5 common fish mistakes, and how to avoid them
For many people, preparing fish at home is the equivalent of an average HHB challenge: complicated, surely requiring a thousand things to be done, and the result will probably be rubbish. Not true! If you know about these five common mistakes, you’ll learn in no time how to serve up a successful fish dish.
Mistake 1: too much for too little
Really look for quality. That can be at the fishmonger, but also at the market! When buying whole fish, look for bright, fresh-looking eyes, strange as that may sound. Dull, sunken eyes indicate an old, not-so-fresh fish. Smell isn’t immediately decisive; instead, feel whether the fish feels firm. A soft fish has probably been lying around for a while and may have been thawed for some time already.
Mistake 2: reaching for the salt shaker too soon
You sprinkled salt on the fish before it went into the pan, or when it had just gone in. Don’t! Salt draws out moisture, so your fish will end up bubbling and cooking gently in its own juices. You don’t want that. When the fish is about eighty percent cooked, it can come out of the pan, because it will continue cooking for a little while. Salmon, for example, should really still be slightly pink inside. This is the moment to add salt and pepper.
Mistake 3: cream, period
Contrary to what has been customary for years, cream sauce isn’t actually such a good idea with fish. It usually overpowers fish’s own delicate, natural flavor. Overly salty (soy) sauces also mask the sweetness fish can naturally have, and you should be careful with too much acidity as well. The best treatment for most fish? A drizzle of olive oil and a small squeeze of citrus.
Mistake 4: icy tuna
If you freeze fresh fish yourself, make sure to pat it very dry with paper towels first. You don’t want ice crystals on your fish, which will then melt and make it limp and soft. You can keep fish in the freezer for up to three months, but whether that benefits the quality is another question. Ten to fifteen days is ideal.
Mistake 5: fussing with it in the pan
Remember the “hands off” rule? Don’t keep touching the fish too much while it cooks. For skin-on fish, simply place it in a cold frying pan and turn up the heat; for skinless fish, place it in the hot pan over medium-low heat. In the oven, cook it with a little olive oil for an average of five minutes on one side and five minutes, carefully turned over, on the other side (for 500 grams).
Also read:
- Be warned: ‘Many fishmongers are crooks’
- Cooking without a recipe: preparing a whole fish
- How to: store fresh fish
