Saturday, August 8, 2009

Different ways to cook fish

Fish can be cooked in many ways including baking, broiling, frying, grilling and steaming. A general rule for cooking fish is to measure it at its thickest point, then cook 8 to 10 minutes per inch. To test fish for doneness, use a fork. The fish should be opaque, its juices milky white. Undercooked fish is translucent, its juices clear and watery. Overcooked fish is dry and falls apart easily. Another test is to insert an instant-read thermometer at the thickest point and if it is done it will be 145°F.

In order to get the best results from your baked fish recipes, you need to make sure the fish is defrosted properly. Frozen fish is just as nutritious as fresh fish and keeps in the freezer for weeks or even months, depending on the fish. You should defrost the fish on the lower shelves of the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.

Baked Fish Fillets

Ingredients

Get some of your favorite fillets
Orange Juice
Lemon Juice
Olive oil
Crushed garlic clove
Chopped fresh dill
Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 450. Get dish, put fish fillets skin side down. Combine orange and lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and dill and pour over the fish. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Bake for approx 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked.

It's an easy one, but a great one. Enjoy!

Some tips for you:

* If you don't oil your grill, the fish will stick, and break apart when you try to remove it.
* To prevent overcooking, you'll need to pull it out slightly before it's done.
* Try not to thaw frozen fish completely before cooking, or it may make them very dry and mushy.
* It is better to undercook the fish a bit than overcooking it.

More cool information.

Nutrition and healthy eating

Before good nutrition and healthy eating became the subject matter of entire magazines and daily news segments, people tended to fix meals that suited their appetite. Now it seems that trans fats, carbohydrates and the pitfalls of animal fat and cholesterol are all being watched. We're all trying to be responsible diners and all of this has done nothing but add to the fun of eating.

Another option is to cook your fish on wood. When you cook on a wood fish board, you do not flip the fish because it cooks indirectly. Once your fish is prepared, oiled on one side and seasoned, you need to place the fish board and fish directly on the grill. You can baste the fish during cooking but do not use anything flammable. The board should be over a low fire so as not to ignite.

Ingredients
1 whole trout, cleaned and gutted
2 strips of bacon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried sage
1 teaspoon butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wrap a fish in bacon, season it with herbs and bake it, wrapped in foil to contain juices and flavors.

These easy tips should give confidence to prepare fish dinners at home. Fish is a delicious source of protein and should be included regularly in a healthy diet.

* To steam fish, put it in a steamer over boiling water and make sure you use a tight fitting lid.
* Increase cooking time when cooking fish that is frozen.
* You may want to try other herbs and spices with the batter for a more delicious fish.
* If you're using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them for 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning on the grill.

Some good links.