 |
Fish Cooking Basics - How to Transform Those Fish You Just Caught into a Wonderful Seafood Dinner
Fish Cooking Basics
NUKING (MICROWAVING) FISH - Fillets, 1" thick steaks The old standby by for cooking fish, there are countless variations on how to pay fry fish.The basics are to heat butter or oil over medium heat in a pan big enough to comfortably hold your fish. Then cook on one side till brown then turn over and brown the other side. This shouldn't take long so don't over cook them! What you do with them before you drop them in the pan is what matters the most. To be a purist, you can pat them dry and just lightly season them with salt and pepper. Of course if you want to get fancy, you can always coat them with egg and bread them with flour or bread crumbs.Then we get into seasoning of the breading and things get really interesting. Have fun, experiment. BROILING - Fillets & Steaks 1/4" to 1-1/2" thick, Scallops & Shrimp Think of broiling as blast cooking your seafood. Put the top rack ~4 inches below the broiling element and pre-heat that puppy. One thing to remember is that broiling can suck the moisture right out of fish, so you have to make sure it doesn't dry out and get nasty. Fish like Salmon, Tuna and Swordfish have enough oil already to keep them moist, but think about marinating other types of fish. Drop your fish on the broiling pan, season it lightly and get it under the broiler. Keep a watchful eye on it though. Broilers will take food from done to crispy in the blink of an eye. STEAMING SEAFOOD - Fillets, Steaks, Whole Fish and Shellfish Steaming is about as easy and healthy as it gets. No added oil is needed, just a little salt and pepper. If you like, you can steam your veggies right along with your fish! Just remember the 10 minutes to an inch rule and go for it. BAKING SEAFOOD - Fish Fillets, Steaks, Shellfish & Whole Fish Baking is the tame version of broiling. Set your oven for 450° and away you go! As for the fish, arrange them one layer deep in a lightly oiled pan, tucking any thin parts under so they don't burn. Variations include breading, coating with oil/butter, and topping with fruit and/or veggies. POACHING (NOT BOILING) SEAFOOD - Whole fish, Steaks, Fillets, Shrimp, Scallops Basic poaching technique is to cook the seafood in a broad, shallow pan filled with enough hot, but not boiling liquid to completely cover it. Any liquid will do, from plain water to concoctions of water, wine, herbs and stock. The liquid should be brought to a boil then turned down till you see movement, but no bubbles breaking on the surface. Carefully place your food in the water and cook the required time. Another very healthy way to cook your seafood! STIR-FRYING - Chunks and strips of firm fish, Shrimp, Scallops, Squid Stir frying is broiling from the bottom effectively. This is because to correctly stir fry, even cooking, make sure that your pieces of food are fairly uniform. Here is the basic stir frying technique. GOOD OLD GRILLING - What can't you grill?
So there you have the basics of cooking fish. Best of luck in your cooking adventures! Just remember to let your creativity flow and don't be afraid of trying new things! Cliff is a long time fisherman and cook hails from the remote lands in Northern Idaho, but has now moved to the big city. He is also the founder of the web based fishing show 'Fishing with Cliff' that can be found at http://www.FishingWithCliff.com where you can watch on demand episodes of his show, and get more great cooking ideas!
MORE RESOURCES: |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Rock Fishing Techniques Many shore anglers avoid fishing rock marks because they are scared of losing tackle. However, very few marks are totally unfishable, and often the most effective rigs for fishing rough ground marks are also the most basic. Drop-Shotting For Picky-Overfished Bass There is a fairly new technique when it comes to bass fishing but it works great especially when bass are under a lot of pressure, it's called drop-shotting. When you see other fishermen using worms and fishing the edges of creek channels, try this and fish the bottom of the channels instead of the edges. Its Raining... Time to Go Fishing! Ah, fishing in the rain. You may not like the rain, but the fish sure love it!You may not believe it, but you may catch more fish while it is raining. There Is Bass In The Grass Did you ever plan that fishing trip to the big lake, then when you got there you realized you had no idea where to start fishing? Too much ground to cover, right? Let's break it down a bit to simplify it.The first thing you want to look for is cover; something that 'looks' like a good place for a bass to hide. Four Fly Fishing Tips Good Fly PresentationObviously, the goal when casting a fly is to present the fly to the fish in a realistic manner. You are trying to simulate nature here. Get Ready For Bed....Bedding Bass That Is! It's getting near the time bass will be on their beds. Not just any bass, but trophy size bass in Ohio. The Way Of A Bass Fisherman With a Fly Rod And The Way Of A Bass With A Fly -----SIDEBAR------------------------------------------Older fly fishing classics contain a wealth of knowledge for the beginner fly fisher as well as the experienced angler.The following is an excerpt from Practical Fly Fishing, by Larry St. Concentrate on Your Fishing I was watching a TV Show with Bill Dance and he was talking about concentration. I thought well this is going to be a boring show but of course, it wasn't. The Yellowfins from HELL! Hi Lee Palm/Red Rooster crew(San Diego - California).. A Guide to Non-Typical Catfish Fishing Techniques - Part II Method 1EquipmentI fish baits at all depths, not just the bottom, in wide-open water. I always set up and fish deep lake structures. The Old Man And His Bluegills I started fishing a little lake just south of Somerset, Ohio, called Clouse Lake about 35 years ago. Matter of fact, when I first started fishing it, I fished with a fly rod. Tastes Like Chicken! For the most part, I am an advocate for catch and release fishing.Sustaining the fish and habitat in the sport you love only makes sense. Fishing The Henrys Fork.... First Test All the books written on fly fishing all mention the Henry's Fork.They say you owe it to yourself to fish the Henry's Fork, at least once in your life. Spawning the Chinese Algae-Eater Gyrinocheilus aymonieri Common name: Chinese algae-eater Family: Gyrinocheilidae (Algae eaters) Order: Cypriniformes (carps) Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) Max size: 30 cm/ 12 inches Water conditions: pH range: 6.0 - 8. Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass Like all bass fishing, bass fly fishing has exploded in popularity. The largemouth bass is considered by many the greatest of all gamefish. Bass Fishing Tips 3 Lures You Must HaveDo you know what the top 3 lures for catching Bass are? Though there aren't any specific statistics, a survey was conducted amongst the pro bass fishermen and it was found that plastic worms won by a large margin. Second and third place were the spinnerbait and then the crank bait. Planning Your Fly Fishing Trip When planning for your fly fishing trip in Wyoming, there are several factors that should be considered. A little time spent planning will make your fly fishing trip more enjoyable, and your time on the water more productive. A Guide to Non-Typical Catfish Fishing Techniques Part III Method 2The second method that works really well for me is drift fishing. Lets start by explaining how drifting works. Fly Fishing Small Streams Picture this; you've spent some time hiking into a small stream in the back country. It's early morning, mist is rising and the midges that have been swarming around you are breakfast for the small browns you have come to catch. Why Water Skiing and Fishing Dont Mix With the fourth of July weekend freshly behind us, I am reminded of one of the darker moments in a long and illustrious series of dark fishing moments..
|