A Fish Tale
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
How to choose fish:
- The smell should be fresh and light. Any kind of ammoniac smell, except in stripe fish, should be thrown away.
- The meat should be hard and elastic, with sticky scales, wet, covered by a light transparent mucus. The abdomen should neither be inflated, nor have signs of tear.
- The eyes must be clear, shiny and convex, and occupy the entire orbit.
- The gills should be wet, shiny and pink, not blood red.
- The abdomen, when you open it, must be clear, not dark red or brown.
How to store fish:
- Fish must be consumed within 24hoursafter buying it.
- If you have to store it, fillet the fish and remove the bones.
- Rinse it with ice water and dry it before storing in the fridge.
- The ideal temperature to store fish is 1⁰C to 3⁰C.
- Make sure to cover it with wet tissue so the fish won’t come dry.
How to cook fish:
- Never use too much fat (butter or oil), otherwise the fish will look more like it’s deep fried.
- Do not start with a pan that is too hot; it’s better to start with a warm, or, for some fish, a cold pan. Otherwise, the skin might shrink and it won’t get crispy all around.
- Always pan-fry the side that will be top side when you present it to the guest.
- Do not season or marinate a small fillet or portion of fish too much in advance; a few minutes before cooking should do.
- The standard way to present fish on a tray or plate is head on the left, belly on the bottom.
(Text taken from flavours, www.gulfnews.com)
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