Thoughts on Fish

With the warm weather teasing us here in Washington, I've been asking friends for ideas on spring and summer recipes. I welcome thoughts from readers, as well. One of my friends suggested that many home cooks may be intimidated by preparing fish. Since fish is well-suited to warm weather cooking because it's light and nutritious, I thought I'd share some general thoughts on the preparation of fish. I have posted a few seafood recipes before, and hope you'll consider trying some of these as you experiment with your new-found fish skills.
There are a few different categories of fish that we commonly prepare at home. There are, of course, shellfish. Shellfish are broken down into crustaceans; such as shrimp, lobsters, and crabs, and bivalves, such as clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. I consider shellfish the easiest to prepare because they're generally forgiving (please do not construe this as endorsement of overcooking), very flavorful, and work well in lots of different kinds of cuisine. They are easy to saute, grill, steam, poach / boil, or fry. As a creature of the South, I love fried seafood. If there's demand, I'm happy to post some fried seafood recipes. I have my fair share.
Unless you're by the ocean and buying local seafood, it is likely that the seafood you're buying has been frozen. This is perfectly fine. If you're not going to use it right away, buy the frozen stuff. It will obviously keep longer and you can decide how long it thaws. Shrimp and scallops are incredibly easy to thaw in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. Only buy oysters in season, usually months ending in "R." I love fried oysters, but nothing beats a raw oyster on the half shell with a few drops of mignonette sauce or lemon juice. I adore steamed mussels with white wine, garlic, shallots, and parsley... and of course a bit of butter. This is so easy to prepare it's embarrassing. Add the aforementioned to a steam pot. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the mussels are open. You're done. Clams are great steamed or even cooked on the grill, right in their shells. I love to add everything on this list to a bowl of hot spaghetti with some olive oil and fresh parsley for a wonderful summer lunch.
It sounds hard, but is actually incredibly easy to steam fresh blue crabs with lots of delicious crab boil and Old Bay seasoning.
When it comes to fish, inexperienced cooks tend to balk a bit. Friends have called me after disasters of fish stuck to the bottoms of pans, burned on grills, overcooked, or otherwise just plain ruined. There are several techniques for avoiding problem fish. Properly cooked fish begins with the best ingredients. Only buy fish that lacks any fishy odor, is clean and appropriately firm to the touch, and lacking any dryness or discoloration. When grilling fish, the most important thing is to ensure that the surface of the grill is exceedingly hot. An under-heated cooking surface will cause fish to stick and pull apart when you try to turn it. Only cook fish for a few minutes per side. If you're very unsure about whether or not a piece of fish (especially a thick cut salmon or filet of sea bass), feel free to finish in the oven. Many professionals advocate this technique of grill / stovetop to oven, and it does produce a great result. Do not over-season fish. Many supermarkets sell marinated tilapia, catfish, and salmon in their seafood cases and I find that the acids and preservatives in the marinades tend to produce a ceviche-like product, cooking the proteins of the fish before you have a chance to apply your own flavors. I counsel that you avoid these convenience preparations, as you will only end up disappointed. A healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper over a light vegetable or olive oil is really all a piece of fish needs to stand up to high-heat pan cooking or even a grill.
Many fruits of the sea are enjoyed better raw than cooked. I love a fried oyster, but the best I have ever had are naked on the half shell. The same is often true of clams. A scallop ceviche or salmon sashimi, prepared in the right kitchen with the right product, is far more transcendent than even the most decadent fish and chips. The best advice I can give is to follow some of the recipes I have offered in the blog, some from your favorite cookbooks, and experiment. Don't be afraid of fish! All you need remember is not to overcook, over season, or overlook your seafood on the stove.
This topic is one on which I'd really value the guidance of my readers. Please, in the comments section, or to my e-mail address, bring to my attention various recipes or dishes involving seafood that you'd like to see. I will do my best to test the best variations of your requests and post the results here! Thank you for reading!