Cooking Techniques
- Bake
- Place seafood in baking dish. Add sauce or topping to keep moist. Cover and bake at 400F to 450F until done.
- Broil
- Place seafood in broiler pan. Brush with marinade, sauce, and small amount of margarine, lemon juice or other topping. Flavor as desired with herbs and spices such as pepper and dill. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source without turning. Cook until done.
- Poach
- Estimate amount of liquid needed to cover seafood in poaching pan or saucepan. Suggested liquids include seasoned water, chicken broth, tomato juice or wine. Season liquid as desired. Bring to boil; cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Add seafood and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until done.
- Steam
- Place seafood on a steaming rack, set two inches above boiling liquid, in deep pot. Season as desired. Cover tightly. Reduce heat and steam until done.
- Grill or Barbecue
- Place seafood on lightly-oiled grill. Get coals red hot or turn grill to high. Baste with sauce or marinade as desired. Turn halfway through cooking time. Continue to baste throughout cooking time. Cook until done.
- Pan Frying
Steaks
Place any firm fish steak (sword, shark, tuna, halibut or salmon) directly on the grates over the hottest section. Sear steaks 1 to 2 minutes per side to seal in the juices. Finish cooking just slightly away from the hottest area, or finish cooking in a 450 degree oven if desired following the 10 minute rule.
Skin-on Fillets
Cover the grates with aluminum foil, oiled lightly. Season fish according to your tastes and cook on top of foil, skin side down, following the 10 minute rule.
Skinless Fillets
Cook fillets in a foil “tent.” Place fillet on foil. Sprinkle with white wine and favorite herbs. If desired, lay sliced blanched vegetables on top of fillet. Seal foil making a “tent” which allows space for steam to collect. Cook according to 10 minute rule. Allow slightly more time if vegetables are on top of fish.
Whole Fish
Stuff and/or season any whole fish to your tastes. Wrap in foil and place on the grill. Use the 10 minute rule per fish side, turning halfway through to cook evenly.
Sauté
Pan frying and butter sautéing only require enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and a simple dusting with flour should suffice to coat the fish. Slices no more than 1/2 inch thick are ideal, and frozen fish should be at least partially thawed. Cook in oil heated to 375F until one side is golden brown, turn once and cook until the other side is done.
- Sauté 1: Use nonstick pan or heat a small amount of butter or olive oil with liquid such as wine, in frying pan or sauté pan. Add vegetables as desired. Add seafood and sauté over medium heat until done.
- Sauté 2: Heat a small amount of butter or olive oil in a sauté pan; when the oil is hot add seafood and sauté over medium heat until done. The internal temp should be 145F.
- Microwaving
- Microwave cooking is an excellent way to cook or thaw any form of fish or shellfish with minimal loss of moisture. Seafood should be thawed prior to cooking, and then cooked at a medium-high to high setting, depending on the oven’s wattage. If a recipe calls for a dish to be covered, wax paper or plastic wrap with several slits made in it will do. Generally, microwave cooking requires 3/4 of the liquid, and only 1/4 the cooking time, that is called for in recipes for traditional ovens. The ten minute rule does not apply. Be aware that the molecular vibrations caused by microwaving continue in the food for several minutes after the oven has been turned off, so be careful not to overcook.
- Seafood Kabobs
- Marinate firm fish chunks (shark, sword, halibut, tuna) or sea scallops in herbs and oil for approximately two hours and then skewer with parboiled vegetables such as onions, peppers and mushrooms. Add tomatoes for color. Place on hot grill, cooking 10-15 minutes depending on size of fish chunks. Turn skewers frequently.
- Marinades
- Marinating is commonly used to flavor fish for broiling or barbecuing, but may also be used to replace the need for cooking. The acidic content of vinegar or lemon juice serves to denature the fish proteins, just as heat cooking does. Fish should be marinated in nonmetal containers and refrigerated. Soft-textured seafoods are apt to lose their shape or fall apart in a marinade, so firm fish and shellfish are best.
- En Paillotte
- This cooking method involves folding a sheet of parchment or butcher’s paper in half and cutting out a half-heart shape twice the size of the fish to be cooked. (The unfolded paper looks like a heart or butterfly; hence the name, derived from the French “Papillion,” which means butterfly.) Place thin cuts of fresh or thawed fish on the paper and top with butter, seasonings, wine, stuffing, or other ingredients, then refold the paper to envelop the fish. Fold the edges at least twice to form a seal, grease the outside of the pouch, place it on a baking sheet and transfer to a preheated 400F oven. The parchment will puff and brown as it cooks; the ten minute rule applies, with a few extra minutes allowed for heat to penetrate the pouch. When done, slide the bags onto plates and serve immediately. Diners open their pouches at the table, releasing a delicious aroma.
- Planking
- Planking fish is simply baking fish on a non resinous, grooved wooden plank. Warm and oil the plank, and then place drawn, dressed, filleted or steaked fish that has been seasoned and buttered on the grooved side of the plank. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven, following the ten minute rule. Often the fish is removed just before it’s done, surrounded by mashed potatoes, and then broiled until the fish is done and the potatoes are browned. The plank is then garnished with hot vegetables and brought to the table.
