If the thought of overcooking fish makes you nervous, it’s understandable – it’s really easy to do. But it needn’t be that way…
Fish is one of the most delicious and healthiest foods you can eat. But a lot of people worry when it comes to cooking fish – it’s so incredibly lean that it’s easy to over-cook or under-season.
So, how do you turn a seafood catastrophe into an easy win? Well, cooking fish is much easier than you may think. For starters, your seafood skills really don’t need to include buying a whole fish and then skinning and filleting it. Preparing and roasting a whole fish can be fun for a party or big family meal, but most of the time you’ll probably just want to have the fillets.
And here are three simple, but effective ways you can cook them.
Pan-frying (or sautéing)
Great for: Sole, flounder, salmon, halibut.
Sautéing is probably the easiest way to prepare fish. Pre-heat the pan before adding some oil. Once that’s smoking, salt the fish fillets and place them into the pan, skin side down. If the fillets are thick, reduce the heat to medium. Let the fish cook for about three minutes until a crust forms. Flip the fish over to finish the other side for about a minute.
Poaching
Great for: cod, sole, haddock, snapper, halibut, salmon, trout.
Poaching preserves the fish’s moisture, while adding some flavour. For a great poaching liquid, try using some white wine or chicken stock with a little water. Add herbs, vegetables or seasoning, making sure you have enough liquid to cover your fish.
Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then, place the fish in the liquid and cook until the fish flakes apart when prodded with a fork (about 6-10 minutes).
Grilling
Great for: swordfish, salmon, and tuna. Look for thick steak cuts.
Start with medium-high heat and a greased grill. Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. If the fillet has skin, place it on the grill skin-side down. If it’s an inch thick, grill it for about 4-5 minutes skin-side down, then flip it to finish. Double the grilling time if it’s two inches thick.
Fresh, sustainable fish
Of course, what you cook is only as ever as good as your ingredients. At 44 Foods, our fish is fantastically fresh and only comes from sustainable sources – why not check out some of our products?
