TIP OF THE DAY: Ways To Cook Fish

February 19, 2015 at 8:01 am · Filed under Condiments, Decor, Fish-Seafood-Caviar, Tip Of The Day, Top Pick Of The Week

Lent began yesterday, the 40-day period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday (this year on April 2nd). During Lent, observers recognize Christ’s sacrifice by giving up something pleasurable. Around the world, the most common Lenten practice is to give up meat. In the U.S., seafood sales soar during the six weeks of Lent.

Whether you’re a lent observer, or simply want to eat more healthfully, here’s inspiration from GetFlavor.com, a magazine and website for professional chefs.

Baked fish: salmon wrapped in phyllo dough with dill and lemon sauce; quiche; en papillote; Salmon Wellington

Cured/pickled/smoked: ceviche, gravlax, pickled herring; smoked bluefish, cod, salmon, trout, tuna fillets; smoked fish pâté

Deep-fried fish: battered, tempura or breaded; calamari, fish and chips, fritters, nuggets, shrimp

Dips and spreads: pâté, taramasalata, whitefish

Grilled fish: whole fish or fillets; kebabs or skewers; cod, sardines, shrimp, snapper, whitefish

It couldn’t be easier: Pan-sautéed fish topped with a light salad. Photo courtesy Whole Foods Market.

Pan-fried or sautéed fish: Trout, soft-shell crab, salmon or trout patties

Poached fish: crab legs, salmon, shrimp cocktail, whitefish

Raw fish: carpaccio, sashimi, sushi, tartare, tataki

Roasted fish: fillets, steaks, whole fish

Steamed fish: fillets, steaks or whole fish; mussels, gefilte fish

Stews and casseroles: bisque, bouillabaisse, chowder, cioppino, curry, gumbo

Stir-fried and sautéed fish: Asian-style stir fry, blackened, with pasta

Specialty: caviar, crêpes, flan, mousse, pancakes, poke, risotto

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You can make this nicely-plated restaurant dish. Just place grilled bass or other fish atop a bed of grains or vegetables and surround with broth or sauce. In a pinch, you can make a sauce from a can of creamed soup. Photo courtesy Chef Scott Conant.

BOILING, POACHING OR STEAMING: THE DIFFERENCE

These three related cooking techniques are both healthful and easy. Here are the nuances:

Poaching

Poaching is a gentle cooking method used to simmer foods in a hot, but not boiling, liquid. Water is often used as the poaching liquid but its flavor is often enhanced with broth or stock, juice, vinegar or wine.

Typically, vegetables (carrot, celery, onion), citrus (lemon, lime, orange), herbs and/or spices are added to the liquid for additional depth of flavor. Chicken breasts, eggs, fish/seafood and fruit are good candidates for poaching.

Boiling

Boiling is more intense than poaching. Foods are cooked in rapidly bubbling liquid, most often water. Poaching is best suited to foods such as starches and vegetables that can withstand the high heat and the agitation of rapidly moving water.

Beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower hearty greens (collards, kale, turnip greens), pasta, potatoes and rice are some of the most frequently-boiled foods.

Steaming

With this technique, foods are cooked by steam generated from boiling liquid. Water is most often used because little to no flavor is transferred to the food from the steam. Since there’s no direct contact with water, steaming retains the shape, texture and bright color (e.g., of asparagus or other vegetables and fruits) without becoming water-logged or soggy.

Steaming also prevents vitamins and minerals from dissolving into the cooking liquid. Fruits, proteins, vegetables and even desserts—cakes, custards and puddings) can be steamed.

For instructions on each of these techniques, visit CampbellsKitchen.com.

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