cooking (baking or grilling) fish has the best results when you cook them frozen. I buy salmon, etc. from Costco and throw them right on the grill from the freezer.

The most common complaint I hear is being overcooked, and mine never are.

My main issue is good seafood is so expensive now.

R38, the only thing perch and goldfish have in common is that they are both fish. Freshwater perch are darters; goldfish are carp.

OP, just wait for Lent. You can get two Filet O'Fish at McDonald's for 5 bucks.

OP, it depends what you’re preparing them for.

A bouillabaisse? Easy.

Entry into an ivy league school? Not so easy.

Cleaning it. Ask Cheryl for some tips.

[quote] DLers make cooking so much more difficult than it needs to be. Mostly because they're thinking "Dinner Party" and not "Dinner".

R5 is NOT Greg. Who seems to be MIA lately (and can stay there, for all I care).

In my 50s and single right now, my favorite way in which to prefer fish at the end of a long day of work or errands is definitely "La tonne pressée au paquette à plastique." :)

Sticking (to the pan or the grill) is also a problem. Try using a non-stick pan. If placing on a grill, wrap in foil.

Yes plenty of salt, use common sense. Too many people under season fish and food in general.

Bake haddock filet at 350 for 20 minutes, bake shrimp at 350 for 15 min. I use melted butter, squeezed lemon, salt, pepper and for shrimp I sometimes add red pepper flakes. I've been doing this for years. Some people like to add garlic. Simple.

The golden rule (per the late James Beard) is 10 minutes per inch for most cooking methods. For broiling, flip a 1” cut after five minutes. For salmon on the barbecue, I recommend cedar wraps or planks.

Ina Garten's method of roasting shrimp is the best I've found. It's based on shrimp that weigh 12-15 per pound* and calls for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees -- adjust the time for smaller shrimp, say 15-18 minutes for shrimp that weigh 20-25 per pound (til pink, then chew one and see if it's juicy and tender rather than tough). The roasted shrimp can be used for cocktail per the link, or any other way you like that calls for cooked shrimp.

* Ignore labels that use words instead of the weight numbers -- "jumbo" and "colossal" are just adman talk without real meaning. Mexican markets call all of their shrimp "grande!" and one of the Asian markets I shop at offers "big" and "really big" shrimp.

[R52]

That's the way I've been cooking fish for years. The ten minute rule works perfectly every time. Five minutes per side for each inch of thickness.

For guests, I baste with a white wine and herb butter mixture, but if its just for me, I skip the butter. I add salt (fish is salty. go easy on the salt) and pepper after cooking, and season usually with dill, rosemary or thyme and a splash of lemon or lime juice in the butter baste. Or I make a teriaki baste and use that. Or, if the fish is thick enough, cut it into chunks, season, and saute with fresh vegetables and season as you would a stir fry. Usually, I just make up a baste rather than follow a recipe.

If you want to cook it on the grill, a fish basket makes it easy to turn over without breaking up the fish.

Some people put mayo on salmon steaks and filets, then bake or broil. I tried that once, and it was a greasy mess.

I need a translation of R54, what is the difference between baking and broiling? Aren't they the same thing?

I know grilling is usually done outdoors. Can it be done indoors on a stove?

When you baste, do you do it before cooking? During cooking? After?

Here's my best recipe for fish:

Marinate two 8 oz. mahi mahi fillets in lime juice for 30 min.

Prep a seasoning mix of 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp extra-fine sugar, 1/4 tsp black pepper. Add a dash of paprika or cumin powder if desired.

Brush fillets with liquified garlic butter.

Dust liberally with seasoning mix. (Can sprinkle top sides in pan while cooking.)

Saute in heated pan on med-high heat for 90 seconds. Flip and saute for 90 seconds.

Move pan to top rack of oven and broil on high for 90 seconds.

Plate and serve.

The pan will be a horror to clean afterwards, but the fish comes out delicious.

R54 I used fresh dill and yogurt with some lemon zest and broiled salmon--it wasn't greasy and it came out great.

What is fish?

R55, I'm not R54, but here's what I know:

Q = What is the difference between baking and broiling? A = Baking is done in an oven, broiling is done under a broiler.

Q = I know grilling is usually done outdoors. Can it be done indoors on a stove? A = Yes, on a grill pan that's being heated on a stovetop burner.

Q = When you baste, do you do it before cooking? During cooking? After? A = Basting is spooning liquid over a dish during cooking to keep the item from drying out.

For further info, ask any cook or consult a dictionary.

Fish WILL stink up yo crib

It depends on the fish. Salmon, Flounder etc.. aren’t that hard. Tuna Steak is difficult because it easily dry out.

Thank you, R59. I did look up the definitions but did not see answers to my questions.

This may be an american thing, but actually here broiling is done in an oven. I think you are supposed to move the shelf to the top position. So I guess if you are cooking at home, they are about the same except for the position in the oven.

I found a website that said that they are used interchangeably but the difference is that broiling has infrared radiations. I do not understand the cooking terms used on the site , (like "hot mile"), so I still do not get if there is a difference in practical terms.

Lots of ovens have a broil setting, though. Look at the knobs, you might find a broil setting. Broiler heat coils are on the “ceiling” of the oven. When you broil, you place your food maybe 8 inches from the broiler coils.

Yep. It's strong radiant heat from above rather than more diffuse heat conducted by air more evenly through the whole oven.

Herring fillets - I get either small fillets or cut down a larger fillet so it cooks fast. I coat in seasoned flour, Then egg wash and finally seasoned Panko bread crumbs. I shallow fry in peanut oil and when the first side is golden brown. i turn the fillets and when the other side is golden brown, the fish is done.

Salmon fillet. I prefer a thicker piece for Salmon. Season with garlic powder, S&P. I heat up my cast iron pan when hot, I add peanut oil and put in the fillet skin side down. I put it in a preheated 350 degree oven. I check after about 10 minutes. It can be medium rare if desired.

Lake perch is very good. Don’t knock it till you try it. You can also bake fish in parchment paper. If you want to wrap fish in foil and put on grill use the nonstick foil.

Another quick glaze for salmon is apricot jam (the less added sugar the better) with a little cayenne or similar hot pepper sprinkled on it.

Put it in a glass baking dish and cook at 350 for 15-20 minutes. No flipping necessary.

[Quote]In my 50s and single right now

Hope springs eternal for this delusional queen.

Shrimp is disgusting. Do you know what that black line is? Do you really want to eat submarine poop?

I just looked at the photo at R53 's link. The shrimp are gray--wouldn't that mean they have gone bad? Or that the poop has spread?

I loved shrimp until I saw what it looked like uncooked. Now it is just repulsive.

^^^Sorry, photo at different link. My mistake. But still disgusted.

[quote]Mostly because they're thinking "Dinner Party" and not "Dinner"

Huh.

And here I thought it was because we mostly think of "Donner Party" and not "Dinner".

Look at all the DL experts in fish...

R69, the black line is removed when shrimp are deveined, which you can easily do yourself if you didn't buy them that way.

R70, shrimp are grey until they're cooked, which turns them pink.

OK with me if some people don't like to eat them, that just means more for me!

I assume you mean you can do this without cutting the shrimp into pieces? If so, that is good to know. I am learning a lot here.

R74 - the problem with shrimp is you essentially rely on the other ingredients (sides, to be precise) to feel full. I love them but I need a bucket to feel I ate anything. They are low on protein and nutrients but they sure are nice when cooked well.

baking : sealed oven with heat from bottom

broiling : typically open with heat generally from top -- see "salamander"

R75: Youtube has lots of videos showing how to devein shrimp, without or without shelling them first. It's easiest to just buy them already peeled and deveined -- or buy "EZ peel", which are already deveined and the back of the shell is slit so you just have to peel both sides of the shell off and rinse the shrimp under running water.

I cannot imagine that it makes much of a difference what direction the heat comes from, so I can see why they are so often used interchangeably.

I'm lucky. I live by the sea, so I have wonderful fish places from which to choose.

As others have said, watch the fish as you sauté, bake, or grill it.

I like all fish, but usually go for salmon, shrimp, scallops, tuna and swordfish, soft-shell crabs ib season.

Don't bother with a whole lobster. Just go for the tails.

Shrimp: marinade beforehand with Japanese sesame oil and ginger. Oil in a hot pan, watch for the shrimp (cleaned w/ tails on) to turn from opaque to white and it curls. a few minutes at most

Salmon: Little oil on it or butter with fresh rosemary (not too much); sauce of sour cream and mustard w/ rosemary; wrap in tin foil with some white wine, butter and dill...bake 350 for 20-30 minutes at most. I like it pink.

Scallops with butter and fresh sage sautéed in hot pan 2-3 minutes one side, than 1-2 on the other...again opaque to white

Tuna and swordfish: butter and oil plus herb...sear on top of stove than bake in oven 15 minutes or so. Swordfish and tuna can be dry, so watch it.

Lobster tails: I avoid broiling them...butter/olive oil, parsley...herbs (I like Mrs. Dash)....opaque to white, they begin to curl. WATCH THEM!!!

Soft-shell crabs: flour on either side...oil in a pan until brown on both sides.

Practice makes perfect.

Broiling fresh fish is dead simple. It's frying I won't do at home, I go out to eat to get that.

I worked in several restaurants many years ago. One was a pizza shop that sold broiled or fried fish on Friday's. For the broiled fish we just put it on a metal plate, seasoned it and brushed it with melted butter then sent it through the oven, and topped it with paprika for garnish along with a lemon wedge. The other place used a salamander, as someone mentioned above, which is basically just an open faced broiler.

If you're worried about sticking, maybe consider Reynold's Non Stick Foil. That stuff is awesome.

Broiling never really worked for me. But I usually have just done it in my oven, so maybe you do need to buy special equipment.

In Japan, I had a two-burner stove (IIRC, gas). Underneath the 2 burners was a pull-out "drawer." The underneath part was a broiler (flame on "ceiling") and it was called a "fish cooker." Basically, a very small oven / broiler (compared to American ovens). My apartment had no other oven than that. I think my apartment was pretty typical in not having a huge oven, like in the U.S.

Point is, if you have a broiler, I don't think you need special equipment.

^^ every small apt kitchen should have one.

Frankly, when I lived in Japan, my diet was horrendous. I was using that little broiler to make my toast "pizzas." However, two burners was definitely enough and I didn't miss a "full-sized" oven at all.

Those toast pizzas were actually tasty. In Japan, they sold pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle. Not sure if they sell that anymore.

If I got one of those things, I would have to give up either my coffeemaker and/or my toaster.

But you are right, R83, that broiling in an oven never works.

Actually, R86, IMO, broiling in an oven *does* work. Give it a try. I've finished off creme brulee (burnt sugar on top of custard) in a broiler. Like I said, I did make those little toast pizzas under a broiler. I *don't* think you need special equipment.

You guys referring to a salamander for broiling need to be more careful here -- this crowd can be literal to a fault!

CHERYL…..

R87, I have tried it a few times and the results were disgusting.

If you can handle an oven broiler, there's no way you could handle a salamander.

Someone here said that broiling is supposed to be out in the open, which I think may be the problem with trying to do in in an oven.

Take 2

If you [bold]can't[/bold] handle an oven broiler, there's no way you could handle a salamander.

On the contrary, I think it's the easiest to prepare. A few days ago, I threw a salmon fillet into an toaster oven flavored just with lemon + salt and just under 20 minutes , I had my dinner.

I guess I cannot handle a salamander. Broiling in an oven either ends up dry and inedible or swimming in soupy goop.

And funnily enough, my mother was wrong about most things, but she was right when she listed all the cooking techniques and ingredients that are hard to get right.

That's my basic salmon recipe, r94. I also throw some dill on it. Serve with rice and asparagus.

I have Chieftain gas Salamander grill on the patio at my house in Italy (13kw) and and the same electric model in the UK (7kw).

They are a huge hassle to install and the electric powered version needs 9mm cable and a 45w fuse, the cabling is equivalent to a water heater or electric shower.

Low powered home versions just don't work as well.

I’m going to try the recipe at R23 tonight. I will let you know how it goes.

R16 Fresh fish isn't flavorless. Unless you smoke and have no taste buds left, there isn't much food that needs "plenty" of salt. Fish has its own flavor. "Fish should be only gently salted, as its flesh is so delicate." Just read this in a cooking advice column.

Here you go:

Pro-salt guy continue to put lots of salt on your fish, as it clearly tastes better to you that way.

Anti-salt guy, continue to use minimal salt on your fish, as it clearly tastes better to you that way.

Everyone else will be free to make their own decisions as to the necessary amount of salt and you can stop posting about it.

Thanks.

R99 = ghost of Craig Claiborne

R100 I'm sorry for giving my opinion on how to season fish, on a thread about how to prepare fish. I don't know what I was thinking.

R100, R102...chef's kiss to you both.

R98 here. That salmon I made last night was great. I ended up baking it for about 13 minutes at 400° and then broiling the last few minutes. Next time I make it I’m saving some of the marinade to pour over the top while broiling.

R104 Just want to say, if you do that you need to boil the marinade first. If you put raw fish or meat in marinade it can have bacteria. So either discard it or bring it to a boil.

R105 I should’ve clarified. I meant to say save some of the marinade before I put it on fish. I know you don’t re-use marinade because of bacteria.

R106 Oh ok. Carry on. lol