I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
eat.

1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
asks for over and over?

2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
as some great recipes?
There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.

Thanks for the help!

Pringles CheezUms wrote:
> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
> eat.
>
> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
> asks for over and over?
>
> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
> as some great recipes?
> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>
> Thanks for the help!

the easiest thing to do with fish is bake it

<http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/baked-fish-fillets/6a878b50-f92c-4b59-befe-20430082e1b1>

there are literally one million baked fish recipes for you to try out there

have fun!

On Sunday, October 12, 2014 9:15:18 PM UTC-5, Pringles CheezUms wrote:
>
> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
> eat.
>
> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
> asks for over and over?
>
>
Yes, fried fish and it's just me here. Most times it's cornmeal breaded.
>
>
> Thanks for the help!
>
>
Glad I could be of service.

On Sun, 12 Oct 2014 21:15:18 -0500, Pringles CheezUms
> wrote:

>I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
>eat.
>
>1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
>asks for over and over?
>
>2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
>as some great recipes?
>There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
>of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
>But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>
>Thanks for the help!
In my opinion,Bittman won't steer you wrong. The recipes of his that
I have tried have all been excellent.
Janet US

On Sunday, October 12, 2014 10:15:18 PM UTC-4, Pringles CheezUms wrote:
> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
> eat.
>
> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
> asks for over and over?
>
> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
> as some great recipes?
>
> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>
> Thanks for the help!

For fish the most important item to remember is that for every inch
thickness the fish should be cooked for 10 minutes. (Unless you're
doing something like a seared tuna.)

For the beginner I think that pan fried is the best method. first
simply rub the dry fish with oil, (generally no need to wash most
fish) and leave it out to warm up as you do the rest.

Zest some lemon and squeeze for the juice. Set out some capers and
some chopped dill.

Rub some oil on a shallow fry pan and heat. It's hot enough when
water flicked on the pan starts to fizzle. Add the fish skin side up,
turn the heat down to medium and cook for half the time. Turn the
fish with a large spatula, add the dill, lemon zest and capers and
cook for the rest of the time.

If you have the temperature correct the fish will be slightly browned
on top. This works very well for rainbow trout, salmon or almost any
other fish, has very little preparation work and is very easy.

Many will disagree with me, but except for a few rare cases, good fish
is always better without breading.

http://www.richardfisher.com

Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
> eat.
>
> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
> asks for over and over?
>
> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as
> well as some great recipes?
> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>
> Thanks for the help!

The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be done at 350F
for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types, a bit less.

Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
fish-leather.
Carol

--

On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
> Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
>> eat.
>>
>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
>> asks for over and over?
>>
>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as
>> well as some great recipes?
>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
>> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
>> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>>
>> Thanks for the help!
>
> The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be done at 350F
> for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types, a bit less.
>
> Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
> fish-leather.
> Carol
>
What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get decently
fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
>> Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
>>> eat.
>>>
>>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
>>> asks for over and over?
>>>
>>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as
>>> well as some great recipes?
>>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
>>> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
>>> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>>>
>>> Thanks for the help!
>>
>> The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be done at 350F
>> for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types, a bit less.
>>
>> Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
>> fish-leather.
>> Carol
>>
> What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get decently
> fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
>

Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA; they
cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such topics. Over the
years they have published a series of small (< 150 pages) cookbooks on a
variety of topics; I own several, and they are very good, with
well-tested recipes that are not hard to do.

One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a number of
recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes have illustrated
preparation details, and there is a guide to buying fish, among other
essential fish-related topics. This book was published in 1981, but I am
sure it can be found on Abebooks or Amazon, used. I recommend it highly.

James Silverton wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> >
> > > I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually
> > > want to eat.
> > >
> > > 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your
> > > family asks for over and over?
> > >
> > > 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as
> > > well as some great recipes?
> > > There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent
> > > number of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and
> > > Peterson. But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why
> > > I'm posting here.
> > >
> > > Thanks for the help!
> >
> > The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be done at
> > 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types, a bit less.
> >
> > Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
> > fish-leather.
> > Carol
> >
> What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get
> decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.

Sorry, not close eough to your local area to know that. I'm about 4
hours or a bit more south of you.

--

Travis McGee wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> > On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > > Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> > >
> > > > I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually
> > > > want to eat.
> > > >
> > > > 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your
> > > > family asks for over and over?
> > > >
> > > > 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction
> > > > as well as some great recipes?
> > > > There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent
> > > > number of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and
> > > > Peterson. But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why
> > > > I'm posting here.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks for the help!
> > >
> > > The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be done
> > > at 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types, a bit
> > > less.
> > >
> > > Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
> > > fish-leather.
> >> Carol
> > >
> > What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get
> > decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
> >
>
> Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA; they
> cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such topics. Over the
> years they have published a series of small (< 150 pages) cookbooks
> on a variety of topics; I own several, and they are very good, with
> well-tested recipes that are not hard to do.
>
> One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a number
> of recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes have
> illustrated preparation details, and there is a guide to buying fish,
> among other essential fish-related topics. This book was published in
> 1981, but I am sure it can be found on Abebooks or Amazon, used. I
> recommend it highly.

Grin, I have 2 of them. I also recommend it. The best is the front
guide with types of fish that lead to the differences in cooking.

I thought it too ancient to mention so didnt suggest it before.

Carol

--

On Monday, October 13, 2014 10:54:11 PM UTC-5, barbie gee wrote:
>
> Depends on the fish, maybe, because no matter which pan I use, or how I
> coat the fish or the pan, it sticks to the pan and makes a mess. I think
> maybe a nice thick whitefish filet, floured/egged/breaded, works way
> better than a naked skinny tilapia filet, as well...
>
> I'm for baking.
> In a pinch, I've actually done fish in the microwave, and with a very
> gentle touch, it can be done very nicely that way.
>
>
It sounds like your pan and oil is not hot enough if you are experiencing sticking all the time.

On Monday, October 13, 2014 11:54:11 PM UTC-4, barbie gee wrote:
>
> Depends on the fish, maybe, because no matter which pan I use, or how I
> coat the fish or the pan, it sticks to the pan and makes a mess. I think
> maybe a nice thick whitefish filet, floured/egged/breaded, works way
> better than a naked skinny tilapia filet, as well...
>
To my mind there are two ways to avoid fish sticking. One is to use a
non stick pan (dah!). The other is to not mess with it. Fish (and
meat) will often initially stick. However, don't mess with it and it
will release all by itself as it cooks, as long as the heat is not too
high.

http://www.richardfisher.com

On Monday, October 13, 2014 5:01:01 PM UTC-4, James Silverton wrote:
>
> What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get decently
> fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
>
> Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)
>
Too true, especially as most people have never seen "good fish".

http://www.richardfisher.com

On 10/13/2014 02:28 PM, cshenk wrote:
> Travis McGee wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>>> On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
>>>> Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>
>>>>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually
>>>>> want to eat.
>>>>>
>>>>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your
>>>>> family asks for over and over?
>>>>>
>>>>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction
>>>>> as well as some great recipes?
>>>>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent
>>>>> number of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and
>>>>> Peterson. But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why
>>>>> I'm posting here.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for the help!
>>>>
>>>> The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be done
>>>> at 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types, a bit
>>>> less.
>>>>
>>>> Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
>>>> fish-leather.
>>>> Carol
>>>>
>>> What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get
>>> decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
>>>
>>
>> Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA; they
>> cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such topics. Over the
>> years they have published a series of small (< 150 pages) cookbooks
>> on a variety of topics; I own several, and they are very good, with
>> well-tested recipes that are not hard to do.
>>
>> One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a number
>> of recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes have
>> illustrated preparation details, and there is a guide to buying fish,
>> among other essential fish-related topics. This book was published in
>> 1981, but I am sure it can be found on Abebooks or Amazon, used. I
>> recommend it highly.
>
> Grin, I have 2 of them. I also recommend it. The best is the front
> guide with types of fish that lead to the differences in cooking.
>
> I thought it too ancient to mention so didnt suggest it before.
>
> Carol
>
That's an old favorite around here also. My favorite recipe in there is
for Crab Cioppino. The kids really loved it too.

On 2014-10-13 02:15:18 +0000, Pringles CheezUms said:

> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
> eat.
>
> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
> asks for over and over?
>
> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
> as some great recipes?
> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>
> Thanks for the help!

You're making this a bit too complicated. The Joy of Cooking (1975
edition preferably) has all the basic recipes for all your different
broad categories of fish. Once you learn how long each type fish takes
to cook with each method, variations in seasoning and so forth come
naturally. Specialist cookbooks like the three you mention are largely
an exercise in photography, and there are plenty of nifty photos of
well-prepared fish on Flickr for free.

We live less than 200 yards from the ocean, in a town with an active
fishing fleet. In addition to that, my wife and I are both into
fishing as a hobby. Each type of fish can be treated any number of
ways, and once you know how to prepare fish well your family will be
excited to have any *DECENT* fish. I see many errors committed by
people who buy and cook fish, though:

1.) People go to the store / market knowing what kind of fish they
want in advance. This is stupid. Unless you are buying frozen fish
(which you should avoid doing unless you live in an area with poor
access to fresh, high quality fish) you always determine which fish you
purchase according to a function that takes price and freshness into
account with freshness heavily weighted over price. And you never,
EVER eat farmed fish with the exception of Atlantic salmon farmed in
Norway because of their strict quality control regulations.

2.) People usually overcook fish. With any oilfish such as mackerel,
sardine, euchalon, sable, etc you should generally cook the fish just
until the flesh loosens, then take off the heat and let stand like a
steak. With tuna and family, you should cook until the inside is rare,
and let stand like a steak until the inside is medium rare at the MOST
well done. With cod and anything with cod-like meat with fat (firm
white flesh) you should cook the fish until the fat just starts to come
out then let stand like a steak (seeing a trend here?) for a few
minutes. With fat salmon, you should cook the fish until the fat just
starts to emerge and then let stand, but lean salmon and trout might
not have enough fat to visibly emerge (instead they often have more of
an oil) so you must watch them carefully like an oilfish and remove
them when the texture starts to flake. But with fat salmon and cod
(and cod-likes) if you wait for the fish to flake it will be overdone
by the time it is cool enough to eat. Specialty methods will take more
practice - I often broil sardines whole, which is delicate business. I
also often simmer sardines and mackerel whole, until every bone is soft
enough to eat. I cook sturgeon like a pork roast.

3.) Every fish has a season, so learn what they are and eat them in
season. There is a reason for this - many fish are decidedly inferior
out of season. Just because it's available frozen this is no guarantee
that the fish was caught at peak season either. I only rarely buy
frozen fish, and only from reputable fishmongers who obtained and froze
the fish themselves in season. And I would never buy a fish that I can
not at least visually inspect. I prefer to visually examine and even
smell a piece of fish or buy the fish whole and uncleaned, because it
is easiest to tell if a fish is fresh if you can view the whole
carcass. Look for bright, shiny eyes, firm flesh, good color, and a
moist but not slimy surface.

4.) Practice makes perfect, and there's no way in hell you are going
to do a super-great job unless you really get to know each and every
fish you intend to cook. If I encounter a new type of fish, unless it
is generically like one I already know how to cook I assume I might
**** it up the first half dozen times I prepare it and am pleasantly
surprised if it turns out great by the third preparation.

I do have to say though, the idea that you can read a book and
magically become a great fish preparer is preposterous. I have spent
decades becoming proficient at cooking game, poultry, fowl,
domesticated animals, fish, and shellfish as well as everything else
and I must say that fish and shellfish are easily the most challenging
foods to select and prepare properly, followed by game and then
vegetables.

On 10/14/2014 11:39 PM, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
> On 2014-10-13 02:15:18 +0000, Pringles CheezUms said:
>
>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
>> eat.
>>
>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
>> asks for over and over?
>>
>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
>> as some great recipes?
>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
>> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
>> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>>
>> Thanks for the help!
>
> You're making this a bit too complicated. The Joy of Cooking (1975
> edition preferably) has all the basic recipes for all your different
> broad categories of fish. Once you learn how long each type fish takes
> to cook with each method, variations in seasoning and so forth come
> naturally. Specialist cookbooks like the three you mention are largely
> an exercise in photography, and there are plenty of nifty photos of
> well-prepared fish on Flickr for free.
>
> We live less than 200 yards from the ocean, in a town with an active
> fishing fleet. In addition to that, my wife and I are both into fishing
> as a hobby. Each type of fish can be treated any number of ways, and
> once you know how to prepare fish well your family will be excited to
> have any *DECENT* fish. I see many errors committed by people who buy
> and cook fish, though:
>
> 1.) People go to the store / market knowing what kind of fish they want
> in advance. This is stupid. Unless you are buying frozen fish (which
> you should avoid doing unless you live in an area with poor access to
> fresh, high quality fish) you always determine which fish you purchase
> according to a function that takes price and freshness into account with
> freshness heavily weighted over price. And you never, EVER eat farmed
> fish with the exception of Atlantic salmon farmed in Norway because of
> their strict quality control regulations.
>
> 2.) People usually overcook fish. With any oilfish such as mackerel,
> sardine, euchalon, sable, etc you should generally cook the fish just
> until the flesh loosens, then take off the heat and let stand like a
> steak. With tuna and family, you should cook until the inside is rare,
> and let stand like a steak until the inside is medium rare at the MOST
> well done. With cod and anything with cod-like meat with fat (firm
> white flesh) you should cook the fish until the fat just starts to come
> out then let stand like a steak (seeing a trend here?) for a few
> minutes. With fat salmon, you should cook the fish until the fat just
> starts to emerge and then let stand, but lean salmon and trout might not
> have enough fat to visibly emerge (instead they often have more of an
> oil) so you must watch them carefully like an oilfish and remove them
> when the texture starts to flake. But with fat salmon and cod (and
> cod-likes) if you wait for the fish to flake it will be overdone by the
> time it is cool enough to eat. Specialty methods will take more
> practice - I often broil sardines whole, which is delicate business. I
> also often simmer sardines and mackerel whole, until every bone is soft
> enough to eat. I cook sturgeon like a pork roast.
>
> 3.) Every fish has a season, so learn what they are and eat them in
> season. There is a reason for this - many fish are decidedly inferior
> out of season. Just because it's available frozen this is no guarantee
> that the fish was caught at peak season either. I only rarely buy
> frozen fish, and only from reputable fishmongers who obtained and froze
> the fish themselves in season. And I would never buy a fish that I can
> not at least visually inspect. I prefer to visually examine and even
> smell a piece of fish or buy the fish whole and uncleaned, because it is
> easiest to tell if a fish is fresh if you can view the whole carcass.
> Look for bright, shiny eyes, firm flesh, good color, and a moist but not
> slimy surface.
>
> 4.) Practice makes perfect, and there's no way in hell you are going to
> do a super-great job unless you really get to know each and every fish
> you intend to cook. If I encounter a new type of fish, unless it is
> generically like one I already know how to cook I assume I might **** it
> up the first half dozen times I prepare it and am pleasantly surprised
> if it turns out great by the third preparation.
>
> I do have to say though, the idea that you can read a book and magically
> become a great fish preparer is preposterous. I have spent decades
> becoming proficient at cooking game, poultry, fowl, domesticated
> animals, fish, and shellfish as well as everything else and I must say
> that fish and shellfish are easily the most challenging foods to select
> and prepare properly, followed by game and then vegetables.
>

Your argument overreaches. I don't think anyone thinks that reading a
book will make you a master of fish preparation without any practice,
but I do think it's possible for a beginner to read a basic cookbook and
immediately prepare a simple dish, which is obviously what this poster
was looking for.

I have no doubt that you are a genius at fish preparation in particular
and cooking in general, but you completely missed the intent of this
person's post.

On 2014-10-15 03:59:04 +0000, Travis McGee said:

> On 10/14/2014 11:39 PM, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
>> On 2014-10-13 02:15:18 +0000, Pringles CheezUms said:
>>
>>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually want to
>>> eat.
>>>
>>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your family
>>> asks for over and over?
>>>
>>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction as well
>>> as some great recipes?
>>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent number
>>> of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and Peterson.
>>> But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>>>
>>> Thanks for the help!
>>
>> You're making this a bit too complicated. The Joy of Cooking (1975
>> edition preferably) has all the basic recipes for all your different
>> broad categories of fish. Once you learn how long each type fish takes
>> to cook with each method, variations in seasoning and so forth come
>> naturally. Specialist cookbooks like the three you mention are largely
>> an exercise in photography, and there are plenty of nifty photos of
>> well-prepared fish on Flickr for free.
>>
>> We live less than 200 yards from the ocean, in a town with an active
>> fishing fleet. In addition to that, my wife and I are both into fishing
>> as a hobby. Each type of fish can be treated any number of ways, and
>> once you know how to prepare fish well your family will be excited to
>> have any *DECENT* fish. I see many errors committed by people who buy
>> and cook fish, though:
>>
>> 1.) People go to the store / market knowing what kind of fish they want
>> in advance. This is stupid. Unless you are buying frozen fish (which
>> you should avoid doing unless you live in an area with poor access to
>> fresh, high quality fish) you always determine which fish you purchase
>> according to a function that takes price and freshness into account with
>> freshness heavily weighted over price. And you never, EVER eat farmed
>> fish with the exception of Atlantic salmon farmed in Norway because of
>> their strict quality control regulations.
>>
>> 2.) People usually overcook fish. With any oilfish such as mackerel,
>> sardine, euchalon, sable, etc you should generally cook the fish just
>> until the flesh loosens, then take off the heat and let stand like a
>> steak. With tuna and family, you should cook until the inside is rare,
>> and let stand like a steak until the inside is medium rare at the MOST
>> well done. With cod and anything with cod-like meat with fat (firm
>> white flesh) you should cook the fish until the fat just starts to come
>> out then let stand like a steak (seeing a trend here?) for a few
>> minutes. With fat salmon, you should cook the fish until the fat just
>> starts to emerge and then let stand, but lean salmon and trout might not
>> have enough fat to visibly emerge (instead they often have more of an
>> oil) so you must watch them carefully like an oilfish and remove them
>> when the texture starts to flake. But with fat salmon and cod (and
>> cod-likes) if you wait for the fish to flake it will be overdone by the
>> time it is cool enough to eat. Specialty methods will take more
>> practice - I often broil sardines whole, which is delicate business. I
>> also often simmer sardines and mackerel whole, until every bone is soft
>> enough to eat. I cook sturgeon like a pork roast.
>>
>> 3.) Every fish has a season, so learn what they are and eat them in
>> season. There is a reason for this - many fish are decidedly inferior
>> out of season. Just because it's available frozen this is no guarantee
>> that the fish was caught at peak season either. I only rarely buy
>> frozen fish, and only from reputable fishmongers who obtained and froze
>> the fish themselves in season. And I would never buy a fish that I can
>> not at least visually inspect. I prefer to visually examine and even
>> smell a piece of fish or buy the fish whole and uncleaned, because it is
>> easiest to tell if a fish is fresh if you can view the whole carcass.
>> Look for bright, shiny eyes, firm flesh, good color, and a moist but not
>> slimy surface.
>>
>> 4.) Practice makes perfect, and there's no way in hell you are going to
>> do a super-great job unless you really get to know each and every fish
>> you intend to cook. If I encounter a new type of fish, unless it is
>> generically like one I already know how to cook I assume I might **** it
>> up the first half dozen times I prepare it and am pleasantly surprised
>> if it turns out great by the third preparation.
>>
>> I do have to say though, the idea that you can read a book and magically
>> become a great fish preparer is preposterous. I have spent decades
>> becoming proficient at cooking game, poultry, fowl, domesticated
>> animals, fish, and shellfish as well as everything else and I must say
>> that fish and shellfish are easily the most challenging foods to select
>> and prepare properly, followed by game and then vegetables.
>>
>
> Your argument overreaches. I don't think anyone thinks that reading a
> book will make you a master of fish preparation without any practice,
> but I do think it's possible for a beginner to read a basic cookbook
> and immediately prepare a simple dish, which is obviously what this
> poster was looking for.
>
> I have no doubt that you are a genius at fish preparation in particular
> and cooking in general, but you completely missed the intent of this
> person's post.

I think you missed the point of my post, which I summarized by the
second sentence - "Get and read The Joy of Cooking!" It's useful not
just to learn about fish, but it has everything you need to become an
adept at cooking. Anyway while I don't think I have attained the level
of genius fish perparer yet, I do think I'm well past the adept stage
and closing in on masterhood. Nobody told me what I summarized above,
and it would have been useful if they had.

Whirled Peas wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 10/13/2014 02:28 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > Travis McGee wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> >
> > > On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> > > > On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > > > > Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will
> > > > > > actually want to eat.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that
> > > > > > your family asks for over and over?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic
> > > > > > instruction as well as some great recipes?
> > > > > > There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a
> > > > > > decent number of reviews, including ones by Bittman,
> > > > > > Moonen, and Peterson. But I prefer personal
> > > > > > recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks for the help!
> > > > >
> > > > > The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be
> > > > > done at 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types,
> > > > > a bit less.
> > > > >
> > > > > Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
> > > > > fish-leather.
> >>>> Carol
> > > > >
> > > > What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get
> > > > decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA;
> > > they cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such topics.
> > > Over the years they have published a series of small (< 150
> > > pages) cookbooks on a variety of topics; I own several, and they
> > > are very good, with well-tested recipes that are not hard to do.
> > >
> > > One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a
> > > number of recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes have
> > > illustrated preparation details, and there is a guide to buying
> > > fish, among other essential fish-related topics. This book was
> > > published in 1981, but I am sure it can be found on Abebooks or
> > > Amazon, used. I recommend it highly.
> >
> > Grin, I have 2 of them. I also recommend it. The best is the front
> > guide with types of fish that lead to the differences in cooking.
> >
> > I thought it too ancient to mention so didnt suggest it before.
> >
> > Carol
> >
> That's an old favorite around here also. My favorite recipe in there
> is for Crab Cioppino. The kids really loved it too.

Page 95. Looks good! I will have to try that when blue crab come
back in season here.



--

Oregonian Haruspex wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 2014-10-15 03:59:04 +0000, Travis McGee said:
>
> > On 10/14/2014 11:39 PM, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
> > > On 2014-10-13 02:15:18 +0000, Pringles CheezUms said:
> > >
> > > > I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually
> > > > want to eat.
> > > >
> > > > 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your
> > > > family asks for over and over?
> > > >
> > > > 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction
> > > > as well as some great recipes?
> > > > There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent
> > > > number of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and
> > > > Peterson. But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why
> > > > I'm posting here.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks for the help!
> > >
> > > You're making this a bit too complicated. The Joy of Cooking
> > > (1975 edition preferably) has all the basic recipes for all your
> > > different broad categories of fish. Once you learn how long each
> > > type fish takes to cook with each method, variations in seasoning
> > > and so forth come naturally. Specialist cookbooks like the three
> > > you mention are largely an exercise in photography, and there are
> > > plenty of nifty photos of well-prepared fish on Flickr for free.
> > >
> > > We live less than 200 yards from the ocean, in a town with an
> > > active fishing fleet. In addition to that, my wife and I are
> > > both into fishing as a hobby. Each type of fish can be treated
> > > any number of ways, and once you know how to prepare fish well
> > > your family will be excited to have any DECENT fish. I see many
> > > errors committed by people who buy and cook fish, though:
> > >
> > > 1.) People go to the store / market knowing what kind of fish
> > > they want in advance. This is stupid. Unless you are buying
> > > frozen fish (which you should avoid doing unless you live in an
> > > area with poor access to fresh, high quality fish) you always
> > > determine which fish you purchase according to a function that
> > > takes price and freshness into account with freshness heavily
> > > weighted over price. And you never, EVER eat farmed fish with
> > > the exception of Atlantic salmon farmed in Norway because of
> > > their strict quality control regulations.
> > >
> > > 2.) People usually overcook fish. With any oilfish such as
> > > mackerel, sardine, euchalon, sable, etc you should generally cook
> > > the fish just until the flesh loosens, then take off the heat and
> > > let stand like a steak. With tuna and family, you should cook
> > > until the inside is rare, and let stand like a steak until the
> > > inside is medium rare at the MOST well done. With cod and
> > > anything with cod-like meat with fat (firm white flesh) you
> > > should cook the fish until the fat just starts to come out then
> > > let stand like a steak (seeing a trend here?) for a few minutes.
> > > With fat salmon, you should cook the fish until the fat just
> > > starts to emerge and then let stand, but lean salmon and trout
> > > might not have enough fat to visibly emerge (instead they often
> > > have more of an oil) so you must watch them carefully like an
> > > oilfish and remove them when the texture starts to flake. But
> > > with fat salmon and cod (and cod-likes) if you wait for the fish
> > > to flake it will be overdone by the time it is cool enough to
> > > eat. Specialty methods will take more practice - I often broil
> > > sardines whole, which is delicate business. I also often simmer
> > > sardines and mackerel whole, until every bone is soft enough to
> > > eat. I cook sturgeon like a pork roast.
> > >
> > > 3.) Every fish has a season, so learn what they are and eat them
> > > in season. There is a reason for this - many fish are decidedly
> > > inferior out of season. Just because it's available frozen this
> > > is no guarantee that the fish was caught at peak season either.
> > > I only rarely buy frozen fish, and only from reputable
> > > fishmongers who obtained and froze the fish themselves in season.
> > > And I would never buy a fish that I can not at least visually
> > > inspect. I prefer to visually examine and even smell a piece of
> > > fish or buy the fish whole and uncleaned, because it is easiest
> > > to tell if a fish is fresh if you can view the whole carcass.
> > > Look for bright, shiny eyes, firm flesh, good color, and a moist
> > > but not slimy surface.
> > >
> > > 4.) Practice makes perfect, and there's no way in hell you are
> > > going to do a super-great job unless you really get to know each
> > > and every fish you intend to cook. If I encounter a new type of
> > > fish, unless it is generically like one I already know how to
> > > cook I assume I might **** it up the first half dozen times I
> > > prepare it and am pleasantly surprised if it turns out great by
> > > the third preparation.
> > >
> > > I do have to say though, the idea that you can read a book and
> > > magically become a great fish preparer is preposterous. I have
> > > spent decades becoming proficient at cooking game, poultry, fowl,
> > > domesticated animals, fish, and shellfish as well as everything
> > > else and I must say that fish and shellfish are easily the most
> > > challenging foods to select and prepare properly, followed by
> > > game and then vegetables.
> > >
> >
> > Your argument overreaches. I don't think anyone thinks that reading
> > a book will make you a master of fish preparation without any
> > practice, but I do think it's possible for a beginner to read a
> > basic cookbook and immediately prepare a simple dish, which is
> > obviously what this poster was looking for.
> >
> > I have no doubt that you are a genius at fish preparation in
> > particular and cooking in general, but you completely missed the
> > intent of this person's post.
>
> I think you missed the point of my post, which I summarized by the
> second sentence - "Get and read The Joy of Cooking!" It's useful not
> just to learn about fish, but it has everything you need to become an
> adept at cooking. Anyway while I don't think I have attained the
> level of genius fish perparer yet, I do think I'm well past the adept
> stage and closing in on masterhood. Nobody told me what I summarized
> above, and it would have been useful if they had.

Actually I agree with Travis. 'The Joy Of Cooking' was not what the
original poster was looking for. In fact, I have a copy and would not
send a beginner looking for fish specifically to that book.

The Sunset Seafood Cookbook series is a good one for starting out with.
Another is Fish Dishes of the Pacific from the Fishwife (Shirley
Rissuto). The Fishwife book is a total perfect one if you have just
moved to Hawaii as it has the names in Hawaiian and the english
translations (so you can see that Ono is Wahoo and so on).

Its how you know Opakapaka, Onaga, and Uku are repectively Pink, Red
and Gray snapper in the grocery store. For all the naming being
different, the dishes are simple and most are very suitable for a
beginner. My favorite is Steamed Opakapaka w/ lemon Soy Sauce.

--

On 10/15/2014 05:26 PM, cshenk wrote:
> Whirled Peas wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> On 10/13/2014 02:28 PM, cshenk wrote:
>>> Travis McGee wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>
>>>> On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>>>>> On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
>>>>>> Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will
>>>>>>> actually want to eat.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that
>>>>>>> your family asks for over and over?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic
>>>>>>> instruction as well as some great recipes?
>>>>>>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a
>>>>>>> decent number of reviews, including ones by Bittman,
>>>>>>> Moonen, and Peterson. But I prefer personal
>>>>>>> recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks for the help!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be
>>>>>> done at 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some types,
>>>>>> a bit less.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook it to
>>>>>> fish-leather.
>>>>>> Carol
>>>>>>
>>>>> What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to get
>>>>> decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA;
>>>> they cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such topics.
>>>> Over the years they have published a series of small (< 150
>>>> pages) cookbooks on a variety of topics; I own several, and they
>>>> are very good, with well-tested recipes that are not hard to do.
>>>>
>>>> One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a
>>>> number of recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes have
>>>> illustrated preparation details, and there is a guide to buying
>>>> fish, among other essential fish-related topics. This book was
>>>> published in 1981, but I am sure it can be found on Abebooks or
>>>> Amazon, used. I recommend it highly.
>>>
>>> Grin, I have 2 of them. I also recommend it. The best is the front
>>> guide with types of fish that lead to the differences in cooking.
>>>
>>> I thought it too ancient to mention so didnt suggest it before.
>>>
>>> Carol
>>>
>> That's an old favorite around here also. My favorite recipe in there
>> is for Crab Cioppino. The kids really loved it too.
>
> Page 95. Looks good! I will have to try that when blue crab come
> back in season here.
>

If you've never had San Francisco-style Crab Cioppino before, you're in
for a real treat. Let us know what you think when/if you try it. BTW,
when is blue crab season where you are? I usually just wait for
Dungeness crab season around here, Dec. 1 thru whenever they run out,
usually sometime in March.

Whirled Peas wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 10/15/2014 05:26 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > Whirled Peas wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> >
> > > On 10/13/2014 02:28 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > > > Travis McGee wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> > > >
> > > > > On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> > > > > > On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
> > > > > > > Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will
> > > > > > > > actually want to eat.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish
> > > > > > > > that your family asks for over and over?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic
> > > > > > > > instruction as well as some great recipes?
> > > > > > > > There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a
> > > > > > > > decent number of reviews, including ones by Bittman,
> > > > > > > > Moonen, and Peterson. But I prefer personal
> > > > > > > > recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Thanks for the help!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be
> > > > > > > done at 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some
> > > > > > > types, a bit less.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook
> > > > > > > it to fish-leather.
> >>>>>> Carol
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to
> > > > > > get decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA;
> > > > > they cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such
> > > > > topics. Over the years they have published a series of small
> > > > > (< 150 pages) cookbooks on a variety of topics; I own
> > > > > several, and they are very good, with well-tested recipes
> > > > > that are not hard to do.
> > > > >
> > > > > One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a
> > > > > number of recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes
> > > > > have illustrated preparation details, and there is a guide to
> > > > > buying fish, among other essential fish-related topics. This
> > > > > book was published in 1981, but I am sure it can be found on
> > > > > Abebooks or Amazon, used. I recommend it highly.
> > > >
> > > > Grin, I have 2 of them. I also recommend it. The best is the
> > > > front guide with types of fish that lead to the differences in
> > > > cooking.
> > > >
> > > > I thought it too ancient to mention so didnt suggest it before.
> > > >
> >>> Carol
> > > >
> > > That's an old favorite around here also. My favorite recipe in
> > > there is for Crab Cioppino. The kids really loved it too.
> >
> > Page 95. Looks good! I will have to try that when blue crab come
> > back in season here.
> >
>
> If you've never had San Francisco-style Crab Cioppino before, you're
> in for a real treat. Let us know what you think when/if you try it.
> BTW, when is blue crab season where you are? I usually just wait for
> Dungeness crab season around here, Dec. 1 thru whenever they run out,
> usually sometime in March.

Ah, Generally about May I think but mostly I simply see them showing up
in the store.

We didnt over fish them here so the poor critters practically climb on
the shore because it's too crowded down there.

Its the same as Maryland Blue Crab, just a bit south by 200 miles.
Locals toss most of the females back in which might be why we have lots
of them here.

They run about 1$ each in the store. Easy to catch a dozen on your own
in an hour or so.

Carol

--

On 10/16/2014 07:10 PM, cshenk wrote:
> Whirled Peas wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> On 10/15/2014 05:26 PM, cshenk wrote:
>>> Whirled Peas wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>
>>>> On 10/13/2014 02:28 PM, cshenk wrote:
>>>>> Travis McGee wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 10/13/2014 5:01 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>>>>>>> On 10/13/2014 4:40 PM, cshenk wrote:
>>>>>>>> Pringles CheezUms wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will
>>>>>>>>> actually want to eat.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish
>>>>>>>>> that your family asks for over and over?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic
>>>>>>>>> instruction as well as some great recipes?
>>>>>>>>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a
>>>>>>>>> decent number of reviews, including ones by Bittman,
>>>>>>>>> Moonen, and Peterson. But I prefer personal
>>>>>>>>> recommendations, which is why I'm posting here.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks for the help!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The most common failure is overcooking fish. It should be
>>>>>>>> done at 350F for 10 mins per inch thick and with some
>>>>>>>> types, a bit less.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Fish is not beef or pork. Most online recipes overcook
>>>>>>>> it to fish-leather.
>>>>>>>> Carol
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What I'd like to know is not how to cook fish but where to
>>>>>>> get decently fresh fish. Most supermarket stuff is ancient.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sunset Magazine is a "lifestyle" magazine for the western USA;
>>>>>> they cover travel, architecture, cooking, and other such
>>>>>> topics. Over the years they have published a series of small
>>>>>> (< 150 pages) cookbooks on a variety of topics; I own
>>>>>> several, and they are very good, with well-tested recipes
>>>>>> that are not hard to do.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One that I own is the "Sunset Seafood Cookbook"; I have made a
>>>>>> number of recipes from this book, with great success. Recipes
>>>>>> have illustrated preparation details, and there is a guide to
>>>>>> buying fish, among other essential fish-related topics. This
>>>>>> book was published in 1981, but I am sure it can be found on
>>>>>> Abebooks or Amazon, used. I recommend it highly.
>>>>>
>>>>> Grin, I have 2 of them. I also recommend it. The best is the
>>>>> front guide with types of fish that lead to the differences in
>>>>> cooking.
>>>>>
>>>>> I thought it too ancient to mention so didnt suggest it before.
>>>>>
>>>>> Carol
>>>>>
>>>> That's an old favorite around here also. My favorite recipe in
>>>> there is for Crab Cioppino. The kids really loved it too.
>>>
>>> Page 95. Looks good! I will have to try that when blue crab come
>>> back in season here.
>>>
>>
>> If you've never had San Francisco-style Crab Cioppino before, you're
>> in for a real treat. Let us know what you think when/if you try it.
>> BTW, when is blue crab season where you are? I usually just wait for
>> Dungeness crab season around here, Dec. 1 thru whenever they run out,
>> usually sometime in March.
>
> Ah, Generally about May I think but mostly I simply see them showing up
> in the store.
>
> We didnt over fish them here so the poor critters practically climb on
> the shore because it's too crowded down there.
>
> Its the same as Maryland Blue Crab, just a bit south by 200 miles.
> Locals toss most of the females back in which might be why we have lots
> of them here.
>
> They run about 1$ each in the store. Easy to catch a dozen on your own
> in an hour or so.
>
> Carol
>
On the left coast, Dungeness crab catches are tightly regulated. The
fishery nearly disappeared before the Pacific Fisheries Management
Council stepped in and established certain catch limits and season
dates. Briefly, only male crabs can be harvested and they must be of a
certain minimum size. The Department of Fish and Game makes frequent
spot checks on the fleet and can fine and/or yank the permit if a
fisherperson is caught with female or undersized crabs. The wholesalers
offer a standard price to the fisherman and by the time the crab reach
the stores, it's usually over $5 per pound, the average weight being 2
pounds. I've heard stories of children catching crab at a public dock
with just a pole, some string and a raw chicken neck. Don't know if I'd
want to eat crab caught that close to shore. The usual fishing beds are
offshore in several hundred feet of water, even for sport fisherpersons.

On 2014-10-16 00:44:57 +0000, cshenk said:

> Oregonian Haruspex wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> On 2014-10-15 03:59:04 +0000, Travis McGee said:
>>
>>> On 10/14/2014 11:39 PM, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
>>>> On 2014-10-13 02:15:18 +0000, Pringles CheezUms said:
>>>>
>>>>> I want to learn to cook fish dishes that people will actually
>>>>> want to eat.
>>>>>
>>>>> 1 - Do any of you have a very-easy-to-make fish dish that your
>>>>> family asks for over and over?
>>>>>
>>>>> 2 - What's a good cookbook, one that has good basic instruction
>>>>> as well as some great recipes?
>>>>> There are several high-rated books on amazon that have a decent
>>>>> number of reviews, including ones by Bittman, Moonen, and
>>>>> Peterson. But I prefer personal recommendations, which is why
>>>>> I'm posting here.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for the help!
>>>>
>>>> You're making this a bit too complicated. The Joy of Cooking
>>>> (1975 edition preferably) has all the basic recipes for all your
>>>> different broad categories of fish. Once you learn how long each
>>>> type fish takes to cook with each method, variations in seasoning
>>>> and so forth come naturally. Specialist cookbooks like the three
>>>> you mention are largely an exercise in photography, and there are
>>>> plenty of nifty photos of well-prepared fish on Flickr for free.
>>>>
>>>> We live less than 200 yards from the ocean, in a town with an
>>>> active fishing fleet. In addition to that, my wife and I are
>>>> both into fishing as a hobby. Each type of fish can be treated
>>>> any number of ways, and once you know how to prepare fish well
>>>> your family will be excited to have any DECENT fish. I see many
>>>> errors committed by people who buy and cook fish, though:
>>>>
>>>> 1.) People go to the store / market knowing what kind of fish
>>>> they want in advance. This is stupid. Unless you are buying
>>>> frozen fish (which you should avoid doing unless you live in an
>>>> area with poor access to fresh, high quality fish) you always
>>>> determine which fish you purchase according to a function that
>>>> takes price and freshness into account with freshness heavily
>>>> weighted over price. And you never, EVER eat farmed fish with
>>>> the exception of Atlantic salmon farmed in Norway because of
>>>> their strict quality control regulations.
>>>>
>>>> 2.) People usually overcook fish. With any oilfish such as
>>>> mackerel, sardine, euchalon, sable, etc you should generally cook
>>>> the fish just until the flesh loosens, then take off the heat and
>>>> let stand like a steak. With tuna and family, you should cook
>>>> until the inside is rare, and let stand like a steak until the
>>>> inside is medium rare at the MOST well done. With cod and
>>>> anything with cod-like meat with fat (firm white flesh) you
>>>> should cook the fish until the fat just starts to come out then
>>>> let stand like a steak (seeing a trend here?) for a few minutes.
>>>> With fat salmon, you should cook the fish until the fat just
>>>> starts to emerge and then let stand, but lean salmon and trout
>>>> might not have enough fat to visibly emerge (instead they often
>>>> have more of an oil) so you must watch them carefully like an
>>>> oilfish and remove them when the texture starts to flake. But
>>>> with fat salmon and cod (and cod-likes) if you wait for the fish
>>>> to flake it will be overdone by the time it is cool enough to
>>>> eat. Specialty methods will take more practice - I often broil
>>>> sardines whole, which is delicate business. I also often simmer
>>>> sardines and mackerel whole, until every bone is soft enough to
>>>> eat. I cook sturgeon like a pork roast.
>>>>
>>>> 3.) Every fish has a season, so learn what they are and eat them
>>>> in season. There is a reason for this - many fish are decidedly
>>>> inferior out of season. Just because it's available frozen this
>>>> is no guarantee that the fish was caught at peak season either.
>>>> I only rarely buy frozen fish, and only from reputable
>>>> fishmongers who obtained and froze the fish themselves in season.
>>>> And I would never buy a fish that I can not at least visually
>>>> inspect. I prefer to visually examine and even smell a piece of
>>>> fish or buy the fish whole and uncleaned, because it is easiest
>>>> to tell if a fish is fresh if you can view the whole carcass.
>>>> Look for bright, shiny eyes, firm flesh, good color, and a moist
>>>> but not slimy surface.
>>>>
>>>> 4.) Practice makes perfect, and there's no way in hell you are
>>>> going to do a super-great job unless you really get to know each
>>>> and every fish you intend to cook. If I encounter a new type of
>>>> fish, unless it is generically like one I already know how to
>>>> cook I assume I might **** it up the first half dozen times I
>>>> prepare it and am pleasantly surprised if it turns out great by
>>>> the third preparation.
>>>>
>>>> I do have to say though, the idea that you can read a book and
>>>> magically become a great fish preparer is preposterous. I have
>>>> spent decades becoming proficient at cooking game, poultry, fowl,
>>>> domesticated animals, fish, and shellfish as well as everything
>>>> else and I must say that fish and shellfish are easily the most
>>>> challenging foods to select and prepare properly, followed by
>>>> game and then vegetables.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Your argument overreaches. I don't think anyone thinks that reading
>>> a book will make you a master of fish preparation without any
>>> practice, but I do think it's possible for a beginner to read a
>>> basic cookbook and immediately prepare a simple dish, which is
>>> obviously what this poster was looking for.
>>>
>>> I have no doubt that you are a genius at fish preparation in
>>> particular and cooking in general, but you completely missed the
>>> intent of this person's post.
>>
>> I think you missed the point of my post, which I summarized by the
>> second sentence - "Get and read The Joy of Cooking!" It's useful not
>> just to learn about fish, but it has everything you need to become an
>> adept at cooking. Anyway while I don't think I have attained the
>> level of genius fish perparer yet, I do think I'm well past the adept
>> stage and closing in on masterhood. Nobody told me what I summarized
>> above, and it would have been useful if they had.
>
> Actually I agree with Travis. 'The Joy Of Cooking' was not what the
> original poster was looking for. In fact, I have a copy and would not
> send a beginner looking for fish specifically to that book.
>
> The Sunset Seafood Cookbook series is a good one for starting out with.
> Another is Fish Dishes of the Pacific from the Fishwife (Shirley
> Rissuto). The Fishwife book is a total perfect one if you have just
> moved to Hawaii as it has the names in Hawaiian and the english
> translations (so you can see that Ono is Wahoo and so on).
>
> Its how you know Opakapaka, Onaga, and Uku are repectively Pink, Red
> and Gray snapper in the grocery store. For all the naming being
> different, the dishes are simple and most are very suitable for a
> beginner. My favorite is Steamed Opakapaka w/ lemon Soy Sauce.

These Hawaiian names really have nothing to do with anything outside of
Hawaii. I mean they make for interesting trivia but you'll never see a
fish named Humuhumunukumunumuapuaaa at the store off island.

If a person wants to learn how to cook fish they have to learn about
how to select the fish, why a certain fish will be amenable to certain
treatments, and so forth. Putting lemon soy sauce on it is probably
the easiest thing to do, but if you've chosen an iffy specimen and
cooked it improperly, or slightly too long, or not long enough, all the
lemon soy sauce in the world won't help you.