Fish is the perfect addition to your diet. It is packed with lean protein and omega-3, making it healthy for your body, your brain, and even your nervous system.
However, traditional fried fish and chips should only be eaten as a treat, as it is packed with inflammatory vegetable oils, batter and salt. Luckily, cooking fresh fish at home is incredibly easy, and far better for your health too. Here are our top tips for cooking fish perfectly every time!
Tip 1: Buy Fresh
Buying fresh fish is essential to a delicious dish. When purchasing your fish, be sure that it has a mild smell and doesn’t smell overly fishy. Its eyes should be clear and the gills should be a reddish pink colour.
The best course of action is always to catch your own, but feel free to buy fresh too. If anything seems off about the fish, avoid it altogether.
Tip 2: Remove the Pin Bones
Whether you are prepping your own fish or getting your fishmonger to do it, remember to remove the pin bones.
They are the tiny bones found along the thickest part of the fillet, and have to be removed with tweezers.
Tip 3: Store Fish Properly
If you are storing your fish before cooking it, be sure to do it right. Add your fish to Ziploc bags, close them tightly, and leave the bags submerged in a bowl of ice and water.
Tip 4: Try Cooking ‘En Papillote’
Cooking ‘en papillote’ means to cook in parchment paper. You can do this with fish by forming packets with the paper, which traps moisture and steam the fish to prevent it from becoming dry.
This is a very easy technique for beginners, and you can load your packets with garlic, lemon, fresh herbs, and seasonings. Delicious fish couldn’t be easier.
Tip 5: Fry Skin-Side Down
When you first add fish to a frying pan, be sure to fry the fillet skin-side down first. This allows the skin to crisp and prevents the fish from sticking and disintegrating in the pan.
Also make sure that your pan is quite hot before you add the fillets, so play some online bingo Australia while you wait for it to heat up.
Tip 6: Don’t Marinate for Too Long
Fish has delicate flesh, and marinating it for too long in an acidic marinade is a recipe for disaster. The only exception is when you are making ceviche!
Meaty fish like swordfish can be marinated for an hour or two, but flaky fishes like trout should not be marinated for over 30 minutes.
Tip 7: Flour Coating for Crisp Skin
If you love crisp skin on your fish, try coating it in a thin layer of seasoned flour before frying. This is much healthier than adding a batter, but it still makes for a crisp and golden coating that adds flavour and texture to your dish.
Be sure to finish off with a squeeze of lemon or another form of acid to bring all of the flavours together.
