Here are some tips for buying a fresh fish:
The eyes are slightly protruded, bright and
clear. The gills should be red or pink. A stale
fish has eyes that are pink, sunken and cloudy,
and the gills are gray.
Here is a good Bermudian fish trick called
"salt and sour." Before cooking any fish squeeze
lime or lemon juice over it, season with salt
and pepper and let it stand at room temperature
for about an hour. The acid of the juice will
soften the connective tissues of the fish so
that a shorter cooking time is necessary and
will also keep it a nice color.
To get rid of odors while cooking fish, add
2 tablespoons of vinegar (any variety) to 2
cups of water, then simmer it in a small saucepan
while the fish is cooking.
When baking fish, lay it on a bed of thinly
sliced onions, parsley and lettuce leaves. The
fish won't stick, it will have a savory taste,
and pan drippings will have a wonderful flavor,
also.
The rule-of-thumb for baking fish is to measure
fish at the thickest part and bake 10 minutes
at 350 degrees F for every inch measured. For
example, a 1 1/2-inch thick cod steak would
bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
To eliminate fish odor from your hands, rub
them with a wedge of fresh lemon.
Soak fish in 1/4 cup vinegar, lemon juice
or wine and water before cooking it for a sweet
tender taste.
Remove the fishy smell from your hands by
washing with vinegar and water or salt and water.
When baking whole fish, wrap it in well-oiled
cheesecloth. When fish is done, it can be lifted
from baking pan without falling to pieces. To
remove the cloth, slip a spatula under fish
and slide cloth out after fish is on the platter.
Thaw frozen fish in milk. The milk draws
out the frozen taste and provides a fresh-caught
flavor.
If fish smells a little "fishy," place fish
in a shallow dish; add enough milk, blended
with a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice,
to cover. Cover tightly and refrigerate for
1 hour. Do not leave the fish in the milk bath
for longer than an hour, because the lactic
acid in the milk will break down the connective
tissue in the fish and it will tend to fall
apart when cooked. Drain fish, pat dry on paper
towels and use as desired. This can often salvage
fish that you have kept a bit too long before
using.
Fish should never be cooked to an internal
temperature over 131 degrees F (55 degrees C).
The formula is: Fish should be cooked at 375
degrees F (190 degrees C) 10 MINUTES PER INCH
OF THICKNESS. This rule applies to fillets,
whole fish, steaks, stuffed fish, fish with
toppings or fish any way. Stand a ruler on end
next to fish to be cooked; measure its height.
If it's 3 inches thick, cook 30 minutes; if
it's 1 inch thick, cook 10 minutes; if it's
1/2 inch thick, cook 5 minutes.
Anchovies
If you want anchovies to add flavor that's more
subtle than salty, soak them in milk for 15
minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
If anchovies are just too salty, soak or
rinse them in cold water. The longer the water
is in contact with the anchovies, the more salt
will be removed.
Clams
Clams and oysters will be simple to open if
washed with cold water, then placed in a plastic
bag and put in the freezer for one hour.
Clams are simple to open if washed with cold
water then placed in a plastic bag and put into
the freezer for an hour.
Oysters
To clean oyster shells, place shells in the
sink under running water. Scrub vigorously,
inside and out, using a stiff brush. Next fill
the sink with water. Add enough bleach to make
a strong solution. Soak the shells in the bleach
solution overnight. Drain and place them in
the top rack of the dishwasher. Run them through
a full cycle. Each time you use the shells,
merely scrape out the bits of food, and put
them in the dishwasher.
Oysters will be simple to open if washed
with cold water then placed in a plastic bag
and put into the freezer for an hour.
Shrimp
Get rid of the canned taste in canned shrimp
by soaking them in a little sherry and 2 tablespoons
vinegar for about 15 minutes.
You can improve the taste of canned shrimp
by rinsing well with cold water then soaking
in a little white wine before using.
De-vein them fast with a crochet hook.
To rid canned shrimp of the tinny taste,
soak them in a little sherry and two tablespoons
of vinegar for about 15 minutes.
