# Need a simple recipe for fish



## chilichip (Mar 23, 2009)

It can't have mustard  or wine in it just simple ,I had a recipe few herbs and spices and  made a pocket with foil , for the life of me I can't find itAny ideashave a great day !!


----------



## Andy M. (Mar 23, 2009)

A pouch is a good way to go.  You can add whatever you like.

Add some chopped scallions or a shallot and some sliced garlic.  For liquid, add some stock or broth and a sprig or sprinkle of dill.  If you don't have or like dill, try something else.  

For a different choice, try some ginger and soy sauce.  Or try some sliced tomato and basil.


----------



## Bigjim68 (Mar 23, 2009)

If you have a good piece of fish, one of the simplest, and one of my favorite preparations, is to coat it with mayonaise, add a little pepper and/or lemon, and grill it.  The mayonaise keeps the fish from drying out and adds flavor.  Don't overcook fish.


----------



## genesis01419 (Mar 23, 2009)

I really dont like fish but maybe it depends how it cook. until now no one can capture my taste for fishes.


----------



## BreezyCooking (Mar 23, 2009)

For white fish filets like sole, flounder, tilapia, catfish, etc., I second Bigjim68's mayonnaise treatment.  It's a favorite around here.

For salmon simplicity I like either dotting with butter, chopped fresh dill, & thin lemon slices before baking; or coating in a teriyaki-style sauce.

For darker-fleshed fish like bluefish, mackerel, striped bass, I like a simple "Greek" prep by topping with olive oil, diced tomatoes, oregano, thinly sliced red onion, & feta cheese before baking.


----------



## Uncle Bob (Mar 23, 2009)

Spray (with Pam) a small Pyrex dish...Lay the fish in the dish...Brush on Olive oil/butter...add any herbs or spices you like....Place the dish in a 350 oven until done...Squeeze on some lemon juice if you like....Another option -- add chopped vegetables (Green onion, parsley, bell pepper, celery etc on top of the fish. When the fish is almost done...lay some seasoned shrimp on top of the fish...

Be Creative and Have Fun!


----------



## BrazenAmateur (Apr 6, 2009)

BreezyCooking said:


> For darker-fleshed fish like bluefish, mackerel, striped bass, I like a simple "Greek" prep by topping with olive oil, diced tomatoes, oregano, thinly sliced red onion, & feta cheese before baking.



^^
This is hard to beat.


Although, if you have a grill (or even just a broiler), the best thing can sometimes just be fish + olive oil + sea salt.  I do this with whole fresh sardines 10 at a time and they're *stupid* good.  It also works with mackerel, rockfish, saury/sanma, and plenty of others.


I need a good "en papillote" fish recipe, preferably something that works well with salmon and doesn't require wine (not that I don't love wine, I just don't always have it open and ready to cook with).


----------



## Constance (Apr 7, 2009)

We just cooked flounder fillets last night. They were too thin for grilling, so we poached them in chicken broth with a little butter, S&P, garlic, thin lemon slices and fresh chopped Italian parsley. 
We had fresh asparagus from the garden, and we prepared it the same way, also adding a small can of whole new potatoes. 

It was scrumptious!


----------



## Asmodean (Apr 7, 2009)

I really like to put a miso glaze on whitefish of some sort and then bake it off in the oven with some sesame seeds on top, accompanied either by steamed vegetables or the same vegetables in a seafood broth.  Really good!


----------



## mike in brooklyn (Apr 7, 2009)

Uncle Bob said:


> Spray (with Pam) a small Pyrex dish...Lay the fish in the dish...Brush on Olive oil/butter...add any herbs or spices you like....Place the dish in a 350 oven until done...Squeeze on some lemon juice if you like....Another option -- add chopped vegetables (Green onion, parsley, bell pepper, celery etc on top of the fish. When the fish is almost done...lay some seasoned shrimp on top of the fish...
> 
> Be Creative and Have Fun!


 
I'm with UB - most white fish have a very subtle, delicate
flavor and I try to do as little as possible when cooking.
I usually bake them in a tin-foil pouch after dotting them
with Olive Oil, salt and pepper and sometimes Soy Sauc.


----------



## ChefJune (Apr 7, 2009)

I've spent the past 25 or so years teaching cooking, and one of my favorite subjects is fish. That's probably because I like it so much. The following is an adaptation of the first recipe in the Fish chapter of my book. I probably cook fish in one of these ways three nights a week. (We eat a lot of fish!) In fact, we're having trout tonight!

None of these are done in a pouch, but that is another great way to cook it.

*"Everyday Fish"*

Here are some of the ways I fix “everyday” fish.
I’m most likely to pick up a fish fillet or two at a nearby market, so I’ll choose from whatever’s handy. It could be salmon, cod, catfish, sea trout, grey sole or tilapia. For each person, you’ll want about 6 ounces of fish.

The ways I most often prepare “everyday” fish are broiled, sautéed or “pan-poached. “ For broiling, I keep small disposable aluminum broiler pans on hand. The everyday condiments I try to keep in my pantry include: lemons and limes, extra-virgin olive oil, Noilly-Prat dry Vermouth, capers, various flavored vinegars, an assortment of Dijon mustards, dried herbes des Provence, and of course, sea salt and whole white peppercorns to grind fresh.

The rule of thumb for cooking fish is that it takes 8 minutes for every inch of thickness. Don’t forget that, just like meat or poultry, fish continues to cook after you remove it from the heat source. If you leave it in too long, the fish will become dry and disagreeable. Your fish will be cooked through if you follow this formula. Don’t worry, this is not about raw fish!

Now, I’ll take the same 6-ounce piece of tilapia and give you examples of my three “ordinary” cooking methods.
_
Broiled:_ Preheat the broiler. Spray a disposable broiler pan with oil. (I usually use extra-virgin olive oil.) Place the fillet skin side down on the pan. Use sea salt and white pepper to taste, and sprinkle a little lemon juice. Drizzle just a teaspoon of very fruity extra-virgin olive oil over the fish, if you like. Broil about 2 inches away from the flame for 5 to 8 minutes, depending upon how thick the fish is. If you like, you could add some seasoned crumbs to the top of the fish for the last 3 minutes of broiling.
_
Sautéed:_ Warm a small sauté pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté a handful of sliced onion in this oil until translucent. Push them to one side and place the salted and peppered fish fillet, skin side UP in the center of the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and sprinkle with some fresh herbs if you have them. Add salt and pepper to taste, and slide the onions down around the fish. Turn the heat down to medium and cook 5 to 6 minutes longer. Add a few capers to the pan for the last couple of minutes. Sprinkle with fresh lemon or lime juice just before serving with wedges of the appropriate citrus fruit.
_
Pan-poached:_ Warm a small sauté pan (with a cover). Spray lightly with oil. Spread the top of the fish fillet with about 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. (If you can find the wonderful tarragon mustard of Edmond Fallot, do try it!) Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste, and place the fillet ­ mustard side DOWN ­ in the hot oil. Cook for about 3 minutes this way, then use a spatula to turn the skin side down. Add ¼ cup of vermouth to the pan and scrape up the mustard and brown bits on the pan bottom. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pan and let the fish “poach” (or steam) in the liquid for 5 or 6 minutes more. Pour those yummy juices over the fish fillet on the service plate!

In addition, if you want to get a crumb topping to stick well to the fish, try brushing the top of the fillet with a little lightly beaten egg white before dipping into crumbs, or sprinkling with herbs.


----------



## FincaPerlitas (Apr 8, 2009)

Chef June's advice is right on. I also cook a lot of fish and seafood and formerly owned a well-known seafood restaurant in Florida.

The best advice I can add to Chef June's is buy the freshest fish possible, no matter what type it is. I'd much rather prepare fresh mackerel at $2/lb than questionable swordfish at $17/lb. The best test for freshness is your nose. If it smells like fish, it isn't fresh. Fresh fish of whatever variety has a very mild, pleasant odor.

One of my favorite techniques for preparing filets of fish is also the most simple and basic - pan-frying:  Season the filets with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in an egg wash (equal amounts of egg and water) and saute rapidly in a preheated skillet with butter or olive oil. 

A typical thin filet (1/2 to 3/4 inch) will only take 3 minutes or less per side.  Afterwards you can garnish, finish or sauce it as you like. One of the easiest is a little parsley, lemon butter, and perhaps sliced or grated hard-boiled egg.


----------



## Wyogal (Apr 8, 2009)

What about frozen fish? I live far, far away from oceans so "fresh" fish here, has probably been frozen then thawed, and has spent quite a bit of time in transport.  Unless it has been flown in by a specialty store, and thus quite expensive, our option here for "fresh" is frozen.
Do you thaw, then cook? How about relatively thin filets? I would like to incorporate more fish in my diet, but find it hard to do so when so far removed from the source.


----------



## ChefJune (Apr 8, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> What about frozen fish? I live far, far away from oceans so "fresh" fish here, has probably been frozen then thawed, and has spent quite a bit of time in transport. Unless it has been flown in by a specialty store, and thus quite expensive, our option here for "fresh" is frozen.
> Do you thaw, then cook? How about relatively thin filets? I would like to incorporate more fish in my diet, but find it hard to do so when so far removed from the source.


 
I would thaw in the fridge, then dry well with sturdy paper towels and proceed with cooking.  For very thin fillets, you might opt to broil from frozen, but not when they're board stiff.

Fincas:  I have a whole nother section that deals with choosing the fish in the first place and storing it when you get it home.


----------



## mike in brooklyn (Apr 8, 2009)

ChefJune said:


> I would thaw in the fridge, then dry well with sturdy paper towels and proceed with cooking. For very thin fillets, you might opt to broil from frozen, but not when they're board stiff.
> 
> Fincas: I have a whole nother section that deals with choosing the fish in the first place and storing it when you get it home.


 
I think most fillets which are offered at the fish stores in Brooklyn
are previously frozen. I would defrost before cooking and 
agree with June to dry the fish before cooking. I wish there
was some way to get a country of origin tag on the fish we buy.


----------



## Wyogal (Apr 8, 2009)

Thanks!


----------



## ChefJune (Apr 8, 2009)

mike in brooklyn said:


> I think most fillets which are offered at the fish stores in Brooklyn
> are previously frozen. I would defrost before cooking and
> agree with June to dry the fish before cooking. I wish there
> was some way to get a country of origin tag on the fish we buy.


 
The country of origin is provided in many markets, and soon will be required by law. So check to make sure your stores are providing that info.


----------



## mudbug (Apr 8, 2009)

how about some ideas for steaming fish (prep, herbs, etc)?  I keep meaning to try that with my bamboo steamer and then remember that I have no clue what to do first.


----------



## BreezyCooking (Apr 8, 2009)

ChefJune said:


> The country of origin is provided in many markets, and soon will be required by law. So check to make sure your stores are providing that info.


 
The "Country of Origin Labeling Law for Fresh & Frozen Seafood" went into effect April 4, *2005.*  Markets around here have been labeling both fresh & frozen seafood for at least a year prior to that date.  If your market doesn't have prominent signs on each seafood product, like they're supposed to, with the country of origin, they must - *by law* - at least have that information on hand to provide you when you ask.

The only seafood items not covered by the law are those that are cooked or otherwise further processed (marinated fish, stuffed fish, etc.) prior to sale.


----------



## mudbug (Apr 8, 2009)

I was thinking the same thing, Breezy (we live roughly in the same area).  Most places I shop have the info available.  I HAVE had to question the fish guy about "Gulf" shrimp that are probably Gulf of Thailand (icky, no-taste tigers) rather than Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, the tigers can be readily distinguished from the ones I like.


----------



## ChefJune (Apr 9, 2009)

mudbug said:


> how about some ideas for steaming fish (prep, herbs, etc)? I keep meaning to try that with my bamboo steamer and then remember that I have no clue what to do first.


 
For steaming fish, I like to choose very white fillets, and salt and (white) pepper them lightly.

I line my steamer with lettuce leaves, and sprinkle slivers of fresh ginger and garlic over them. Place the fillets on the prepped lettuce leaves and steam for about 8 minutes (more if the fillets are very thick). Remove the fish from the steamer and let sit on warmed plates for a couple of minutes. Serve with rice and sauteed bok choy with just a dab of tamari or oyster sauce. It's a great meal for after the holidays when you're feeling STUFFED !


----------



## BreezyCooking (Apr 9, 2009)

I use basically the same method as June, except I use cabbage leaves instead of lettuce leaves - Chinese Cabbage if I have it on hand.  I find cabbage is a LOT sturdier than lettuce, which just seems to melt/disintegrate into my bamboo steamer after just a minute or two.  The cabbage is much easier to cook on, & I use it as a base for nearly all my steamed dishes, including dim sum.


----------



## mike in brooklyn (Apr 9, 2009)

mudbug said:


> how about some ideas for steaming fish (prep, herbs, etc)? I keep meaning to try that with my bamboo steamer and then remember that I have no clue what to do first.


 
Chinese often steam whole fish (head on bones in)
They place the fish on an appropriate sized dish and
put some scallions, oil, soy sauce etc over the fish,
the dish is suspended over boiling water in a large wok (they sell
a steel 'stand' for suspending the dish - a coffee cup or two could
substitute) - wok is covered, fish is steamed till it flakes.

I've made trout, sea bass and flounder using this method - worked fine.


----------



## mudbug (Apr 17, 2009)

thanks to Chef June, Breezy, and mike for their ideas.  I have to go clean the dust off the steamer now.


----------



## Asmodean (Apr 20, 2009)

Sounds like a plan


----------

