How to cook fish

[FIREd]

My favorite way to cook fish:

place the filet on a square of aluminum foil. Add a touch of butter or olive oil, white whine, lemon juice, shallots, pepper, herbs, and julienned vegetables. Fold the aluminum foil to form a loose pouch around the fish and crimp the edges so that the pouch is tightly sealed. Cook in the oven at 375F for 20 minutes or so. It is my fool-proof way to cook fish. The savor of the fish is preserved and the fish remains very moist.

[kyounge1956]

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Originally Posted by MovingtotheCove Unless the filets are suitable for the grill as with Mahi Mahi or Salmon we do all our fillets such as walleye, tilapia, and many others in the Microwave with a variety of spices and usually white wine. Lemon pepper mix works well. We prefer the mw oven vs. baking in the oven as we can carefully control it in small bursts of power and find it comes out very nice. Again, we never fry fish anymore and sometimes grill it but more often than not improvise with spices and the MW Oven.

About the only fish I ever cook are salmon and tilapia, both of which work very well in the microwave. I put the fillet in a Corning ware dish or equivalent, sprinkle seasonings on, put the lid on to keep the steam in, and nuke for a minute. If it's thin, it will be done; if it's thick it will probably be close enough that I can make a good estimate of how much longer to cook it.

I've never had walleye but if it's a mild flavored white-fish, perhaps my favorite tilapia seasoning (lemon juice + chopped fresh or dried onion under the filet and chopped fresh parsley on top) would be tasty on walleye too. I usually just put a bit of seasoned salt on salmon before cooking it. My dad does something a somewhat more elaborate with salmon—coated with breadcrumbs, a bit of dill weed, then oven-baked. I believe I've steelhead done the same way, and it was quite tasty. My dad usually cuts the fish in steaks rather than fillets but I don't see why that would make any difference.

Bon appetit!

[audreyh1]

Hey - did you miss my whole thread on plank grilling?
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...nks-45985.html

Walleye - pan fry with or without crumbs. A light dusting of seasoned flour with do just as well. And you can then make various "pan sauces" to top it with. Check out this book Martha - might be just the one for you. It's got great fish suggestions among a bunch of other things. The recipes can get a little rich, but are easily modified Amazon.com: How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart

Finally - I get exotic with fish. My all time favorite is Red Snapper Veracruz - the Veracruz sauce can be made ahead, freezes well, and used as a topping for grilled or pan-fried fish or you can bake fish in it. More for white fish - not trout or salmon. This is more for the advanced cook. I've adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe Red Snapper Veracruz Style on marthastewart.com

And I also love doing baked fish in parchment which works just fine with foil. This is actually super easy, but be careful not to overcook the fish, so it can take a little experimenting to get it just right. Here is an example http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldsk...pe&RecipeID=92 Try the shorter time first - of course it depends on the thickness. Search on foil packet recipes for more ideas.

Audrey

[Bestwifeever]

I second Penzey's--I have just fallen in love with their Northwoods Seasoning spice blend. It tastes good and also looks very appetizing, with a reddish brown color. We threw it on salmon last week, and on chicken over the weekend.

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...a traditional mix that is a perfect seasoning for family-style fried or baked chicken and fish, green salads with oil and vinegar, egg and potato salad, and Door County-style fish boils. Use heavily, 1 tsp. per pound, for meats and vegetables. Hand-mixed from: coarse flake salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic and chipotle.

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Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins ....Also Penzey's has the BEST spices. We have a Penzey's here in Pittsburgh in the Strip District(wholesale/retail food center near downtown), and it is always a destination for me when I go food shopping in the Strip. They also do online sales natch.

[tmm99]

Martha,

This is super easy, fast, and tasty.

Get the bottle of 21 Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe's.
Wash fish, dry with paper towel, and salt the fish. Then sprinkle the 21 Seasoning Blend generously. You can steam the fish with a little white wine or you can grill the fish in the pan with some butter.

The 21 Seasoning Blend from TJ's is the best of the best IMHO. I use it for just about everything now.

Maybe I will do FireDreamer's recipe (foil with julianne veggies) with 21 Seasoning Blend next time.

[Martha]

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Originally Posted by FIREdreamer My favorite way to cook fish: place the filet on a square of aluminum foil. Add a touch of butter or olive oil, white whine, lemon juice, shallots, pepper, herbs, and julienned vegetables. Fold the aluminum foil to form a loose pouch around the fish and crimp the edges so that the pouch is tightly sealed. Cook in the oven at 375F for 20 minutes or so. It is my fool-proof way to cook fish. The savor of the fish is preserved and the fish remains very moist.

What kind of herbs?

[Martha]

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Originally Posted by tmm99 Martha, This is super easy, fast, and tasty. Get the bottle of 21 Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe's. Wash fish, dry with paper towel, and salt the fish. Then sprinkle the 21 Seasoning Blend generously. You can steam the fish with a little white wine or you can grill the fish in the pan with some butter. The 21 Seasoning Blend from TJ's is the best of the best IMHO. I use it for just about everything now. Maybe I will do FireDreamer's recipe (foil with julianne veggies) with 21 Seasoning Blend next time.

Will someone run to TJs for me? The nearest is 160 or so miles away.

[FinanceDude]

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Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins Also Penzey's has the BEST spices. We have a Penzey's here in Pittsburgh in the Strip District(wholesale/retail food center near downtown), and it is always a destination for me when I go food shopping in the Strip. They also do online sales natch.

I'll second on Penzeys. They have a manufacturing plant and a big store about 1 mile from where I work........

[Martha]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I second Penzey's--I have just fallen in love with their Northwoods Seasoning spice blend. It tastes good and also looks very appetizing, with a reddish brown color. We threw it on salmon last week, and on chicken over the weekend.

I went to the Penzeys site, and this sounds like a tasty mix. I'll probably order it. And it might make my boring chicken better too.

[RonBoyd]

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Originally Posted by Martha And it might make my boring chicken better too.

Here is a recipe for a not-boring chicken dish:

America's Test Kitchen TV OnDemand

or the text version:
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/r...s=4862&iSeason=

Watch the video though because it is prepared slightly different (and, IMHO, much tastier.)

[TromboneAl]

If you do want to fry the fillets with breadcrumbs or flour, here's a great tip. Put the crumbs on (following dipping in milk or egg), and then put the fillets back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

If you do this the coating will remain on the fish instead of ending up on the pan.

[FIREd]

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Originally Posted by Martha What kind of herbs?

You could use dill, parsley, chervil, thyme or chives to accompany fish with a delicate flavor. But you could also use sage, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, savory or fennel to kick it up a few notches on the flavor scale.

For the recipe I outlined above, I usually use either dill, thyme, chives, tarragon or fennel.

[Martha]

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Originally Posted by RonBoyd Here is a recipe for a not-boring chicken dish: America's Test Kitchen TV OnDemand or the text version: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/r...s=4862&iSeason= Watch the video though because it is prepared slightly different (and, IMHO, much tastier.)

Watching a video is much more helpful. That chicken looked nummy!

[kaneohe]

You could try googling for fish or salmon recipes....if you have any favorite ingredients, that might help in search. Here's one from a site that Audrey provided recently which has a nice gooey sauce w/ my favorite ingredients:Fire & Flavor . Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

That site (fireand flavor.com) has other recipes too. It's biased toward bbqing but you don't have to cook it that way.

Here's an easy one from the fishing lodge we visit in Sitka.....very simple provided you have ingredients:
Raspberrry chipotle sauce (from Costco), butter (melted).
Brush melted butter on salmon, brush/spoon chipotle sauce
on salmon. Mold aluminum foil cup around fish to contain sauce. BBQ. I substitute canola oil for the butter...probably not as rich, but healthier.

My experience is that breading and frying makes it easier to keep the fish tender since the crust tends to seal in the juices. Still possible to overcook tho but much more forgiving.

[audreyh1]

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Originally Posted by kaneohe You could try googling for fish or salmon recipes....if you have any favorite ingredients, that might help in search. Here's one from a site that Audrey provided recently which has a nice gooey sauce w/ my favorite ingredients:Fire & Flavor . Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

Hey - thanks for the link kaneohe! I just bought some fresh steelhead trout in Whole Foods in Plano yesterday and am ready to plank grill again as soon as we get down to "the valley" - i.e. the Rio Grande Valley in south TX.

Buy fish, drive 550 miles and then grill it? What can I say? - RVing is crazy.

(Hint - there is no Whole Foods Market in the valley)

Oh yeah - Martha - we're headed to Bentsen Palm Village. We'll be there through Nov.

Audrey

[HFWR]

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Originally Posted by audreyh1 Hey - thanks for the link kaneohe! I just bought some fresh steelhead trout in Whole Foods in Plano yesterday and am ready to plank grill again as soon as we get down to "the valley" - i.e. the Rio Grande Valley in south TX. Buy fish, drive 550 miles and then grill it? What can I say? - RVing is crazy. (Hint - there is no Whole Foods Market in the valley) Oh yeah - Martha - we're headed to Bentsen Palm Village. We'll be there through Nov. Audrey

Wow, you were close by...

[audreyh1]

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Originally Posted by HFWR Wow, you were close by...

Not for long! We were at Buddy Gregg motorhomes in Lewisville for a couple of nights.

Audrey

[RonBoyd]

Okay. Let me take it back to Mark Bittman.

I have tens of thousands of recipes I have collected over the years. I do the cooking for dinner and have a rule never to make the same thing twice. As you might expect, there are times when (for many reason) that rule cannot be strictly adhered to. When that happens I fall back on an article by Mark Bittman written a couple years ago.

I have tried this a couple times and found it easy, fast, and delicious with any type of rice (wild, for example).

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66. Salmon (or just about anything else) teriyaki: Sear salmon steaks on both sides for a couple of minutes; remove. To skillet, add a splash of water, sake, a little sugar and soy sauce; when mixture is thick, return steaks to pan and turn in sauce until done. Serve hot or at room temperature.

[WhoDaresWins]

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Originally Posted by RonBoyd Okay. Let me take it back to Mark Bittman. I have tens of thousands of recipes I have collected over the years. I do the cooking for dinner and have a rule never to make the same thing twice. As you might expect, there are times when (for many reason) that rule cannot be strictly adhered to. When that happens I fall back on an article by Mark Bittman written a couple years ago. I have tried this a couple times and found it easy, fast, and delicious with any type of rice (wild, for example).

I adore this recipe for salmon. I wonder if you can buy sake in airline sized bottles?

[RonBoyd]

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Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins I adore this recipe for salmon. I wonder if you can buy sake in airline sized bottles?

Why bother. Sake can be used in any recipe that calls for Sherry. If you keep it in the refrigerator it will last a long time and, as a bonus, it tastes better cold -- for that occasional sip needed during those extra long kitchen-battles.

And I believe it is relatively inexpensive.