The biggest difference between fish and meat is fish has no or little connective tissue, so fish cooks very quickly even at low heat. Fish is naturally tender so be careful when handling fish or it will fall apart. When a fish is done the fish will separate into flakes, the flesh of the fish will separate from the bone and the bone will no longer look pink. The flesh of the fish will also turn from translucent to an opaque or white color. It is very easy though to over cook fish.
Lean fish are low in fat, flounder sole, cod, and red snapper are a few lean fish.
Fat fish are high in fat, salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel are a few fat fish.
Lean fish are perfect for poaching, because it helps retain some moisture in the fish. If broiled or baked lean fish should be basted with butter or oil. Frying lean fish is also a good idea because the fat used to fry the fish will help it be more edible.
Dressing A Fish
- Scale the fish. Lay the fish flat on a counter, then rub a scaling tool or a back of a knife against the scales from the tail to head. Keep doing this until the scale is removed, then rinse.
- Slit the belly of the fish and pull out any organs, then rinse the cavity.
- Cut off the tail and fins.
- Remove the head. Cut through the flesh behind the gills, then cut or break the backbone at the cut and pull of the head of the fish.
- Now the fish is dressed.
Filleting A Fish
Fish have to basic shapes one is a flat fish and the other is a round fish, they are filleted differently. Flatfish have four fillets and the round fish have two.
How To Fillet A Flatfish
- Use a thin bladed, flexible knife. Cut off the head, just behind the gills.
- Make a cut from the head to the tail of the fish just to one side of the center line, then down to the backbone of the fish.
- Turn the knife so that it is almost parallel to the table. Make long, smooth cuts, cut horizontally against the backbone toward the outer edge of the fish. Gently separate the fillet from the bone.
- Remove the fillet completely. Repeat this to remove the three remaining fillets.
- To skin the fillet, place the fillet skin side down on the counter with the tail of the fish pointing toward you. Holding the skin at the tail end, slide the knife between the skin and the flesh, scraping against the skin to avoid cutting into the fillet.
How To Fillet A Round Fish
- Cut into the top of the fish along one side of the backbone from the head to the tail of the fish. Cut against the bone with smooth strokes of the knife to separate the flesh of the fish from the bone.
- Cut under the flesh toward the tail and detach it.
- Cut along the curved rib bones and finish detaching the fillet at the head end. Turn the fish over and repeat to remove the second fillet. Lightly run your finger along the flesh side of the fillets to see if any bones remain in them. Pull out any you find. Then skin the fillets the same way you would a flat fish.
Types Of Fish
The two types of fish are saltwater fish and fresh water fish; there is a difference in flavor between a saltwater fish and a fresh water fish.
Salt Water Fish/Flatfish
Flounder: Lean fish/winter flounder, lemon sole, gray sole, pacific dover sole, sand dab/white flesh, fine flakes, mild, sweet flavor/1/2 to 5lb
Sole: Lean fish/narrower, flesh similar to flounder, but firmer in texture/1 to 2lb
Halibut: Lean fish/looks like a giant flounder, with thicker flesh, delicate flavor, cut into steaks and fillets/4 to 100lb or more.
Turbot: Lean fish/large, broad flatfish, and white firm delicate flesh/ 1 to 25lb.
Salt Water Fish/Round Fish
Arctic Char: Fatfish/similar to both salmon and trout, flesh is similar to salmon but with less fat, more fat than a trout/around 4lb to 25lb.
Black Sea Bass: Lean/small black skinned fish with firm, delicate, sweet white flesh/3lb.
Bluefish: Fatfish/flavorful, oily flesh that is bluish when raw, grayish when cooked/1 to 10lb.
Chilean Sea Bass: Fatfish/white, oily flesh with large flakes, firm texture, and mild flavor/around 20lb.
Cod: Leanfish/small, young cod, lean white flesh, most fish sticks are made from cod/1 to 2 1/2lb for a scrod, 2 1/2 to 25lb for a cod.
Escolar: Fatfish/ A firm, white oily fish containing a fat that is not metabolized by the human body, because of this fat some people can get ill when eating this fish/65 to 110lb.
Grouper: Leanfish/firm white fish, similar to the texture of a snapper, tough skin/ up to 700lb.
Haddock: Leanfish/similar to cod, but smaller/ 1 to 5lb.
Herring:Fatfish/small, full flavored, oily fish/ up to 8oz.
Jack: Fatfish/smooth, shiny skin, firm oily flesh, and strong flavor/weight depend on the variety.
John Dory: Leanfish/firm,sweet, white fleshwith fine flakes, broad thin fillets/ about 2lb.
Mackerel: Fatfish/fat, firm flesh with rich flavor and slightly dark color/1/2 to 5lb.
Mahi-Mahi: Leanfish/firm, fine textured, pinkish flesh with rich, sweet taste/5 to 40lb.
Monkfish: Leanfish/also known as lotte, anglerfish, bellyfish with white, very firm flesh with fine texture, like lobster, rich flavor, dries up very easily if cooked dry without fat/ 5 to 50lb.
Oceanperch: Leanfish/mild, bony fish/ about 1lb.
Orange Roughy: Leanfish/texture and flavor similar to red snapper/3/4 to 2lb.
Pompano: Fatfish/small fish with rich, sweet flavored flesh/ 3/4 to 2lb.
Porgy: Leanfish/ small oval fish, with sweet and mild flavor, and bony/ up to 2lb.
Red Mullet: Leanfish/looks like a small red snapper, rich flavor with a slight taste of shrimp or lobster, cooked with the skin on, because flavor comes from the skin/12oz or less.
Red Snapper: Leanfish/firm, delicate, sweet white flesh with large flakes, large coarse bones, skin is red/ 1 to 15lb.
Salmon: Fatfish/different varieties, rich pink to red flesh, meaty texture and flavor/4 to 25lb.
Shark: Fatfish/ firm texture, similar to swordfish, but softer and a little moister/ 25lb to 40lb.
Striped Bass: Leanfish/ firm, white, delicately flavored fish with large flakes/ 1 to 10lb.
Swordfish: Fatfish/ dense, meaty, not flaky, texture/ up to 1000lb.
Tuna: Fatfish/different varieties, meaty texture and appearance, should not cook tuna well done or it will become very dry/ weight depends on the variety.
Whiting: Leanfish/fragile, white flesh with mild flavor/1/4 to 3lb.
Fresh Water Fish
Catfish: Fatfish or can be lean/firm flesh with a lot of flavor/farmed catfish are milder and leaner than catfish in the wild/1 to 8lb.
Eel: Fatfish/ flesh of the eel is firm, mild, and oily. Should be alive shortly before cooking or flesh will become mushy. Skin before cooking and fillet or cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths/2 to 4lb.
Perch: Leanfish/ mild flavored, flaky white flesh with firm texture and fine grain/ 1/2 to 5lb.
Pike: Leanfish/ firm white flesh similar to perch but not as thick/ 2 to 12lb.
Tilapia: Leanfish/firm, mild white flesh/up to 3lb.
Trout: Fatfish/soft, fine textured flesh with rich, delicate flavor/ up to 4lb.
Whitfish: Fatfish/ flaky, white flesh with a sweet flavor, 1 1/2 to 6lb.
How To Tell Fresh Fish
Odor: A fresh fish has no off odors, while a not so fresh fish has a fishy odor.
Eyes: A fresh fish eyes are clear, shiny, and bulging, while a not so fresh fish eyes are cloudy and sunken.
Gills: A fresh fish gills are red or pink, while a not so fresh fish gills are gray or brown.
Texture of flesh: A fresh fish flesh is firm and elastic, while a not so fresh fish flesh is soft and dents easily.
Scales: A fresh fish is shiny and tight on the skin, while a not so fresh fish is loose and not shiny.
FROZEN FISH
Keep frozen fish at 0degreesF or colder, keep them wrapped to prevent freezer burn, fatfish store for up to 2 months, leanfish store up to 6 months. Thaw frozen fish at 18 to 36 hours, small pieces up to 8oz can be cooked from frozen state to make handling easier and to prevent excessive drip loss. Larger fish should be thawed first before cooking. You can also partially thaw fish in the microwave and then prep it to cook, fish partially thawed will be easier to handle than fully thawed fish.
Rules When Baking A Fish:
- Fat fish are better for baking, because they have a slim chance of drying out.
- Baste lean fish with butter or oil to keep them from drying out when baking.
- Temperatures from 350degreesF to 400degreesF are good temperatures for baking fish. Bake large fish at the lower end of the oven to achieve a more evenly baked fish.
- Baking times for fish are different since fish differ in shape and size, baking time should be about 10 minutes per inch of thickness when it comes to baking fish.
- To enhance the flavor and moistness of a baked fish serve it with a sauce or seasoned butter.
- You can also bake thin fillets at very high temperatures, but keep a close eye on it because fish fillets will bake in a matter of a minute.
How To Bake A Fish Properly
- Season fish.
- Put the fish on a oiled or buttered baking sheet, then brush the tops with oil or butter.
- You can place toppings on the fish if you like. Toppings like seasoned bread crumbs, lemon slices, mushrooms.
Bake at 350degrees to 400degreesF until done. You can also baste fish with a little oil or butter during baking.