Can anyone teach me how to make some fish recipes?

[Sabine]

Oh, and supply the recipe too?

Dh and I are both picky eaters. With a little one on the way, we''ve been talking about how we need to eat healthier and more varied meals, and we definitely need to stop our habit of cooking 2 different meals a night because we can''t decide on what we want.

We were out to dinner tonight, and we both decided to be brave and order fish. We both loved what we got! We realized fish is something we NEVER make at home, and we realized that it''s probably because 1. We don''t know any good fish recipes that can be made at home. 2. We wouldn''t know how to prepare the fish if we did have a recipe. and 3. We don''t know where or how to even buy fish.

So does anyone have any fish for dummies recipes and tips on where/how to buy the fish and want to walk me through the process? We''d be willing to try anything (had mahi mahi and cod topped with crap meat and cheese tonight) but should probably stick with things that aren''t too fishy.

 

[steph72276]

Hi, there! I love both salmon and tilapia and make it all the time. Cooking light has lots of good recipes. Here''s one my family loves (except for the capers...my hubby and son both pick them off, but I love them).

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1591120

 

[Black Jade]

Fish is easy to cook. Just remember two things, buy it very fresh and do not overcook it.
Costco, for instance, has good salmon.
To cook salmon, squeeze lemon or lime juice all over it, put it in a baking dish, cut up an onion, slice some mushrooms and some green pepper and also put it in, season with some black pepper and salt, pour a little white wine on the bottom of the baking dish or if you don''t have that, some chicken stock (if you''re using canned, use low salt). some people like garlic.
You can drizzle olive oil over the top of this.
Put in oven, bake at 350 for 20-35 minutes. Take it out as soon as it flakes when you test it with a fork.
SErve with white rice or potatoes and a green salad.

You can also cook other kinds of fillets like this.

Fish is actually also something that''s easily cooked in the microwave, you can google for recipes to do this. Not whole fish, but fillets.

If you bake whole fish and it''s large enough, you can stuff it like chicken. This is delicious.

Fish is also great deep-fried, but I''m giving up doing this because of my health.

 

[cnspotts]

I cook fish all the time, for me it''s a no brainer really. I don''t really use a recipe but these are super easy. Also look here -----> fish Tips I remember the 10 min/ per inch rule @ 400 degrees F , and that works well. We like grouper, tilapia (a great standby), snapper, halibut, Haddock, cod, flounder, salmon plus others.

One of my super easy cheater dishes is Costco marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon, individually wrapped. I just open the little package and squeeze the fish skin side down onto a preheated (med heat) cast iron pan (little bit of oil on it) add a lid that fits inside the pan, a little vented so steam escapes. It cooks in a matter of minutes. I can cook two on a med size pan in less than 10 min. Comes out perfectly, slightly pinkish but not raw looking. Add steam veggies.

Another one we do is use heavy aluminum foil wrap, spray oil, add fish filet of your choice, top with herbs, garlic, salsa, whatever you choose really. Close the wrap and toss in the oven, or grill.

Another one is to have fresh or thawed filets, pat dry, press into fine bread crumps, light pan fry till light brown on each side. Makes great fish tacos!!! (cabbage, lime, corn tortillas, cheese, sour cream, avacados)

Same as above only shake in a bag of blackening seasoning, toss on grill or indoor skillet, prepare for some smoking, then turn to cook the otherside! Makes a great sandwich!!!

Shrimp....peel, marinate, add seasonings, white wine, garlic, toss in med hot pan turn each one as they curl, don''t over do it, remove quickly! Add to rice, risotto, greens, etc. Yummy! Add lime.

We add lime to just about anything fishy. Add some fruit, mangos, pineapple and you''ve got some island dinners and totally different meals.

Enjoy.

 

[indecisive]

Do be careful with Talapia if you are eating fish to be healthier. Unlike Salmon it is low in omega 3 and high in omega 6 which is not healthy for your heart. It is also usually farm raised so not as healthy on that front too.

 

[oobiecoo]

I don''t make a ton of fish but we do like this recipe:

I cut some shallots or onion and sautee them a little in butter. I then take a couple of fillets of white fish like cod and coat them lightly in flour and add them to the pan. I cook the fillets just a couple minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and thats it! I think the official recipe called for adding a little vinegar or vinaigrette or something when you cook the fish but its good either way.

 

[cara]

So for thin fish I love something like oobiecoo's pan fry recipe... just remember not to fuss with the fish too much or it will break into pieces. The coat with flour is good, or you can just spray w/ olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and then pan fry, flipping once. Take the fish out and add more white wine, lemon juice, even capers if you like and flour or corn starch if you want to thicken it, and then reduce it a bit, and then you have a lovely wine wine lemon sauce for the fish. Shallots also add something, but with fresh fish less is more.

For thicker fish I like baking or grilling. The tougher the fish (ie. swordfish or tuna) the more it will benefit from very high heat on the grill with a less cooked inside. It is difficult to cook tuna properly on a normal stove without overcooking it, but it can be done if you are careful. And I'm not even someone who likes my tuna rare, I'm more a medium well fan.

For all things grilling, I love the Weber grill books! The recipes are easy to follow and consistently good, though sometimes they are have a longer prep. But not their grilled tuna - its something like mix salt, sugar, chili powder, ginger powder, cumin, and rub on tuna. Then sear over high heat for 3-5 min per side (depending on thickness).

For inside, one of our favorites is roasted potatoes and cod (or other medium-thick white fish). Thinly slice potatoes and an onion (or half an onion, depending) and layer into a lasagna pan with each layer getting a misting of olive oil, salt, black pepper, thin potato slices and some onion ribbons. You can either cook your fish directly on top of the potatos (usually by adding it on half way through cooking the potatos) or in a separate roasting pan as the potatos might need more time that the fish depending on how thick they are. For example typically my version of three layer potatos takes apx 1hr15min, but the fish will usually take 20-30 depending on thickness. The fish also gets a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, and a kick of cayenne pepper in this dish really adds a touch to this rustic dish, if you like a little spice.

Roast salmon is also good, and you can do all kinds of toppings. Mix a little glaze of honey, mustard, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, garlic, etc. and just slather it on! Or just some lemon alone if you are feeling less adventurous - if the salmon is fresh and well-cooked it is great just plain. It'll take some experimentation to get the baking time right but you can always stick a fork in it and see if it is still red-pink, or has transitioned to cooked-pink. Perfect (unless you like it more raw) is when is it just transitioning to cooked-pink in the center. Usually a nice thick piece of salmon takes apx.20-30 min at 375ish, but you definitely want to check it regularly to avoid overcooking. The thinner pieces will be less (maybe even 10-15 min) so check often until you get a feel for the timing. Salmon is easy to tell by color once you know what you are looking for, but the white fishs are harder. Sometimes I fork out a little piece to taste when its close to done to check rather than use my eyes.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[Sabine]

Okay, these are all really great suggestions, thanks! But the one time I tried to buy salmon it had something like skin on one side. Does all fish come like this? Do you need to remove it before cooking? If not (someone mentioned putting it "fish side down"), what do you do with it after you cook it?

 

[steph72276]

Date: 5/2/2009 8:56:12 AM
Author: Sabine
Okay, these are all really great suggestions, thanks! But the one time I tried to buy salmon it had something like skin on one side. Does all fish come like this? Do you need to remove it before cooking? If not (someone mentioned putting it ''fish side down''), what do you do with it after you cook it?

You take the skin off after you cook it and before you serve it. It usually comes right off with a spatula.

 

[purrfectpear]

George Foreman grill, spray oil, salt and pepper fish, done in 5 minutes.

 

[kama_s]

Fresh fish has plenty of delicious flavours, so you dont even need much of a recipe! When I make fish, I brush some margarine on both sides, sprinkle some fresh parsley or basil and lemon juice and pan-fry. Sometimes I add diced shallots to the mix, and if I want to be unhealthy, then cream and white wine (very rare). I serve it on brown rice, with eggplant or green beans on the side.

Just keep in mind fish doesn't take long too cook, and overcooked fish isn't yummy. Have fun experimenting!

 

[bee*]

I normally just buy fillets of fish-hake, salmon, cod etc and put a bit of seasoning on them and then grill them. They''re delicious with a salad or with veg.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Great for summer grilling:

Lime & Basil Tilapia

Ingredients:

*4 fillets (approximately 1 pound)
*4 tablespoons of oil
*2 tablespoons of lime juice (fresh or from the little green squeeze bottle)
*zest of two limes
*1 tablespoon of fresh, minced basil
*2 teaspoons of burbon
*1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
*add pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients expect the tilapia in a resealable plastic bag.

Turn bag to mix

Add tilapia.

Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes

Preheat grill

Pour marinade into sauce pan. Bring to a low boil and remove from heat

Grill tilapia for about 3 minutes per side on high heat (when the fish turns opaque remove from the grill, you''re done!)

Serve with a couple tablespoons of marinade laddled over the top

Extra Info:

I usually serve this with a mandrin salad...the citrus flavors are out of this world!!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Another outstanding grilling recipe

Pineapple Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients

*1 cup of bottled Italian dressing
*1/2 cup of chili sauce
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
*Pepper to taste
*1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp (peeled, deveined, and dried well)
*1 onion cut into 2 inch pieces (I like red onion)
*1 large green pepper cut into 2 inch pieces
*1/4 fresh pineapple cut into 2 inch pieces placed with 1 container of cherry tomatoes
*Orange and lemon slices

Directions

In a 2 quart bowl, mix the dressing, chili sauce, lemon juice and pepper

Add shrimp, and coat well

Cover and place in the fridge overnight

Drop green pepper and onion into boiling water for about half a minute. Drain and dry completely

Alternate green pepper, onion, shrimp, pineapple, tomatoes, orange and lemon on skewers

Brush with remaining marinade

Place on BBQ and cook on one side

Turn and cook other side until shrimp is pink and tender (approximately 10 to 15 minutes)

Enjoy!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Oh, and the best place to buy fish is probably a fresh market.

Near my home we have a few choices--they are smaller grocery stores with large meat and fish departments...but, places like Whole Foods usually have good vendors and great fresh selections. Also, don''t be shy to ask the butcher...sometimes they can point you in a surprising new direction.

White fish tend to be less fishy. Well, at least in my experience. Tilapia is a good choice because it is a light fish.

 

[cnspotts]

Yes the skin comes right off! I serve it onto a plate skin side down then the fish meat just comes right off with a fork.

Once the meet is cooked the skin just peels or falls off, do not be afraid of skin. lol

 

[JulieN]

Date: 5/1/2009 10:04:47 PM
Author: indecisive
Do be careful with Talapia if you are eating fish to be healthier. Unlike Salmon it is low in omega 3 and high in omega 6 which is not healthy for your heart. It is also usually farm raised so not as healthy on that front too.

This is only sort of true. WILD salmon has good fats. FARMED salmon has less of those. (The fish are what they eat... and farmed fish eat corn.)

 

[April20]

Date: 5/2/2009 12:15:02 PM
Author: purrfectpear
George Foreman grill, spray oil, salt and pepper fish, done in 5 minutes.

Seconding this. I take the fish, add spices (we have a blend we like that has lots of kick) and stick it on the George Foreman grill. We either eat it whole with steamed veggies or we shred it and make fish tacos. No added fat and it cooks to perfection.

It''s already been said, but the main key is to buy it fresh and make sure you eat it quickly. We made the mistake of buying some on sale a few days before we were having a lot of people over for dinner and planned to make fish tacos. BIG mistake. I was running to the store and buying more at FULL price because it went bad that quickly.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 5/1/2009 8:33:24 PM
Author:Sabine
Oh, and supply the recipe too?


Dh and I are both picky eaters. With a little one on the way, we've been talking about how we need to eat healthier and more varied meals, and we definitely need to stop our habit of cooking 2 different meals a night because we can't decide on what we want.


We were out to dinner tonight, and we both decided to be brave and order fish. We both loved what we got! We realized fish is something we NEVER make at home, and we realized that it's probably because 1. We don't know any good fish recipes that can be made at home. 2. We wouldn't know how to prepare the fish if we did have a recipe. and 3. We don't know where or how to even buy fish.


So does anyone have any fish for dummies recipes and tips on where/how to buy the fish and want to walk me through the process? We'd be willing to try anything (had mahi mahi and cod topped with crap meat and cheese tonight) but should probably stick with things that aren't too fishy.

wow, I'm surprised picky eaters would go for "crap meat"

My favorite fish recipes are really simple. I don't care for white fish like cod of halibut, but I love salmon, tuna, and swordfish. I make them all the same, broiled with salt, pepper, lemon, and butter.

ETA: We buy our fish at fish markets (we're near the shore in RI) or a place like Whole Foods. You can get decent fish at places like Price Chopper, Wegmans, or Stop and Shop, but like anything fresh, it depends on the store. I imagine you won't be buying whole fish, so when you're buying fillets or steaks (which are big pieces of fish like tuna or swordfish), look for clean, firm-looking flesh with good coloring. It should smell like the sea but not be "fishy." This is something where it sounds easy, but it's not. Swordfish has a stronger fish scent, and sometimes scallops to too but it's not "fishy" or "off." When fish isn't good, it's obvious. Oh and if your fish ever smells like ammonia, throw it out!!! Haddock and other white fish takes on an ammonia scent when it's bad. You can smell it when it's raw or cooked.

 

[sba771]

My fav Tuna
4T. soy sauce
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
dash of hot sauce
2 T. oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. basil
dash pepper

Cube the Tuna steaks. Mix above seasonings in lemon juice and oil and marinate fish for one hour (or less) at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator. Throw in a pan, cook depending on how you like it- I like it pretty raw and goes great over rice!

I also just make a quick salmon where i use some Dijon mustard, a dash of lemon juice and a bit of honey and pan cook it.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Honestly, you need no recipes.

If you have a good supermarket, go there. Try to get wild-raised, for the reasons previously mentioned. If you have a fresh market, even better!! I don''t know where you''re located, but where I grew up (Cleveland) there was a great open-air market and a closed-in meat/bread/fish market. Do a search to see if you have something similar.

Try out different types of fish: Cod, salmon, halibut, tuna steaks, even shark.

If you want, you can do something "fancy" with the fish... but really, almost all any fish-steak needs is some light seasoning and lemon juice

We usually bake (10 min/inch @ 400, like another poster said), or grill. USE NONSTICK SPRAY!!!

You can avoid butter/margarine if you skip the pan-fry method. It''s much healthier, that way.

Our FAVE ways to cook fish:
1) Marinade any fish in any marinade in the fridge for 30min-1 hour--- then bake or grill (usually lime, mango, lemon marinades are good)
2) Sprinkle with lemon pepper and bake
3) Sprinkle with any other random seasoning (cajun is good!) and bake/grill McCormick has a seafood spice mix! YUMMY!
4) For salmon, specifically: Baste with maple syrup & bake... SOOOOO YUMMY!!!!! Seriously. Amazing.

Rice, grilled veggies, in tacos & over salad are some of the best ways to serve any of the above-mentioned "recipes." Try out tons of different fish and see what you like- they all have different flavors and textures.

Happy cooking!!

 

[April20]

Thought about you last night as we made fish for dinner. We''re on vacation, so no George Foreman grill and no spices on hand other than salt/pepper. We bought Mahi steaks and salt and peppered each side, stuck them in a hot skillet with a little olive oil and pan cooked them. Took less than ten minutes. The salt and pepper gave great basic flavor. We then served them over yellow rice that I added some sauteed red onions and cilantro to. Added a little mango/peach salsa, a little feta cheese, topped it with the fish and called it dinner. It came out really nicely.

You need a recipe if you are trying to build a lot of flavor into the fish itself. If you cook it with basic flavors (salt, pepper, lemon), you can then let whatever else you serve it with help be a vehicle for your flavor. Either way works, but if you can''t find or don''t have all the ingredients you''d want to flavor the fish, putting flavor into the rice is a nice cheater way to do it.

 

[sap483]

My favorite Salmon recipe involves spreading a salmon filet (skinless side) with a thin coat of low fat mayo, sprinkling with sea salt and pepper and then topping it with chopped fresh herbs such as basil and oregano. I then broil it for about 7-10 minutes. It comes out very tender. You can also replace the mayo and herbs with a mixture of dijon and whole grain mustard.

 

[bee*]

ooh another fish dish that I love are salmon and crab cakes. I''ll try and post the recipe later when I get home. They''re so tasty.

 

[elrohwen]

Good for you trying to eat healthier! In my opinion, salmon is one of the easiest fish you can make because it's pretty forgiving. Here's one of my favorite ways to cook it (this is so easy, even FI can do it!)

-buy salmon (I buy 1/2lb per person, but we're big eaters)
-buy Italian salad dressing (I usually get something cheap like Wishbone brand, but get whatever vinegar and oil based dressing you want!)
-line an 11x13 pan with aluminum foil (to make clean up easier)
-put your salmon in (skin side down) and coat with dressing
-cover and put in the fridge for a few hours to let the dressing soak in
-bake at 350-400 degrees for 30-ish minutes (use a fork to check it; it should be just a teeny bit raw when you take it out because it will keep cooking; but salmon is forgiving, so even if you overcook a little bit it'll still be good); sometimes I'll turn the broiler on for 5 min to get some browning on the top, but you don't have to

And that's it! Sometimes I'll cut up potatoes and boil them for 10 min or so (just to get the cooking started) and then put them in the pan with the salmon (coated with a little bit of salad dressing). I'm always surprised how good it comes out when I do it this way. I've also been mixing it up by brushing with a little oil and then using a rub (Williams-Sonoma has a great potlatch rub) and cooking it the same way.

ETA: To answer your salmon skin question: I always leave on for cooking because it comes off so much easier after it's cooked. I just put the whole thing on my plate and eat it off the skin as I go. FI makes me remove the skin from his

but I always do it after I put it on his plate or the piece falls apart a bit.

 

[Mandarine]

Hi Sabine!

We are big fish eaters and I see that you already got some great recipes!

I just wanted to talk about what''s really "healthy" vs not. You should try to stick to fish that are low in mercury:

Wild Salmon (NOT farmed), Flounder, Sole, Mahi-Mahi. Wild Shrimp is another good option.

Fish you want to avoid or eat only once a month (or even less and I would stay away from these while pregnant): Swordfish, Tuna, Shark...plus other big fish. I think grouper may also be high in mercury.

In general, I only buy fish if it''s wild. They sell frozen wild salmon and you should be able to find it in your local supermarket. It''s actually pretty good and handy for when wild is not readily available. It comes without the skin. As a side note to the skin, you can always ask them to take the skin off when buying fresh!.

My Dr told me to limit fish intake (only low mercury fish) to twice per week while pregnant...we used to it more than that before!.

yay for eating healthier!!

M~

 

[Amandine]

Love fish!

Since I am no longer living close to my parents and my Dad''s fishing habit, I have to shop at the store. I decided to be an educated consumer, and found The Monterey Bay Aquarium''s Seafood Watch. It can help you figure out what is a sustainable fish, and what is healthier to eat, too. They will even mail you some pocket guides to help you at the store.

Anyway, my favorite way to have fish is this marinade: equal parts lemon juice, oil, and soy sauce. My family uses this on other meat, too (especially shish-ka-bobs! YUM!). We have found it is great on the grill this way, or using the broiler in the oven.

Enjoy!