Ways to cook up Fish

As a chef I find seafood with it's distinct differences in flavor and texture to be the most versatile proteins going. If you like to try poaching then I would suggest a fish with some fat on it like salmon for example. All you need is a flavorful liquid (court bullion). Add sliced onion, celery, carrot to either water or a light vegetable stock, add some white wine, lemon, cilantro or crushed coriander seed, black pepper, ginger, star anise, and boil for 5 minutes to release some of those flavors. Add the salmon skin side down and bring back to a boil. Immediately take of the heat and let cook in the residual heat for about 10 minutes. Pretty simple and tasty.

I have 3 recipes I love and always cook:

1 - Baked dill salmon over zucchini noodles
Put salmon fillets in a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Top salmon with a bit of dill. Bake for 20minutes at 180 degrees C
In the meanwhile, wash and cut into small pieces a few asparagus and set aside.
Using a juilienne peeler cut tiny strips from the zucchini and set aside.
In a bowl mix 2Tbs greek yoghurt, juice and zest of half lemon, dill, pepper.
Heat a tiny amount of olive oil (or coconut oil spray) in a non-sticky skillet. Add a bit of garlic powder. Add asparagus and let cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or so. Then add zucchini "noodles" and let cook for 2 minutes turning frequently (no more than that or they will turn soggy).
Remove from heat, mix in yoghurt sauce. Put in plate and top with salmon fillet.

2 - Baked swordfish steaks
Buy some nice swordfish steaks. Put in a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Top with a bit of pepper. Bake for 15 minutes in oven already hot at 180 C.
After 15 minutes remove the baking sheet, top each steak with some lemon juice and parsley and bake for another 5 minutes.
Serve with any salad or with steamed green beans

3 - Paprika shrimps with green beans
This one is super quick if you buy frozen (peeled) shrimps and frozen green beans.
Heat a non-sticky pan and spray a little olive/coconut oil. Add 1tbs paprika and 2 tbs of water.
Then add frozen shrimps and let cook on both sides until nice and pink (you can even start cooking them in the microwave to reduce time).
In the meanwhile cook green beans in the microwave (if frozen) or steam/boil them (if fresh).
Add to shrimps and let soak flavours for 2-3 minutes.
You can also add some cherry tomatoes if you please.
Season with a bit of pepper and enjoy.

Have anyone tried Hake? I noticed it at Costco for a reasonable price. But don't know anything about it or anyone who had it.
The price is very reasonable but like some feedback

This is my Chinese mom's terrific recipe for any fish. It uses contact frying, which i have never seen elsewhere. Mom would have done whole carp, but I mostly do it with frozen white fish fillets such as tilapia. Have also done whole fresh salmon trouts which were spectacular.

Great thing about this recipe is that is easy, and you don't have to worry about the fish breaking when you turn it because it is smothered by the herb mixture which disguises any accidents. I make it often for dinner parties. Most of the oil stays in the serving dish, so you don't consume as much oil as the recipe actually calls for.

Fish Bonne Femme Chinese Style

Fish for 4 people
a large bunch of spring onion
1-2 cubic inches of fresh ginger
soy sauce
sugar or mirin (=sweet rice wine)
dry vermouth or saki
juice of a lemon or a splash of vinegar
salt & peppper
1/4 cup of neutral oil (I use olive oil)

Chop the ginger and spring onions fine. You can do this a few hours in advance if you put the chopped ginger under the spring onions in a deep bowl to prevent the ginger from discolouring due to contact with air. If you are doing this step more than 3 hours in advance, sprinkle some lemon juice over ginger and onion mixture to prevent discoloration.

When you are ready to serve, poach the fish until done, and place in a serving dish with a rim. You could also cook the fish in the microwave. Sprinkle the ginger onion mixture on top. Add a few big glugs of soy sauce, a glug vermouth or saki, a pinch of sugar, and a squeeze of lemon. Keep this warm in a low oven while you do the last step.

Bring the fish to the table. In the kitchen, heat the olive oil over a flame as hot as possible in a small saucepan--it should be just starting to smoke. Carry the oil to the table and carefully pour hot oil over the ginger onion mixture to blend the flavours. There will be a lot dramatic sizzling sounds.

I can't wait to try the shrimp and green beans

We season our Tilapia with a garlic season blend (found at walmart) and then broil it for about 8 minutes. Comes out nice and dry...just the way we like it! And, you can steam up some green beans with it.

Tasty stuff!

Enjoy,
Nicki

In for ideas too! I'm looking to incorporate at least one dinner with fish... but I don't like a fishy tasting fish or salmon. Any suggestions on what type to start with? I really like the dill seasoning idea!

I had red snapper last night, just sprinkled some lemon, garlic and herb spice on it and pan fried it in a little olive oil. The fish was beautiful and moist and not "fishy" at all. Had it with a nice fresh salad :bigsmile:

I grill it, I bake it, I fry it in a pan, I steam it....it just depends on what the **** I'm actually cooking for dinner.....hell, sometimes the fishies just do into my stoup....

Most fish has such a mild flavor. So when you are thinking about how to cook it, think of what flavors you like in general. Do you like spicy food? Lemony taste? Garlic flavor? Basically you can dress fish up with whatever flavors you like! Have fun with it!