Cook Fish

 

I cook fish almost every week, so why are there so few recipes here at CLD? Almost everyone I know feels a little nervous to cook fish properly, including me. Who am I to offer cooking tips on something I don’t feel expert at? To answer that question let’s talk a little about my (easy) rules for fish preparation.

1. Keep it simple
2. Know your purveyor
3. The timer is your best friend

When I say keep it simple I mean everything from the way you handle the fish to the method of cooking to the stuff you decide to glop all over it. Roasting and broiling are the easiest method for cooking fish, no need to flip a delicate filet, and it doesn’t take long.

Knowing your purveyor will mean you are assured of getting good quality fish from a reputable source. You want to shop where they sell a lot of fish, so you know they’re turning over inventory quickly and constantly getting in fresh product. It’s OK to ask to smell the fish, and if the department or store smells fishy, go elsewhere.

Fish doesn’t take long to cook, and if you’re like me you’re doing three things at once when you cook, so don’t rely on your memory or internal timer, set a timer for the fish. There are good guides for knowing how long to cook fish, but the ten minute rule is pretty reliable. If I’m cooking fish for one or two people I’m more likely to sauté it because it’s easy enough to turn it over, but for larger filets I’ll always opt for the oven where I don’t need to doing any flipping.

If you want neatly cut pieces you have to cut them when the fish is raw. It is impossible to cut clean portions from cooked fish; no matter how sharp your knife is the tender flesh will tear at least a little. I prefer filets to steaks, except when using large fish such as tuna or sword. Salmon or other (small) round fish steaks will have bones which can be annoying. I don’t mind bones in poultry, but fish bones make me a little crazy.

If you’re concerned about the supply of wild caught fish, and want to learn more about which is the best fish to choose from a sustainability perspective I recommend checking out The Safina Center (formerly Blue Ocean Institute) or print out this guide to take to the market. Whole Foods Market is a partner of the Safina Center, so if you don’t want to bother figuring out which fish buy, you can be confident that the fish won’t be flagged as red. If you want to enjoy good quality fish, that you know has been sourced and handled properly it’s important to buy from experts who know their product, and are committed to quality and freshness.

Lately we’ve been eating wild Pacific cod. It’s not crazy expensive, it’s rated green for sustainability, it’s yummy, and it can be prepared many ways. We like ours pan fried with a squeeze of lemon or some tartar sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cut the cod into small pieces, and use the standard breading procedure of flour, egg and breadcrumbs (or in this case matzo meal for Passover). I seasoned the matzo meal with Borsari citrus salt and added a little lemon zest. Get about 1/2″ of oil hot enough to bubble around a chopstick, and then fry until golden on each side. A total of about five minutes gave us perfectly flaky and tender fish. Is there a fish you’d like to try but are intimidated? Let me know and I’ll work on it!