Cooking Fish

Cooking Fish

Seafood is tasty, convenient and easy to prepare. Just follow these guidelines.

Grill
Preheat grill to a medium setting. Some seafood will need to be turned halfway through cooking time. Baste white fish during grilling.

Shallow fry
Dust the seafood with seasoned flour. Heat the oil and fry the seafood turning halfway through cooking.

Poach
Using 70ml (1/8th pint) water and a few drops of lemon juice. Add the seafood, simmer gently for the recommended time.

Bake
Preheat oven to 190ºC/375ºF, Gas mark 5 (unless otherwise stated). Place the seafood in a suitable dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, cover and place in the centre of oven. (Refer to manufacturer's instructions if using fan oven).

Steam
Place the seafood between 2 plates or in a steamer over a large pan of boiling water.

Microwave
Time based on 800 Watt microwave (refer to manufacturer's instructions). Place seafood in a suitable container, add 2 x 15ml spoons (2 tablespoons) liquid. Cover and cook. Standing time 2-3 minutes after cooking.

Deep fry
Heat the oil to 180ºC/350ºF. Coat the seafood in batter or breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown.

Seafood is very quick to cook
White fish is fully cooked when it loses its slightly translucent appearance and turns white or opaque in colour. A simple test is to see if a fork or skewer passes easily into the flesh. Other groups of seafood are equally quick to cook.

Deep frying white, round fish
Remember to coat the fish thoroughly to protect the flesh and stop the fish from absorbing too much fat. Dust the fish with seasoned flour or with flour, egg, breadcrumbs, oatmeal or batter. Heat the oil to 180ºC/350ºF. Cook for approximately 4-6 minutes and then drain on absorbent kitchen paper before serving.

Shallow frying white, flat fish
Again, it is important to remember to coat the fish. Use seasoned flour and a small amount of oil for frying - 2-3 tablespoons should be fine. Shallow fry for about 4-5 minutes, turning once.

Grilling
One of the most popular methods of cooking seafood, grilling is healthy, quick and simple. Seafood should be basted during cooking to prevent drying out and cooking time on a medium heat is usually between 8 to 10 minutes. Small, whole fish or thin pieces of fish can be cooked without turning but do score whole fish at the thickest part to enable the heat of the grill to penetrate. Small cubes of fish on skewers and thicker pieces of fish should be turned during grilling.

Poaching
Not all species of seafood are suitable for poaching. For those that are, poaching involves cooking the seafood in, typically, milk, stock, wine, water or cider. All or some of this liquid is usually used to make a sauce. To cook the seafood the liquid should always be just below boiling point. Poaching will usually take from about 5 minutes for cubes of fish to 10-15 minutes for thicker pieces.

Steaming
This involves cooking the seafood by the heat of the steam between two plates or in a steamer. Because no liquid is required the seafood retains much of its original flavour and tenderness. Just add seasoning and a little lemon juice and steam for 5-10 minutes for thin fish fillets or 15-20 minutes for thicker pieces of fish or whole fish.

Baking
There are two simple ways of baking seafood. Either place in an oven-proof dish with seasoning and herbs, lemon juice and/or vegetables, then add stock, wine or milk and bake in the oven, or alternatively add herbs and a few tablespoons of liquid to the seafood before enclosing in foil.

Small whole fish, fillets, steaks or cutlets can be baked for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish at 200ºC/400ºF (Gas mark 6). Large whole fish should be baked at 180ºC/350ºF (Gas mark 4) for about 30-40 minutes.

Barbecuing
Most seafood is naturally moist so needs little basting, but for extra flavour on the barbecue it can be left to marinate for around half an hour before cooking. If barbecuing a whole fish, slits or slashes at the thickest part will make cooking faster and more even.

Cooking fish in foil parcels will give quick, moist results. Barbecue cooking times are the same for grilling.

Microwaving
The microwave is excellent for cooking seafood. Always remember to cover the seafood with a lid or microwaveable food wrap. Season after cooking and add less liquid than for other methods of cooking. Cooking time varies according to thickness and quantity but as a rule of thumb 450g (1lb) of fish fillets would cook in about 4-5 minutes plus 2-3 minutes standing time.

Cooking seafood tips
When cooking seafood in the microwave arrange the thickest parts of the fish towards the edge of the dish and fold the tail pieces underneath to ensure even cooking.

If using metal skewers for kebabs make sure they are flat, so that when you turn them over the ingredients don't twist around.

Start and finish seafood kebabs with something firm, like an onion, to help the other ingredients stay in place.

Make full use of the wide variety of ready prepared sauces on sale. Don't be put off by the fact that the sauce may recommend using with, say, chicken; many taste just as delicious when cooked with seafood.

Boil in the bag seafood with parsley or mushroom sauce makes a tasty filling for a jacket potato. Add grated cheese for an extra flavour boost.

For an impressive yet fantastically quick ‘en croute’ seafood recipe, place a fillet of fish in a rectangle of puff pastry. Top the fish with garlic and herb soft cheese. Close the pastry parcel and bake.

Flat white fish are quick and easy to cook. Spread fillets with chutney, marmalade or apple sauce and roll up and cook for the simplest, yet most delicious taste experience.

Seafood is tasty, convenient and easy to prepare. Just follow these guidelines.

Grill
Preheat grill to a medium setting. Some seafood will need to be turned halfway through cooking time. Baste white fish during grilling.

Shallow fry
Dust the seafood with seasoned flour. Heat the oil and fry the seafood turning halfway through cooking.

Poach
Using 70ml (1/8th pint) water and a few drops of lemon juice. Add the seafood, simmer gently for the recommended time.

Bake
Preheat oven to 190ºC/375ºF, Gas mark 5 (unless otherwise stated). Place the seafood in a suitable dish, sprinkle with lemon juice, cover and place in the centre of oven. (Refer to manufacturer's instructions if using fan oven).

Steam
Place the seafood between 2 plates or in a steamer over a large pan of boiling water.

Microwave
Time based on 800 Watt microwave (refer to manufacturer's instructions). Place seafood in a suitable container, add 2 x 15ml spoons (2 tablespoons) liquid. Cover and cook. Standing time 2-3 minutes after cooking.

Deep fry
Heat the oil to 180ºC/350ºF. Coat the seafood in batter or breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown.

Seafood is very quick to cook
White fish is fully cooked when it loses its slightly translucent appearance and turns white or opaque in colour. A simple test is to see if a fork or skewer passes easily into the flesh. Other groups of seafood are equally quick to cook.

Deep frying white, round fish
Remember to coat the fish thoroughly to protect the flesh and stop the fish from absorbing too much fat. Dust the fish with seasoned flour or with flour, egg, breadcrumbs, oatmeal or batter. Heat the oil to 180ºC/350ºF. Cook for approximately 4-6 minutes and then drain on absorbent kitchen paper before serving.

Shallow frying white, flat fish
Again, it is important to remember to coat the fish. Use seasoned flour and a small amount of oil for frying - 2-3 tablespoons should be fine. Shallow fry for about 4-5 minutes, turning once.

Grilling
One of the most popular methods of cooking seafood, grilling is healthy, quick and simple. Seafood should be basted during cooking to prevent drying out and cooking time on a medium heat is usually between 8 to 10 minutes. Small, whole fish or thin pieces of fish can be cooked without turning but do score whole fish at the thickest part to enable the heat of the grill to penetrate. Small cubes of fish on skewers and thicker pieces of fish should be turned during grilling.

Poaching
Not all species of seafood are suitable for poaching. For those that are, poaching involves cooking the seafood in, typically, milk, stock, wine, water or cider. All or some of this liquid is usually used to make a sauce. To cook the seafood the liquid should always be just below boiling point. Poaching will usually take from about 5 minutes for cubes of fish to 10-15 minutes for thicker pieces.

Steaming
This involves cooking the seafood by the heat of the steam between two plates or in a steamer. Because no liquid is required the seafood retains much of its original flavour and tenderness. Just add seasoning and a little lemon juice and steam for 5-10 minutes for thin fish fillets or 15-20 minutes for thicker pieces of fish or whole fish.

Baking
There are two simple ways of baking seafood. Either place in an oven-proof dish with seasoning and herbs, lemon juice and/or vegetables, then add stock, wine or milk and bake in the oven, or alternatively add herbs and a few tablespoons of liquid to the seafood before enclosing in foil.

Small whole fish, fillets, steaks or cutlets can be baked for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish at 200ºC/400ºF (Gas mark 6). Large whole fish should be baked at 180ºC/350ºF (Gas mark 4) for about 30-40 minutes.

Barbecuing
Most seafood is naturally moist so needs little basting, but for extra flavour on the barbecue it can be left to marinate for around half an hour before cooking. If barbecuing a whole fish, slits or slashes at the thickest part will make cooking faster and more even.

Cooking fish in foil parcels will give quick, moist results. Barbecue cooking times are the same for grilling.

Microwaving
The microwave is excellent for cooking seafood. Always remember to cover the seafood with a lid or microwaveable food wrap. Season after cooking and add less liquid than for other methods of cooking. Cooking time varies according to thickness and quantity but as a rule of thumb 450g (1lb) of fish fillets would cook in about 4-5 minutes plus 2-3 minutes standing time.

Cooking seafood tips
When cooking seafood in the microwave arrange the thickest parts of the fish towards the edge of the dish and fold the tail pieces underneath to ensure even cooking.

If using metal skewers for kebabs make sure they are flat, so that when you turn them over the ingredients don't twist around.

Start and finish seafood kebabs with something firm, like an onion, to help the other ingredients stay in place.

Make full use of the wide variety of ready prepared sauces on sale. Don't be put off by the fact that the sauce may recommend using with, say, chicken; many taste just as delicious when cooked with seafood.

Boil in the bag seafood with parsley or mushroom sauce makes a tasty filling for a jacket potato. Add grated cheese for an extra flavour boost.

For an impressive yet fantastically quick ‘en croute’ seafood recipe, place a fillet of fish in a rectangle of puff pastry. Top the fish with garlic and herb soft cheese. Close the pastry parcel and bake.

Flat white fish are quick and easy to cook. Spread fillets with chutney, marmalade or apple sauce and roll up and cook for the simplest, yet most delicious taste experience.