Please welcome back our friend from Hamilton Beach, Lauren Hill. She will be offering us 3 more helpful articles this month about cooking from the pros! We are starting with a great article on How to Cook Frozen Fish using Hamilton Beach Indoor Grills!
Meet Lauren!
Lauren Hill is a contributing author for Hamilton Beach, a kitchen appliance company offering a large selection of slow cookers, blenders and toaster ovens as well as a full spectrum of recipes.
How to Cook Frozen Fish
Fish is very tasty and healthy, but buying fresh is not always possible. These days, there are plenty of frozen fish options. However, preparing frozen fish so that it takes like fresh can be a challenge. For ideal cooking results when cooking frozen fish, follow these simple tips:
1. Be sure your fish is good quality. It is hard for your frozen fish to taste very good if the fish is not of good quality. Frozen fish does not have to be pricey, but it does need to be properly frozen so that it keeps its flavor and nutrients. Actually the big problem is not usually at the store when you buy it. The issue is at home. People will often just throw the fish into the freezer and not think about it. To make sure that the fish keeps its flavor, put a label on the bag. You need to remind yourself when you bought the fish. Most fish is going to start to spoil if it is more than a month old, even in the freezer. Also, try to pack other frozen items around the fish, as this can help to stop freezer burn.
2. Thaw the fish correctly. Many people will just take the fish from the freezer and put it in the pan to cook it. This is what is going to cause the fish to be rubbery and tasteless. Also, it often will cause the fish to be half cooked. Take the fish from the freezer and put it in a bowl of warm water. The fish should be totally under the water. Cover the bowl with plastic and let the fish totally thaw. Then pat the fish dry before you start to cook.
3. Understand proper fish cooking. Many people tend to overcook fish, which is what causes it to be dry and tasteless. For most fish dishes, you will want to cook it at a low or moderate temperature. Keep in mind that your pan is going to still be hot after you take it off the stovetop. So, it is very easy to overcook! Fish that is cooked right will lose the glossy appearance and it will be firm when you touch it. Fish that is properly cooked should flake apart easily when you touch it with your fork. Also, you should look closely at the exterior and center of the fish to be sure that it is fully cooked.
4. Season your fish correctly. You do not want to over season most fish or you will lose the flavor. This is especially important if your fish is frozen, as it tends to lose a bit of flavor already when it was flash frozen at the factory. You should try to use fresh herbs, including rosemary, thyme and basil.
5. Marinate with care. Marinating your fish will provide flavor and moisture, but we think that marinating should be short and sweet. If the fish sits in acidic ingredients for over 30 minutes the acid starts to damage the protein. This can result in mushy fish on the plate. Even with salmon and tuna, you should not marinate it for more than one hour. Frozen fish is especially delicate and sensitive to the acids in marinades, so use them with care. There is no question that cooking with frozen fish is a great convenience of the modern age, and it opens up the delicious culinary world of seafood to many people. But it is important to prepare the frozen fish in the right way so that you maximize the delicious flavor of your fish.
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Great article. I am lucky enough to be able to buy fresh fish just about any time I want, but occasionally I do buy frozen fish.