Chapter 12: Catching On to Fish and Seafood 197
Cooking tips
Many people are afraid to cook fish at home, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Fish is not only healthy but also easy to cook. The average cooking time is
typically the same as or less than for poultry.Overcooking fish makes the meat tough and destroys flavor. Fish is done when
the flesh turns opaque and begins to flake easily when tested with a fork.
Cooking times vary with each fish and cut. The following are typical cooking
times:✓ 10 minutes per inch of fresh or thawed fish cooked without sauce
✓ 5 minutes per inch of fresh or thawed fish cooked in a sauce
✓ 20 minutes per inch of fish if cooked from frozen
There’s a delicate balance between perfectly cooked fish and overcooked
fish. For best results, cook fish until it’s almost done; then remove it from
heat and let stand for a few minutes to finish cooking with residual heat.Fish is versatile and many cooking methods work well. The best method
is sautéing, which uses high heat and little fat and cooks the fish quickly.
The oven also works great when broiling under high heat or baking at 350
degrees. Grilling also works, but make sure the grill isn’t too hot; medium
heat is recommended.Stewing and use of a slow cooker are not recommended. When subjected to
long cooking, fish becomes mushy and falls apart.Grilling, Sautéing, and Baking Fish
When shopping for fish, you have dozens of varieties to choose from, even
if you don’t live near water. Salmon is the most popular fish in the United
States and for good reason; it tastes good and is good for you.If you don’t like a strong tasting fish, whitefish is your best choice because of
its delicate flavor. And when it comes to seafood, shrimp is the first choice
in the United States. About 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United
States is imported from overseas and a majority of that is farmed-raised. If the
option is available to you, buy wild fish and seafood rather than farm raised.
Wild fish and seafood have less fat, more protein, and fewer pollutants than
farm raised. You can taste the difference.