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Depending on the flavor and texture you are looking for, there are many different
ways to cook fish. You might be cooking steaks, fillets, or whole fish and
there are many methods to try. Stuffing is a good way of adding flavor and
texture. Using round fish is best because they have a bigger body cavity. Be
careful not to overstuff the fish if you are using a breadcrumb stuffing, because
breadcrumbs expand when cooking. A parsley and walnut pesto is very good with
sea bass. If you are using fillets, you can sandwich them with stuffing or
roll them up, then oven-bake them.
Methods of Fish Cooking
Steaming is a good, easy way to cook fillets, whole fish, and steaks. You
need to put the fish in the steamer over boiling water and have a tight-fitting
lid on it. Poaching is another healthy way of cooking it, in which you add
seasoning, cream or another thickener and herbs. This gives you a sauce to
serve with the fish.
Oven baking and roasting are suitable for whole fish or fillets. You place
the fish in an ovenproof dish and add herbs, seasoning, oil or butter and white
wine. If you want very tender flesh, you can cook your fish "en papillote",
which means you put the fish in sealed paper or foil, so it will cook in its
own steam. You might like to add lemon or limejuice, fresh herbs and white
wine to the fish before sealing the parcel and cooking it. If you would like
to braise your fish, you need to put it on top of sauted vegetables in an ovenproof
dish, add some white wine and bouillon, and cook for about 20 minutes, with
a tight-fitting lid in place.
If you have a grill, you can use it to cook fillets or small, whole fish.
If you want to use whole fish, slash the skin on each side a couple of times
and brush the fish with olive oil or melted butter. Turn the fish halfway through
the cooking time and baste it to keep it moist and add flavor. You can also
wrap the fish in a foil packet and add herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil before
grilling it.
You do not always need to heat fish in order to cook it. Ceviche is when you
soak white fish, usually snapper, in chili, herbs, and lime juice. You can
also use flounder, sole, or scallops. The acidic citrus juice cooks the fish.
Wood Board for Cooking Fish
This is another great method for cooking fish. You can use just about any
kind of wood to cook fish on, as long as it is untreated and pest-free. The
wood must be completely waterlogged before cooking, to ensure the wood generates
enough steam and smoke to cook the fish, so it needs to be soaked for at least
an hour beforehand.
Cedar is a common wood for fish boards but you can also use alder, maple,
cherry, apple, or oak. A wood fish board is for one use only and you can get
one from a specialty food store or online.
To stop the fish sticking to the board, brush the fish with oil first on one
side. You will not need to flip the fish during cooking because it cooks indirectly.
Season the fish and place it on the fish board, which you then put on the grill.
Make sure you are using a low fire so as not to ignite the board and baste
the fish during cooking with anything non-flammable.
Cooking fish on a wood fish board is an excellent way of cooking. The wood
smolders, which creates the smoke to flavor your fish. What's more, there is
no washing up to be done afterwards!
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