Need Tips on Cooking Fish

ticred
ticred Posts: 5
in Recipes
I love fish and would like to eat more but I can't cook it right. Regardless of what I buy or what I do to it, it is either tough or has that white slimy stuff all over it similar to what pork chops sometimes do in the oven. Anyone have a tried and true method or some tips?

Replies

  • adail88
    adail88 Posts: 2
    I'm not a huge fish fan, but if my family does eat it I make tilapia. I like to put it on a cookie sheet and bake it @ 350 degrees until it starts to turn a little flaky. I will then take it out of the oven and spread a little butter and Morton's Season All. I put it back into the oven for a few minutes and it comes out so soft, moist, and tender! So good!! I hope this helps! Good luck!
  • ticred
    ticred Posts: 5
    thank you, can you tell me what Morton's is? I don't think we have that in Canada. Is it seasoning salt?
  • adail88
    adail88 Posts: 2
    Yes, I'm sorry it's call Morton's Nature's Seasons, it's in the seasonings area in grocery stores, it has a yellow label and a blue cap. I'm sure any type of "season all" would work well, I just choose this because it has less sodium than others. :)
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    I cook salmon often and always prepare it the same way because my family loves it and after trying different techniques we prefer to sprinkle (I go heavy) chile lime rub and lemon pepper rub and then bake the salmon at 375 or 400 depending on its thickness. Usually about 20 minutes again depends on thickness. Delicious hot , room temp or cold from refrigerator
  • MsJulielicious
    MsJulielicious Posts: 708 Member
    Tilapia dregged in flour and pan fried in coconut oil.
    Salmon grilled or smoked (or if fresh enough thin sliced and raw)
    Ahi tuna squeeze with lemon, slice and pan sear in sesame oil rare or medium rare. top with mango salsa
    Swordfish Lemon and dill grilled
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    I bake my fish often. It is pretty easy to get close to overdoing. Test it after 15 minutes or so to see if it flakes. I like to put lemon on my fish and sometimes capers. I usually make salmon or white fish.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Tonight, I got out my silicone veggie steamer, placed it flat in a large frying pan and used that to steam the fish, which I sprinkled with McCormick's lemon pepper seasoning.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I feel sorry for people eating tilapia, it's really a crappy fish. Tuna, cod, halibut, salmon, catfish, bass, snapper, anything but tilapia.

    Cedar plank salmon is great, and of course, beer battered catfish...
  • kjbarone
    kjbarone Posts: 12 Member
    I also like baked salmon. Place salmon - skin side down - in a foil lined pan. Wisk together balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and honey and pour over top - I make sure I have enough liquid so that the salmon is completely covered. Cover the pan with more foil then bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Lots of flavor!
  • ge105
    ge105 Posts: 268 Member
    If shrimp counts as fish, try frying it with salsa until it changes color. Also, try chopping onions with shrimp (bite size pieces) and adding lime juice to cover. Sprinkle with salt. Leave in fridge for several hours. Drain juice, cover with fresh juice again- leave for at least another hour. Cant possibly become tough like this and it wont be slimy. Eat with crackers and salsa fresca. Tastes awesome-promise (and you can also do this with flounder). Serve both of these with avacado for extra awesome.
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
    thank you, can you tell me what Morton's is? I don't think we have that in Canada. Is it seasoning salt?
    I like our friends from up north... but no Morton's?

    Barbarians! :laugh: :wink:

    (I mean... um... yes, it's seasoning salt. Personally, I prefer Old Bay.)
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
    I feel sorry for people eating tilapia, it's really a crappy fish. Tuna, cod, halibut, salmon, catfish, bass, snapper, anything but tilapia.

    Cedar plank salmon is great, and of course, beer battered catfish...
    I think it's funny that somebody would criticize tilapia as a "crappy fish," and then highlight catfish ("the liver of the river...") as a good fish. :laugh:

    (I actually like everything on your list - and tilapia as well.)
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
    I love fish and would like to eat more but I can't cook it right. Regardless of what I buy or what I do to it, it is either tough or has that white slimy stuff all over it similar to what pork chops sometimes do in the oven. Anyone have a tried and true method or some tips?
    Now that I'm done with my wise guy comments, I guess it would only be right to actually attempt to answer your original question.

    I like to cook fish by placing a de-boned fish (anything from rainbow trout to salmon, really...) onto a sheet of heavy aluminum foil. I place slices of onions, slices of lemon, garlic, butter, and salt & pepper inside the fish, tightly seal the foil, and then place it over medium coals (or you could probably do it in the oven) for a while until the fish becomes flaky. The foil keeps the moisture inside, and the fish "bastes" in the lemon-onion-garlic steam inside the foil. Delicious!

    Alternatively, you could try cooking the fish in the dishwasher. (I've never worked up the courage to try it - but I hear it's wonderful.) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dishwasher-salmon-with-a-piquant-dill-sauce-recipe.html
  • amflautist
    amflautist Posts: 939 Member
    I love fish and would like to eat more but I can't cook it right. Regardless of what I buy or what I do to it, it is either tough or has that white slimy stuff all over it similar to what pork chops sometimes do in the oven. Anyone have a tried and true method or some tips?

    Tough fish - try poaching.

    That white slimy stuff is the protein in the fish - when that happens, you have cooked it too long. One test of "just done" for fish is when the white stuff just begins to peek out at one corner of the fish. I actually like my fish less done, so I don't wait for any of the protein to exude.

    In general, fish needs gentle heat. And don't cook it too long. In top quality kitchens, they use a thermometer to judge the doneness of their fish. Maybe you want to invest in a not-very-expensive thermometer to test the doneness until you learn to judge it by eye. I use a cheap (<$20) digital instant-read thermometer. Mine is an old Taylor, the "Weekend Warrior", model 806E4L. Very useful. I especially like it because I don't have to look up what temp I need for various doneness in a book. I just take the thermometer out of a drawer and look at the numbers on the case.

    For fish, I cook it to 135 and then let it rest before serving.
  • heroeslegend
    heroeslegend Posts: 44 Member
    I love fish and would like to eat more but I can't cook it right. Regardless of what I buy or what I do to it, it is either tough or has that white slimy stuff all over it similar to what pork chops sometimes do in the oven. Anyone have a tried and true method or some tips?

    Here in New Zealand, we do a dish called raw fish. Its cerviche, i.e. cooked by citric acid, and done simply as:

    Fillet your fish as you normally would. Slice into strips a la sashimi. Place into ceramic dish and add lime juice (a lot of it). Leave it out for about 30 minutes. The stronger the juice the quicker the cook time. It will turn white and firm. Dont forget to toss the fish, and swish the juice around.

    When done, drain the juice, and add coconut milk. This will stop the cooking process. Add tomato, cucumber, chili, ginger, etc etc. and season to taste. Eat with or without the coconut milk.

    Enjoy.

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