I'm an idiot cook. But I really like fish. What's a healthy and easy way to buy and prepare it?

Question

Obviously boxed fish sticks isn't the best route. But...

Should I buy frozen or unfrozen fish? Should I buy the already cooked fish at the supermarket? What are some tasty fishes I should try? Sometimes Salmon can taste a little too "fishy" for me.

Answer 1

Start out easy...buy only fresh fillets, ready to cook. I recommend tilapia, haddock or flounder. Simply lightly dust with seasoned ( salt, pepper, paprica) flour and saute in a pan with slightly brown butter. Do not overcook. Next, try either salmon or swordfish baked with salt, pepper and onion powder and butter.

Answer 2

Bestaznklan did a very good job in telling you what to look for when buying your fish. It is very important to start with a good product.

Normally I buy frozen fish or I buy fresh and freeze it - which really is a shame because there's nothing better than a fish that hasn't been frozen - really!! There is definitely a difference in taste.

What I like to do (hopefully you have a steamer), is line a steamer with Romaine lettuce (on the bottom and up the sides). Then I put a layer of cod - fresh if you can get it - and cover that with the Romaine. I steam it for 10 minutes and then add a layer of scallops, covering that with Romaine and steam another 10 minutes. Then I add a third and last layer of shrimp, cover it with Romaine, and cook it another 10 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer gray. Everything will be done to perfection. I serve a little of each on the plate along with all the Romaine (it tastes like a mild spinach). I refrigerate the rest and the next day I make a salad using half of the remaining scallops and shrimp. Then the third day (don't keep fish longer than that - cooked or raw) I make Seafood Alfredo with the remaining fish. Everyone loves it.

To cook my salmon (I live in the Pacific Northwest so we can get fresh salmon) two different ways. If you are serving people without diet restrictions, then I make a mixture (3-2-1) of 3 T brown sugar, 2 T butter and 1 T lemon juice. I heat it on the stove to melt everything and pour it over the salmon fillets (I only buy the fillets - easier to work with) in an aluminum-lined pan. I cover the salmon with foil and bake 20-25 minutes at 400º. I generally cut my salmon into 8 oz pieces so that temperature and time works great for it depending on it's thickness. The other way I cook the salmon for those who can't have sugar, I place the salmon fillet on the foil, cover it with mayonnaise, sprinkle on dill and onion powder, cover and cook 400º for 30 minutes. You don't want to overcook your fish. It is overcooked when it is tough. It is just right (especially on fish like cod) when you twist a fork in it and don't see one part of the meat light in color and the other a darker color - kind of translucent instead of opaque. It should flake easily but again, don't overcook.

Tasting too "fishy" generally means the salmon was old. Same goes for cod - if it's old, it will taste like cod liver oil (If you've ever had that). Took me years to be able to eat cod after having that but fresh is OK.

Hope that helps. If you have something like flounder, the best way to cook that is to rinse it, flour it, and pan fry in butter until browned gently on both sides. You can toast some almonds to serve with it too.

Answer 3

If you live in a coastal area, fresh fish is the best. If you don't, I usually buy the preportioned frozen fish fillets. They are individually sealed. You can take out as many portions as you will eat. We love it.

We eat salmon pretty regularly and talapia. Talapia has not fishy taste at all. We have a George Foreman grill. I will season both sides with seafood seasoning that you can easily pick up anywhere. I love Old Bay seasoning. Makes seafood taste great put a squeeze of lemon right before I take it off the grill. Put it on the George and within 5 mins. it's done. The nice thing about fish is, it cooks quickly. For salmon I will grill and add a teriyaki glaze just before I take it off the grill (it doesn't have that "fishy" taste with the glaze). Add a salad, your favorite vegetable, and voila a healthy meal.

Answer 4

When you buy fresh fish, you have serveral options of checking for the freshness by looking at the eyes, smelling the fish and checking the freshness of the skin.

The eyes should be clear not cloudy.
The smell of the fish should be not fishy smell or its bad.
Checking for the skin is no wrinkles or bruises.

Frozen is good, but sometimes the company masks the freshness of the fish by fileting the fish and using the fish carass for other fish food or fish stock.

If you want to prepare it, thaw the fish or if its fresh, just throw the fish filet in lemon juice, paprika, pepper, salt and some garlic. marinate or just throw it in the desired cooking aparattus and then reduce the lemon concoction to the plate with a new presentation or just then throw it in the steamer, by using a steamer or a double-broiler, or using the broiler in the oven or stove cooking it in the pan. If you want it raw, just spray some lemon juice on the fish with your sprizter, cut and serve. Cooked salmon takes only 10-20 minutes or until the meat turns pink. Other fishes, are considered done is it will turn pale white.

Answer 5

I buy fresh frozen (an oxymoron) simply because I do not fish, can't get past the bait.
Salmon is great (fresh/frozen) on the grill cooked in foil with olive oil and lemon pepper, then squeeze fresh lemon on top when cooked (takes about 20 minutes). It is great.

Most white fish can be baked or broiled (in pure virigin olive oil) at about 375 degrees, usually for about 30 minutes maximum, but keep checking. Again, lemon pepper and fresh lemon squeezed atop for flavor. Be sure to cover top also while baking or broiling for savor and tenderness.

If you like breading try this:
Get plastic bag.
After rinsing your fish, put cornmeal with lemon pepper in the plastic bag, then put in fish and shake. The contents will coat your fish.
Then broil, bake, or grill as noted above.
Very simple, quick, healthy, and tasty.
I am not the best in the kitchen, but it goes over great in my home.

I heard catfish are ocean bottom scavengers, so I avoid catfish.

My favorite white fish is halibut, halibut, halibut, but hard to find - I live in southeast. But it is very meaty white fish without the "fishy" taste. Cod is also good if you prefer to avoid fishy taste.

My husband won't touch anything from China now, so quite a dilemma for me.

Here's to health, hope this helps.

Answer 6

I prefer orange roughy or atlantic cod.
They both have nice firm white flesh when cooked, and a very mild flavor (not fishy).

I like to fry fish sometimes. I dip the thawed fillets in flour, then in beaten egg/milk mixture, then in salted flour again, and fry in oil.

For a different type dish, bake the fish til it flakes. Crumble the cooled fish into a bowl.
Add a chopped vlasic kosher dill pickle, 1/4 cup chopped onion, a finely chopped fresh jalapeno or serrano chile, and a little mayo and lime or lemon juice. Stir lightly without mushing the fish. Eat with crackers.

Answer 7

Fresh or frozen fish are both good to bake or pan fry, or to grill.

It takes minutes to prepare and healthy for you. You can accompany it with veggies or salads or even fruits.

Try fresh tuna or halibut if you don't like the "fishy" taste.
I like to grill mine, but you can also pan fry in a just a touch of olive oil or butter. Cook till the outside is done(about 3 minutes) then turn only once for another 3 or 4 minutes. Salt and lemon pepper lightly...experiment & enjoy.

Answer 8

Try Whiting or Talipia or Trout or Coaker filets(boneless).Fresh or Frozen either are good.Thaw frozen fish first then season with lemon pepper garlic powder onion powder salt & pepper and dried parsely or whatever dried herb u like best and a pat of butter on each filet and bake @ 325 for about 30mins check for doneness fish should b white and flaky but a little moist. Deelious.

Answer 9

If fish tastes too fishy it's gone over, buy it fresh,it should smell
of the sea, allthough freshwater fish will smell slightly, the eyes
should be clear & it should not be slimey , just simply grill it
with butter & a little lemon juice on top for 5-10 mins if you
can only cook simply

Answer 10

Start with something relatively easy like rainbow trout or tilapia. Personally, I always buy my fish fresh and cook it that day or the next. Keep in mind that your grocer may have already had the fish frozen, so you don't want to refreeze fish that was already frozen; bad flavors.

Here are a couple of easy recipes that I have used pretty well:

1 or 2 lg. sea trout, stripe bass or rainbow trout
1 each green & red pepper, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 c. butter, sliced
Foil
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. paprika

Line a baking dish with foil to pan; add water under boil. Wash fish. Season with black and white pepper, salt, paprika. Place fish in foil. Top with peppers and onion and lemon slices. Top this with butter. Cover with foil. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Fish should be flaky with a nice soft touch.

4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
1 lemon, sliced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen cauliflower with broccoli and red pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic salt. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. Arrange the frozen mixed vegetables around the fish, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cover the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork