New to cooking fish--where to start? plus Trader Joes Salmon?

[daisymommy]

I have never been a fan of fish. I don't like the fishy taste, smell, nor do I know how to cook it. But, I have recently read so much about the health benefits of fish (mainly the Omega-3's) that I want to try hard to learn to like it, and how to cook it.

What would be some good fish to start with? What types of cuts do I look for? Any good recipes?

I know I've read that some people are a fan of the Trader Joes Salmon. Is it fresh or frozen? If it's frozen, does that taste not as good as if it were fresh? (or make it taste more fishy?). How do you cook it?

A long time ago I had grilled halibut and tuna on the grill, with lemon juice, and it was good. But I don't know what to buy, how to prep it for the grill, how long to cook, etc.

Thanks for your help!

[BabyBearsMom]

Be careful with the Trader Joe's salmon. I got the fresh kind a few weeks ago and it gave DH and I food poisoning (we cooked it the same day, but it had gone bad, but since it was pre-seasoned, we couldn't taste the badness).

I usually get Salmon filet's (not the steaks). I take a big piece of tin foil, and put it skin side down. Then I drizzle olive oil over it. I slice onions and lemons and put them on top. Then I wrap the fish in the tin foil and grill it until it is tender but cooked all the way through (usually about 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness). That is probably the easiest to cook.

If fish smells "fishy" don't eat it. Fish shouldn't smell at all. I make the fish counter let me smell it before I will buy anything.

Also, easy to make is to get cod or any other white flaky fish. I cut up little slices of butter and space them out across the piece of fish. Then I sprinkle it with bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Then I bake it in the over, 350 degrees, about 20 minutes or until it is flaky. Mmmm...this is making me hungry.

[alexsmommy]

Well, salmon has great health benefits, but I find people either like it or they don't. Salmon does has its own flavor (NOT fishy, no fishy should taste "fishy". That means it's old). We happen to love it so I usually just take a wild caught fillet, drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh dill. Cook until it flake and center is done.
I have found people who don't necessarily love salmon, but will eat it for it's health benefits tend to like sweeter sauces. The TJ's Soyaki is a good one (I just pour it over the fillet and sometimes add some pineapple rings for the kids). You could also do a mixture of maple syrup, ginger and soy sauce on your own. I also like herb rubs on baked salmon (butter, lemon zest, minced garlic and a heaping tablespoon of your favorite herbs)

Most white fish have fairly mild flavor and thus are a great base for other flavors. We all like the texture of tilapia and it's so mildly flavored, I make it a number of ways, the fastest being to throw it in a baking dish with a little chicken broth, lemon juice, white wine, salt and pepper - all things I tend to have on hand. If we have guests coming for some unexpected reason I may add butter and/or capers to that.

I think if you are not a natural fish lover, it takes a little playing around to find a method that you will all like. My girlfriend's family was trying to get on the fish bandwagon and I knew they liked parmesan crusted chicken so I suggested she do the same to a whitefish. They love it and it's in their rotation now.

I've posted this one I've made up over time before. Not the healthiest, but yummy - just make sure to use enough kosher salt

4-6 tilapia fillets
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 lemon, halved
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth (or fish stock if you prefer)
3-4 tablespoons capers
1 small container fresh mushroom sliced
1 bag baby spinach
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

Heat a large skillet and olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place fillets in skillet and sprinkle with half of the lemon. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer fillets to a plate, and keep warm.
Add wine, broth, remaining 1/2 lemon and capers to the skillet. High heat until alcohol cooks off and sauce reduces by about 1/3. Reduce heat to low and add mushrooms and cream. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach until wilted, return fillets to the pan.

We like this recipe
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/grilled-fish-steaks-2/Detail.aspx

and this one
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Tuna-with-Pineapple-Salsa/Detail.aspx

eta: I will spend money on fish - I find it is one place that you definitely get what you pay for. Because we love it, I don't buy much red meat to compensate financially. There have been some good threads in the past on where to locate fish in your area.

[daisymommy]

Thanks for all of the advice and helpful tips!
Sorry in advance for all the many questions to follow :)


Salmon...I usually just take a wild caught fillet, drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh dill. Cook until it flake and center is done.

What is your favorite way to cook the above prepared fish? On the grill, in a pan, or in the oven?



The TJ's Soyaki is a good one (I just pour it over the fillet and sometimes add some pineapple rings for the kids). You could also do a mixture of maple syrup, ginger and soy sauce on your own. I also like herb rubs on baked salmon (butter, lemon zest, minced garlic and a heaping tablespoon of your favorite herbs) Yummy! I like the idea of the easy-peasy bottled sauce. Once I pour it over the fillet, then how do I cook it?

I know that that Salmon has (sometimes or always?) skin on one side--right? Do I take it off before or after cooking?


Tilapia...the fastest being to throw it in a baking dish with a little chicken broth, lemon juice, white wine, salt and pepper - all things I tend to have on hand. If we have guests coming for some unexpected reason I may add butter and/or capers to that.Bake for about what temp and length of time?


I knew they liked parmesan crusted chicken so I suggested she do the same to a whitefish. They love it and it's in their rotation now. I love parm. crusted chicken! So I just do the same thing with the fish, and bake, correct? There must be a chart perhaps that tells you temp and how long to cook different kinds of fish?

[boolady]

I'm not a huge salmon fan, but we eat it from time to time. I really prefer not to buy it frozen, so will buy it when wild Alaskan is available in my area. We like it on the grill, marinated or herb-crusted or my favorite, which is to spread some dijon mustard on the top of each filet, sprinkle brown sugar on top, and grill. It's especially good if you grill it on a soaked cedar plank, but it's good just on the grill, too. The brown sugar kind of caramelizes so you get a nice mustardy-glaze going on.

For mild white fish, like cod, haddock, tilapia, etc., I like to cook them a lot in foil or parchment on the grill or in the oven with veggies. This is my absolute favorite recipe for fish like this, but we don't buy chilean sea bass (endangered). Cod (Pacific...Atlantic is totally overfished and on the Monterey Bay Aquarium list of no-nos) is a good stand-in texturewise.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ginger-sea-bass-over-wilted-greens-recipe/index.html

[Pepper]

I like to cook fish in the oven, under the broiler. I preheat an ovenproof skillet (a cast iron one works great) for ~10 minutes under the broiler, add the fish and put back under the broiler. Let it cook until the juices start to come out, then brush with a teriyaki or other sauce & put back under the broiler for a couple of minutes. I posted a recipe like this on my blog:

http://neighborhood-dish.blogspot.com/2009/08/more-things-you-can-make-in-skillet.html

[Tondi G]

I like Salmon (filet not steaks) on the BBQ with a sweet BBQ sauce ... could do it under the broiler too. Teriyaki is also yummy on Salmon.

my sister makes packets of fish in foil for the BBQ... usually puts some olive oil, garlic salt, lemon and rosemary in there.... it depends on the temp of your BBQ how long it takes.... we usually pull it off and check it... see if it flakes easily and is cooked through in the middle of the filet.

Halibut is super yummy as fish n chips!

[sophiesmom03]

Just a thought...TJ's has canned salmon now, and I've been tossing a can of that (flaked) into pasta with pink or red sauce (mix alfredo and red sauce to make pink) and everyone eats it. DC don't even realize there's salmon in there. :)

[lizzywednesday]

You can eat salmon skin, but if that's not your thing, get the fishmonger to take it off for you.

If you're buying pre-cut/pre-packaged stuff, take it off before cooking.

I like salmon best on the grill, but 2nd best "en papillote", which you can do in the oven or in the microwave in a pinch.

You might also like mahi-mahi, which my DH eats grilled after a marinade of lime juice, pineapple juice, garlic, cilantro, salt & pepper. Mahi mahi is usually sold on the East Coast frozen or thawed because it's a Pacific ocean fish.

Thawing frozen fish shouldn't be an issue if it was handled properly during shipment & you do it correctly.

HTH!

[fauve01]

we have fish once or twice a week. 98% of the time i cook it in foil in the oven (sometimes DH throws salmon right on the grill). the fish i use most often is salmon filet and tilapia. i've done other types of fish, but DH loves loves loves salmon and dd likes it ok. they both also like tilapia.

i buy a big filet at costco (no skin on it, no bones). when i get it home, i usually cut the big piece into about 3 pieces, one piece being enough for all 3 of us to have one serving. i don't want leftovers. One of the three pieces we will ahve for dinner that night, and the other two i freeze. i put each piece in a quart freezer bag with the date.

to cook the piece for tonight, preheat the oven to 400-425 degrees F. get out a piece of foil, pretty big, enough to wrap around the piece and crimp shut. Spray the whole thing with nonstick spray. rinse the salmon and pat it dry with a paper towel. season one or both sides with salt and pepper. I used to use a mixed spices combo that we all liked, but now i just salt and pepper. white pepper if i remember because the less black/green flecks the better for dd. i don't add any oil because salmon is oily and we don't think it needs extra oil. close up the foil and crimp it shut along the seam. then put the foil on a cookie sheet with sides or sometimes i use my 9x13 pan. cook for 20-25 minutes, until it flakes. really it depends on how thick the piece of fish it is. i usually know it's done when i can smell it.

i fix tilapia the same way, but i add a drizzle of olive or grapeseed oil and rub it into both sides. it takes less time to cook because it's thinner than salmon. also, it's milder, so i sometimes use a stonger seasoning than just salt and pepper (especially for me and dh--for dd i just do salt and light pepper). when it's all done cooking and i'm plating it up, i grate some fresh parmagiano on top of dd's. she loves it.

i buy the tilapia at costco. fresh not frozen. i come home and keep out a couple pieces for us to eat that night, and i freeze the rest in portions in quart freezer bags. to thaw either tilapia or salmon, i take a bag of frozen fish out and put it in a pie tin and set the whole thing in the frige the night before we're going to eat it; and it's thawed by the time i want to cook it the next day. if i forget to get it out the night before, i can do it in the morning and it's usually thawed. if i'm totally not on the ball, i get out the frozen fish bag and put it into a bowl of cold water and it thaws in an hour or so.

edited to say i've never bought fish at trader joes--i've only bought it at costco.

hope this helps! let us know if you try it!

btw, i agree with the pp that said non fish lovers like salmon better with a sweet "sauce." that's how I like it--not being a big fish person--but dh prefers it pretty "naked." even dd likes it better plain and without sweet sauce ( i tried terikayi, maple syrup-which she loves, soy, various marinades). amazing.

good luck,
Anne + dd 10-03

p.s. if i'm really on the ball, i roast veggies in the oven at the same time i'm cooking the fish. YUM. i do the veggies first since they need to cook a little longer than the fish. let me know if you want the recipe for that. :)

[daisymommy]

Thanks so much everyone! I think between the foil wrapped fish in the oven method (which I never knew you could do! yeah! so easy!) and on the grill, I have a few nice options. Now I just need to be brave and buy a piece to try. I feel like a vegetarian about to buy meat for the first time :tongue5:

[joules]

My favorite way to prepare fish is to marinate it in miso.

You can buy miso paste in any asian market. It comes in a plastic tub usually. Get the light yellow kind. "Light" as in lighter in comparison to the darker colored miso...it's not really a light yellow color.

To marinate, I take a few heaping spoonfuls of miso and mix it with some cooking/white wine to thin it out and also add a tiny bit of sugar. Instead of cooking wine and sugar you can also use Mirin (japanese cooking wine). Then I throw the fish and marinade into a plastic bag. Squeeze out the air and make sure the miso mixture evenly covers the fish. I usually marinate overnight.

Before cooking, take the fish out and RINSE OFF THE MISO. Miso is extremely salty. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.

Cook any way you want - grill/broil/bake.

I like this best with any type of white fish. But it also works really well with Salmon.

[kwc]

What joules said above.... miso glazed fish is amazing...
This is adapted from a recipe from Nobu, and is also very similar to the miso glazed butterfish served at Roy's:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-review/-117238
http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-black-cod-with-miso/

It's quick to make the marinade and I use Pacific true cod as it's on the safer/ better list and more available here. I have it marinating in the fridge now! The miso seems to help make the fish more buttery after marinating. I wipe off the marinade but don't rinse it.

If you have the Earth Friendly Six O'Clock Scramble book mentioned in another post, there is an amazing recipe with broiled fish fillets with caramelized red pepper sauce (caramelize a red pepper and an onion in a saute pan, then puree with lemon juice, a bit of honey and salt and pepper... tasty!)... we've used it on a variety of different white fish fillets (sole, halibut, tilapia)

[alexsmommy]

Thanks for all of the advice and helpful tips!
Sorry in advance for all the many questions to follow :)



What is your favorite way to cook the above prepared fish? On the grill, in a pan, or in the oven?

Yummy! I like the idea of the easy-peasy bottled sauce. Once I pour it over the fillet, then how do I cook it?

I know that that Salmon has (sometimes or always?) skin on one side--right? Do I take it off before or after cooking?

Bake for about what temp and length of time?

I love parm. crusted chicken! So I just do the same thing with the fish, and bake, correct? There must be a chart perhaps that tells you temp and how long to cook different kinds of fish?

Oops, sorry so long to respond - I tend to just pop into the Lounge....


Favorite way - in summer on the grill (use a fish "basket") with olive oil and kosher salt/pepper, winter, bake in a dish with same thing + fresh dill, occasionally with white wine as well if I have it on hand. The pan is fine, but I feel like I have to watch it more. I'm all about ease...

Soyaki - use sparingly, it cooks down and can become salty. I tend to pour over in baking dish, sometimes add pineapple chunks and stick in 375 degree oven. Cooking time depends on thickness of the fish - while learning you can always butcher one piece, it's finished when it loses that translucent look in the center. Fish with high oil content is more forgiving of overcooking so in the beginning, watch other fish closely (maybe checking every five minutes after the 15 minute mark).

Salmon skin - techinically edible but we don't like it. I usually get fillets (not steaks) so after cooking the one side with skin just peels right off. Cook it skin side down in the pan and you can just lift the salmon up off of it when it's finished and plate it. I tend to put some hot water and a dash of dishwashing liquid in my pan after I remove the fillet and whatever skin comes up easily (toss it) to the hot dish and whatever sticks comes up easily by the time we are finished eating.

Yep, parm crusted tilapia is a hit here. I'm really bad about paying attention to how long I cook things that I cook on a regular basis, I'm pretty good at looking at it and knowing when it is done. I've been knowng to literally shake some breadcrumbs (I prefer the crunch of panko), then some parm on top of the fish, top with some pats of butter and throw it in the oven. My kids love it that way.

Fish is like chicken breast and thighs, once you get the hang of it, it you get pretty good at just throwing some concoctions together that work.