Fish
Tips from the Chef
By Shari
Darling
|
Chef
James Ormsby
Plump Jake Café, San Francisco, CA |
1.
Buy
fresh, wild and local fish instead of famrmed-bred ones, such
as Salmon. Wild fish are sweeter, cleaner tasting, more flavorful
and dye-free. "Just ask your supemmarket purveyors to order
the wild fish for you about a week in advance,. says Ormsby.
Remember - the supermarket uses the same suppliers as we do
in restaurants.
2.
Watch
your cooking times when working with fish. Each variety and
cut takes specific amounts of time to cook.
“A
big chunk of Cod, for example, can take longer to cook than
Filet Mignon," explains Ormsby. "Delicate fish cook
very fast It has to do with the density of the protein, be it
fish or meat"
|
Click
on Images for Captions |
3.
Certain
fish taste better when served translucent to protect the oil
and water content inside, such as Salmon. Others are better
served chewy or flaky like Halibut and Sole.
4.
Highly
season your fish with salt and pepper.
“The
higher the fat content, the more salt the fish can take,"
Ormsby says. “Tuna can be salted generously, while Sole
needs less salt.
5.
Certain
cooking methods are better suited for specific fish varieties.
Here's a few of Ommsby's suggestions:
•
Sautéing:
For delicate fish like Sole, Flounder, Halibut
•
Braising: Dense
fish like Munk, Grouper, Sea Bass
•
Baking: Oily
fish like Salmon, some Sea Bass, Tuna
•
Broiling or Grilling: Oily
fish like Salmon and Tuna
•
Pan Frying: flaky,
moist fish like Cat fish, Halibut, Cod
•
Poaching: Variety
Salmon, Sole, Cod
•
Poaching in Flavored Oils: Variety
Salmon, Cod, Tuna
