Trying a Few Ways to Cook Fish Correctly

Of all the wonders nature has to offer, healthy foods rank first. There is nothing like creating a meal for lunch or dinner that does not make you feel guilty after eating it. It’s also an amazing feeling of accomplishment.

Out of all the food categories that you can experiment on, fish may be one of the most difficult ones. To skin or not to skin? That is the question. To grill or not to grill? That is another.

And the ugliest part is the part when you decide if it’s already cooked or not. But once you mastered fish, you’ll be cooking it often?

Why? Because we all know that fish is healthy. But that is now the catch: How does one cook fish without making it unhealthy?

Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/1352843586/in/photostream/

When Frying

For some reason, you might want to imitate your favourite fish and chips at home. That’s why you experiment on frying it. A little advice though: when you’re frying, make sure that your oil is trans fat free. Also, be sure to clean your oil from crumbs of breading before frying the next batch. That will stop the oil from becoming “dirty”.

Grilling

Grilling is one of the healthiest ways to cook fish. But it is very tricky. You must keep a close watch when you’re grilling fish because it only takes a few minutes for fish to get cooked. You also need to brush the fish with oil for it not to stick on the grilling pan. Also, you need to start checking for colour after a few minutes. This is done once the fish begins to release its juices after a few minutes.

Steaming

This is also one of the best ways to cook fish. When steaming, you need to:

• Make sure that you rub the fish with different chopped herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, and peppers. This is to make sure that flavour is infused while you’re cooking it.
• Use a folder steamer basket (or a bamboo steamer) with just enough room for each fish part to lie flat.
• Estimate the water to pour into the pan. 1 ½ inches of water is recommended.
• Put steamer over the water, you cover the pot, and wait until the water boils.
• Check the fish’s “doneness” after a few minutes. Keep a watchful eye.

“Doneness” Defined

In general, to find out if the fish is really cooked is not that difficult to do. You just use a small knife to take a peek at the fish’s interior. Do not wait until the flesh flakes. Once that happens, it means that the fish has lost too much moisture. When you peek, take notice how the flesh gives away easily. It show signs of firming, but gently resists flaking. This is to make sure that your fish is not dry and bland once it’s done.

No matter what process you use to cook fish, what matters is how healthy you make it. Do you use tans fat free oil, low fat mayo as condiment, etc. Fish is always best when it’s paired up with herbs and spices, including green salads with tomatoes and onions.

It’s fun cooking fish. Just don’t overcook it. You’ll lose about half of its best taste.