box, p. 212) are best either cooked quickly to
an enzyme-killing but somewhat drying
160ºF/70ºC, or else cooked to a lower
temperature and served immediately.
Preparations for Cooking
Cleaning and Cutting Most fish in U.S.
markets are sold precleaned and precut. This
is certainly convenient, but it also means that
the scaled and cut surfaces have been exposed
to the air and bacteria for hours or days,
drying out and developing off-flavors.
Preparing fish at the last minute can give
fresher results. Both whole fish and pieces
should be rinsed thoroughly in cold water to
remove fragments of inner organs, the
accumulation of odorous TMA, other bacterial
by-products, and bacteria themselves.
Presalting Japanese cooks briefly presalt
most fish and shrimp to remove surface