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FISH
– General preparation and cooking times
PREPARATIONS
Larger
fish should be scaled (if necessary), washed, trimmed and gutted before cooking.
Smaller fish can be just washed and scaled (if necessary) and left whole. To
scale - Some
fish have a very smooth skin do not
require scaling e.g. mackerel. If a
recipe calls for the fish to be skinned, then scaling isn’t necessary.
However, as the skin is often very flavourful, it is generally worth the extra
effort. Scaling is done with the
back of a knife. Start at the tail end of the fish and scrape the skin from tail
to head. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water. To
trim - Trimming
is the name given for cutting off the fins, tail and head. These are best
removed with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. To
Gut -
Gutting is the name given to the removal of the intestines. Slit along the underside of the fish with a sharp knife, from
just below the head to about half
way down. Open out and remove the roe and intestines. Rinse thoroughly under
cold running water. To
Bone and fillet - The method
depends on the type of fish. Flat
Fish e.g. Sole, Plaice, Turbot - remove
the head with a sharp knife then make a deep incision for the middle of the back
side (usually the darker side). Insert the tip of the knife
into the incision then gradually loosen the fish from the bones, gently
folding back the flesh as you go. Finally, cut the flesh away from the edges to
remove the fillets Round
fish e.g. Mackerel,
Trout, Cod, Salmon - Cut
off the head, fins and tail and remove the intestines as above, then open out
the fish as flatly as possible. Insert the knife under the backbone and gently
ease away from the flesh. This will leave a whole fish with no backbone. Rinse
thoroughly under cold running water Divide into fillets. COOKING
TIMES
Poaching
Allow
enough cold liquid (water, stock, milk etc) to
just cover the fish. Bring to
boiling point then immediately reduce the heat and simmer as follows:- Thin
fillets
=
3-4 minutes Thick
fillets
=
5-6 minutes Cutlets
or Steaks =
7-10 minutes Baking
Unless
baking in liquid, always well grease the dish. Bake in a moderate oven as
follows:- Thin
fillets
=
15 minutes Cutlets
Whole
fish
=
25-40 minutes Grilling
Thin fillets 3-5 minutes – no need to
turn during cooking
Cutlets or Steaks 10-15 minutes, turning once during cooking and brushing the
Whole fish 15-25 minutes, turning once
during cooking brushing the second
side with a little oil or butter Shallow
Frying
Coat
the fish with seasoned flour or egg and crumbs and fry as follows:-
Thin fillets = 4 minutes, turning half way through
Thicker
fillets = 5-6 minutes, turning half way through
Cutlets, Steaks or Whole fish 10-15 minutes, turning half way through and
whole fish reducing the temperature for the last 5-8
minutes Deep
Frying
Coat
the fish with seasoned flour, batter or egg and crumbs. Preheat the oil to 190C,
375F, and fry as follows:-
Thin
fillets
= 3 minutes
Thicker
fillets = 4 minutes
Cutlets, Steaks 5-8 minutes, turning half way through and reducing the temperature for the last 5-8 minutes
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