magid

The eyes turn all milky white, with gel around them, which is just not my cup of tea.

The other weeks, it was less than an hour's work to get the fish dealt with. But obviously, cooking it whole is going to be much less time intensive. I'm just really pleased to be getting local protein (other than eggs), especially since I have yet to find a kosher meat share.

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hrafn.livejournal.com

Oh, that looks so lovely on the pan!

I haven't decided yet what to do with the remaining halfish of fish I still have. Well, baked, probably, with minimal prep.

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mrn613.livejournal.com

My husband says that we got married because he followed the fish eye segulah on rosh hashana and ate the eye of the fish.

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I'm lucky it fit on my large baking tray! And that it was curled up this way in the bag.

The thing I found really fascinating about cooking it whole then getting all the meat off the frame was how I got a better feel for how the bones other than the spine/ribs fit together.

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I just have a really hard time with eye things in general, and something about the cooked fish eyes are more difficult. When I lifted the head off the tray, part of the cooked eye stayed stuck to the foil, looking all spherical, with some gel nearby that looked a little like the jarred gefilte fish gel I also dislike.

I admire his fortitude. And think he got the better end of the deal, in the end :-).

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trainingmom.livejournal.com

I was driving to a fun talk about reading last night and NPR ran a piece on Fish shares in Boston that gave out Cod this week and thought about you.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106347554

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That's my fish share! They have a bunch of different distribution points around metro Boston and the north/west suburbs. I knew it was one of the first CSFs around here, but hadn't realized just how new the whole thing is, given that CSAs and meat shares have been around for a good while now.

I'm surprised they pictured Steve with a whiting since they were talking about the cod, but whatever :-).

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I promised you, a while back, tips on cooking fish. My desire to do so well, lead to writing more than I had time for - which meant, in the end, nothing at all.

Sorry.

Last night I made swordfish, which I think is not kosher, but let me share the technique for the larger steakfish. I heated a pan strongly, sprayed it with oil, and seared both sides of the fish on high heat: about 45 seconds on a side. I sprinkled the "up" side with celery salt, pepper and oregano as it seared. Reduce the heat to very low, and I poured refrigerator-temperature lemonade and white wine, about 40/60, to a depth of about a quarter inch around the fish. I dropped a few bits of lemon peel in the liquid, and covered to simmer/poach.

I checked a few times for doneness (you have an instant read thermometer, yes?) and when it was done, I served. It was tender, flaky, with nice color on the outside, and very moist.

Normally I have some poaching liquid leftover, which I heat on very high to reduce, perhaps thickening with a bit of flour. In this case, in fact, the liquid vanished about the same time the fish was done. Which was OK: we had lovely new sauce to try, anyhow.

I use this general technique quite a bit. Sometimes I saute some onion or a shallot in the very hot pan just before I sear the fish, and use that that to flavor the poaching liquid. I've varied the type of wine (white, red, port) and seasonings. I've also varied the sort of additional liquid: water, stock, various fruit juices. I love to add fresh herbs to the poaching liquid, as well.

This method works on all sorts of fish and cuts - salmon steaks, filets, whole fish of various sorts. If the fish is skin on, I just sear the skin side (especially if it is a delicate fish). This method cannot produce a crispy skin, as the highly seared skin sits in the poaching liquid. That can be another long comment. :-)

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No worries: I've got weeks of fishiness left :-)
And thank you for taking the time.

I know some Conservative kosher-keeping Jews who do eat swordfish, but on the whole, it's generally considered nonkosher. Still, I assume this will work for tuna (for instance).

I don't have an instant read thermometer, actually, and if I did, it would likely be for meat (or, as the Brits say, meaty (v. milky), which for some reason always cracks me up). Perhaps it is time to invest in a couple of them.

I haven't yet made a fish where I'd want to eat the skin (a failing, perhaps), though when I baked the whiting with breadcrumbs and such, I did eat the crispy bits off the skin. I haven't been confident enough about my (de)scaling technique.

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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. :-)

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i have but one thing to say:
WANT.
(i'd ask to come over for lunch, but i know you're fasting)

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Yeah, I'm fasting today (*grumble*), but tomorrow lunch would work.

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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 :-)

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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. :-)

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maybe if it's an early lunch, i'm guiding at 1.30.

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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.

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I have tons of flexibility, so an early lunch is fine. Noon or half an hour before?

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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.

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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...

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i'll stop by at 11.30ish.
yay!

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Cool! See you then.

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do you want me to bring anything?

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