Cooking Fish Methods

Tips And Techniques

Are you intimidated when it comes to preparing and cooking fish?

Many people feel that it's a mysterious task, especially with all of the different varieties of seafood available to choose from. And many people feel that it takes quite awhile to prepare and cook, or even that it's just too messy to work with.

cooked smoked fish with sesame seeds, shredded carrots and other spices

Well, our intention here is to help you understand the ease of preparing fish while guiding you through the variety of methods of how to cook fish. We have included easy to follow techniques for many species of freshwater fish that can be applied to saltwater fish as well. A given technique can be applied to more than one species, in which the recipes for cooking fish can be interchangeable.

cooking fish, cooked freshwater trout

Cooking and grilling fish has become easier and faster to prepare, and more delicious than ever before.

Fish is one of the most versatile foods that you can prepare.

Their mild flavors and firm textures can be matched with a wide variety of flavors and cooking methods.

For Your Health

cooking and eating fish, living healthy

It is an appealing way to eat more healthfully. Fish is high in protein and a source for omega-3 fatty acids.

Studies from the USFDA have shown that a modest amount of fish consumption per week lowers and prolongs risks of some major health issues. A modest amount would be about 3 ounces of farm raised salmon, or about 6 ounces of striped bass.

It's important to understand that seafood can be categorized into three main groups: lean, moderately oily, and oily. For more information about this, see our fish profile chart on our fish recipes page here.

Fresh fish should usually be handled and prepared as simple as possible. Tampering with it as little as possible allows its natural flavors and textures to shine through. Their sauces are usually light, with earthly flavors of herbs, citrus juices, white wines, butter and/or oils.

Judging Doneness

Generally, most fish take little time to cook, so you can count on a quick preparation. Therefore, it's crucial to get it right by recognizing when the fish has finished cooking. Fish meat is fragile, the muscle fibers are short, and the fat content is low. So it can be easy to overcook it.

Fish flesh is transparent before it's cooked. Cook your fish until it turns opaque, or milky-white, all the way through. You can check it by making a small incision into the flesh with a knife.

Sometimes it's best to slightly under cook it. It will still continue cooking with its retained heat, even after it has been removed from the heat source. Overcooking will draw out its moisture and tenderness, and the texture will toughen or fall apart.

Feel and Poke Test

Another method can be by touching it with the tip of your finger. It should be about same firmness as the tip if your nose. This becomes easier to judge with the more experience you gain with cooking fish.

A skewer can be used to test as well. A wooden, bamboo, or metal skewer will all work. Stick the skewer into the thickest part of the fish. The flesh should flake easily and separate from the bones. And the skewer should be able to slip in and out with little resistance.

Thermometer Test

instant read thermometer cooking fish

An instant-read thermometer is a fool-proof method used to test for doneness.

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the fish, away from the backbone. The ideal range is between 125°F to 140°F.

It's best to pull the fish away from the heat source by the time its internal temperature reaches 135°. This should ensure that it wont overcook by exceeding 145° as it continues cooking using its retained heat.

10 Minute Rule

A widely quoted rule of thumb is the 10 minute rule. This means that a fish takes about 10 minutes to cook per 1 inch of thickness, measuring the fish at its thickest point.

This rule is mainly a basic guideline, as cooking methods and techniques will vary. Add about five minutes when cooking fish in a sauce, in parchment paper, or in aluminum foil. For poaching, the ten minutes begins when the water begins to boil. When using a stuffing in a fish, measure the thickness with the stuffing in it.

Whether you are going to use the fresh prized fish that you just caught, or the fish you buy from the fish monger or supermarket, these methods on how to cook fish will benefit the style you are planning on using. Have fun and experiment with some of the different methods and recipes.