Poaching Fish
This is a method sometimes refered to as boiling, but that
is incorrect, for the water should only simmer very gently, or 'shimmer'.
Poaching can be done in a saucepan, frying pan ( skillet ) or fish
kettle, on the hob or in a shallow covered container in a moderate oven 9
1800C / 3500 / Gas mark 4 ).
The fish to be poached can be filleted, in steaks or cutlets
or be small whole fish, including haddock and kippers, or larger pieces and
whole fish that are traditionally poached, such as salmon, sea trout and
pike. The larger pieces and whole fish are usually cooked on the hob.
The poaching liquid can be fish stock, milk, wine or water, etc, or
a Court Bouillon, which is a traditional liquid
used for poaching whole fish.
Heat the chosen liquid in a suitable sized pan, gently lower the fish
- using strips of double foil to help maneuver it if a very large fish -
and heat gently until it just returns to simmering. The liquid must
cover the fish completely if it is a large whole fish. Cover the pan
and simmer gently until just tender - allow 10-15 minutes per 450g / 1lb.
The thicker pieces will need the longer cooking time; a piece weighing
say 675g / 11/2lb should only need 20-25 minutes. A
knife can be gently inserted into the fish to lift up a flake and ascertain
if it is cooked. Do not overcook or the fish becomes dry and
tasteless.
When ready, drain the fish thoroughly and place on a warmed serving
dish. Serve with a sauce made including some of the cooking liquid.
If cooking fillets of fish, they may be laid flat, folded or rolled
up ( known as paupiettes ) and they need only half covered with the
cooking liquid.
Grilling or Broiling Fish
This is one of the more popular ways of cooking fish, especially
steaks and cutlets and small whole fish. Trout, herrings, small plaice
or flounder and sole, kippers etc, all benefit from this method, but watch
the lingering smell after grilling kippers! Filleted fish may also
be grilled; it is probably best to line the grill tray or rack with foil
and brush lightly with oil or melted butter before grilling. This will
help prevent the fish sticking and mean at the end, the fishy smells can
be folded up and discarded.
Wash and dry the fish first and, if whole, remove the scales and cut
off the fins. If it is a particularly plump whole fish ( e.g. herring
mackerel, sea bass ), it is a good idea to make 2 or 3 diagonal cuts in the
body flesh on each side to allow the heat to penetrate more quickly during
cooking.
White fish such as plaice or flounder, sole haddock cod, halibut,
etc. should be brushed with melted butter or oil to prevent drying out during
cooking and placed in the grill pan; oily fish such as herrings, salmon and
mackerel do not need extra fat. If on a diet, use lemon juice in place
of oil and add extra during cooking. A little salt and pepper can also
be added.
Thin fillets or steaks can be cooked on one side only, but it is more
usual to turn the fish halfway through cooking. Use a fish slice and/or
palette knife or spatula and do so very carefully as fish are very fragile
when cooked, especially flat fish.
Turn the grill or broiler on to moderate and allow about 5 minutes
for thin fillets or 10-15 minutes for whole fish and steaks, turning these
over halfway. Take care not to overbrown - burnt fish flesh is not
very appertising.
Baking Fish
This method is equally good for steaks, fillets and small whole fish
as well as large fish, such as whole sea trout and salmon.
1 Was and dry the fish and prepare as required. The fish may be stuffed if liked, or as a whole fish, with the bones removed, or wrapped up in fillets.
2 Put into an ovenproof dish with salt and pepper, a bay leaf or bouquet garni and about 60ml / 4 tbsp of liquid ( water, wine milk etc. ). Cover with a lid or foil.
3 Cook in a moderate pre-heated oven at 1800C / 3500F / Gas mark 4, unless otherwise directed in the recipe - large whole fish require a lower temperature - allowing about 10-20 minutes for fillets, 20-30 minutes for steaks, 25-40 minutes for small whole fish or until tender. Solid pieces of fish will need a little longer, but test after 30-40 minutes. The flakes should lift away easily when cooked if you insert a small palette knife or spatula.
4 Alternatively, wrap the prepared fish in buttered foil after adding seasonings, a squeeze of lemon juice and possibly a bay leaf and stand in a roasting tin or dish. Bake at the same temperature as above, allowing about 25 minutes for steaks, or 10-15 minutes per 450g / 1lb for large pieces, or as directed in the particular recipe.
5 Serve the fish with a sauce made using the juice that will have accumulated in the casserole or foil.
Shallow Frying
This method is suitable for all types of filleted fish, steaks
and cutlets and small whole fish that serve just one portion, such as sole,
plaice, dabs, flounders, bream, cod, haddock, mackerel, herrings, trout,
perch, pike, etc. Oil or lard is usually best, but to cook it '
à la meunière ' ( a special way of shallow frying )
the fat must be butter.
1 Prepare, wash and dry the fish, and coat either in seasoned flour ( add salt and pepper to about 60g / 2oz of flour and roll the damp fish in it so it sticks ) or in egg and breadcrumbs ( beat an egg with 10ml / 2tsp water and seasonings and dip the fish first into this and then roll in bought golden breadcrumbs, or freshly made white breadcrumbs, which may be made from stale bread, pressing them well in so they stick ).
2 Put about 1cm / 1/2 inch of oil or dripping into a frying pan and heat until fairly hot - not smoking hot, which will burn the fish without cooking it properly.
3 Put the fish in carefully so that the side to be served facing upwards cooks first. Cook gently until the first side is browned - about 5 minutes, turn over very carefully, and cook the other side until ready.
4 Remove from the pan with a fish slice or slotted spatula and drain on crumpled kitchen paper towel. Keep warm whilst frying the remainder.
Deep Frying
The traditional British fish and chips are cooked by this method
in a large pan of oil or fat. This method is easy to carry out at home
provided you have a suitable pan for cooking. It should be a fairly
large deep pan with a wire frying basket that fits inside or alternatively,
you can use one of the special electric deep-fryers, which are most efficient
and clean to use..
Cooking oil, lard or clarified dripping can all be used and the pan
should be filled to half full - but no more for safety's sake. The
fat must be free of moisture or it will "spit" during heating.
The oil should be heated to 177-1880C /
350-3700F and the simplest way to test this is to fry a cube of
bread which should take 50-60 seconds to brown evenly. Fat that is
too hot will give an overcrispy brown coating with raw or partly cooked interior
or, if too cool, the fish or whatever is to be fried will be soggy.
Coat the fish in egg and breadcrumbs ( or batter ) while the fat is
heating. Do not cook battered fish in the basket, it will pull off
during cooking; add carefully and lift out with a slotted spoon. It
is most important to cook only a small amount at a time ( e.g. two fish fillets
) or the temperature of the oil will be lowered to quickly and not cook
sufficiently. Electric fryers tell you when the oil temperature drops
by a light coming on or off, provided you have set it at the correct temperature
for what you are frying.
As soon as the fish ( or whatever ) is cooked, it should be removed
from the fat with a slotted spoon or by lifting out the wire basket, allow
the excess oil to drain back into the pan, then drain on crumpled paper towel.
Serve as quickly as possible after cooking for the coating will become
soggy if kept hot for long.
The oil an be cooled and strained into a clean bowl ready for future
use. Oil will not keep indefinitely, as it darkens with cooking and
also becomes tainted with the food flavours, but straining after use will
prolong it's life.