[local eating] Fish share, week 3

[magid]

Yesterday I got another cod, this one seeming a bit heavier than week 1's Rod the Cod. I was too tired to deal with it yesterday, and today I didn't want to do anything with it that would require much work (even though I should work on my filleting *sigh*). I remembered that Hrafn had baked her previous cod whole, and that sounded like minimal fuss. So, I washed out the cavity, then extended the cut (from gutting) down the tail, then stuffed it with thinly sliced lemon including peel (reminder to self: get more lemons), thinly sliced onion, eggplant-garlic spread (Trader Joe's), and a bunch of parsley (because I still had tons of parsley from the farm share two weeks ago (I don't use parsley much)). If I'd had pitted olives, I likely would have added them, but I don't.





I put more foil on, wrapping it rather loosely, and put it into a preheated 350 F oven. I'm not exactly sure how long I cooked it (an hour?), but when I took it out to test for doneness, it seemed close enough, given that fish tends to continue cooking for a little while after coming out of the oven.

And it was amazing: the cod was very moist, still barely on this side of the just-done line, with big meaty chunks of thick white flakes, lightly seasoned by the filling, which I mixed in with the fish (minimizing the parsley).

I had two bowlsful (too much, but it was so good!), then packed the rest of the fish and filling into two 24-ounce containers, including the fish cheeks, but not including the eyes, which for some reason are more squicky to me when cooked.

Thoughts for future weeks: Hrafn's Thai fish soup; Chinese whole-fish recipes; Moroccan-style fillets; whole steamed fish with scallions and ginger

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

An investment in two instant-read thermometers will make your life better. Fish goes from "undercooked gelatinous" to "overcooked nasty" in short order, especially when cooked in a dry heat. At least one for ground beef, please? Please? Stay healthy.

It would work with tuna - but in my mind, if you are going to purchase good fresh tuna steak, don't cook it so it ends up like the stuff in a can. :-) I prefer to high-heat sear that: 45 seconds on each side and edge, carefully using fresh parts of the pan to ensure highest searing heat - flavored with soy sauce and sesame seeds. The interior just starting to change color... That's how I like tuna. But the technique would work.

Descaling just takes time, and then the inevitable cleaning of the kitchen and floor. :-) One of the reasons I love trout is that you can eat the scales. :-) I don't trust the skills of even the most professional fish mongers, so I re-scale and debone fish on my own. Every time.

When I scale, I use a short sharp paring knife. I hold it just a few degrees away from vertical leaning away from the scales, and take short sharp strokes against the grain. I check my work with my fingers: eyes closed. You can feel a real texture difference when you run your fingers against the grain of the scales, if you missed one. I do tend to rinse the fish afterwards, but that increases the moisture: so I shouldn't. I pat the fish dry afterward, especially the skin if I want it crispy.

Crispy skin is yummy. Damp skin is gummy and blah.

I tend to debone with a knife and vengeance. I know that I should purchase a pair of needle-nose pliers from the hardware store, for removing pin bones. Less wastage.

We eat fish about 5 nights a week. :-)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I don't cook much ground beef; it's mostly ground turkey around here (partly because it's cheaper, partly because it's easier to digest, and a lot because I can get it fresh from Trader Joe's on this side of the river, without schlepping in to Brookline), and I cook it to definitely done. Ditto with chicken (usually in parts). I cook chops and steaks and such so rarely that it would help to get a thermometer, since I don't have as much feel for cooking times.

I hear you on tuna. It was just the one fish I could think of that's even vaguely comparable to swordfish in texture. I suspect I won't be cooking tuna for a couple of months: it's unlikely to show up in my fish share, given its size.

*nod* about the ability of scales to get everywhere. I keep hoping I'll come up with some brilliant idea to keep them more contained. I didn't know that about trout, though; thanks!

I was surprised by the texture of the skin of the yellow-tailed flounder on the darker side, being very rough, unlike other fish skin I've touched. I didn't want to deal with scaling that. And in general, right now I'm more likely to use skinned fillets or whole fish (and then peel) than crispy. One step at a time...

When I was growing up, we'd have fish at least once a week, usually a couple of times (chicken was at most once/week). The prices have gone up enough that before this share, I didn't have fish every week, even. I envy you 5 nights a week :-)

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

It is expensive: but my diet is highly restricted, as is my time for cooking. Lazy cooks know that protein cooks quickly, but beans take time. Most of the larger steakfish are not native, so you won't likely be getting them out of the sea-share. The northern ones don't have scales...

You can always cook fish with the scales on, and just peel off the skin. To make cleaning the pan easier, use non-stick and plenty of oil. Soak the pans with warm water. Scales make a good glue. :-)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I didn't remember that you have particular restrictions. I hear you on the time limitations, though.

Some proteins cook quickly, but some forms of meat are slow, albeit with minimal attention required.

I don't have any non-stick pans, actually. That, and size, were some of why I baked the cod as I did. If I'd filleted it, I would have cooked the fillets on the stove.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Part of my diet restrictions, are in fats. So I always use non-stick, and spray oils, to cut back on the fat consumption.

Baked fish is awesome. :-) We sometimes layer cod with thin-sliced potato, and bake it that way.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I just got new potatoes in the farm share. This is not the first week I've wished that I got fish the day after veggies, rather than the day before...