Boiling a Fish
This method is good for whole fish (salmon, flounder, trout), as well as for some fish chunks with bone (salmon, cod, flounder, turbot, and others). For boiling fish, pour liquid in a large stock pan — water, milk, fish broth for boiling white fish, or spice broth (water, vinegar, thyme, bay leaf, parsley stalks, onion, carrot, allspice) for sea or fat fish. Plunge the fish in liquid, to cover all the fish.
If cooking whole fish, cover it with cool liquid and bring to boil, if cooking fish chunks — plunge it in simmering water.
Braising a Fish
This method is good for whole small fishes, and for fish chunks and fillet. Put the fish in a brazier, add fish broth, cover with oil paper, bring to boil and place in an oven. Braise in the oven, avoiding simmering. Further you can use the leftover fish broth for making sauce, and this sauce is used for seasoning the fish.
Steaming a Fish
Any fish can be steamed. Steaming method has many advantages:
- it is very easy to do.
- It preserves the fish’s taste, color and nutrients.
- Big amount of portions can be prepared at a time.
Fish doomed for steaming should be prepared the same way as for braising. Sauce can be prepared separately, then you should take the leftover fish’s broth, evaporate some liquid off, and then mix the broth with the sauce.
Grilling a Fish
Этот способ годится для мелкой целой рыбы, кусков и разных видов филе. Рыбу обваливают в муке с солью и перцем, смазывают растительным маслом и жарят на рашпере с обеих сторон. This method is good for whole small fishes, fish chunks and fillets. The fish is breaded in flour, pepper and salt, then brushed with oil and grilled both sides on skewers.
The fish could be grilled on barbeque wire rack, in this case fish chunks are marinated, placed on wire rack and grilled, the leftover marinade is used for pouring the fish while grilling.
If whole fish is used, you can use the following method: stuff the fish’s belly with green twigs, wrap in a greased foil, place on wire rack and cook on grill.
Frying a Fish
This method is good for whole small fish, fish chunks and fillets.
Bread the fish in flour mix with salt and pepper, put in frying pan with scorching oil, fry both sides. First fry the side which would be the top while serving, then turn the fish over, reduce heat, and cook until done in clarified fat.
Transfer the fried fish on a serving platter or a plate, sprinkle with oil, lemon juice, garnish with lemon slice and chopped parsley.
Deep Frying a Fish
This method is good for whole small fish, fish chunks and boned fillets.
You can bread the fish:
- In a mixture of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs
- A mixture of milk and flour
- Liquid breading
The breading coats the fish’s surface and prevents fat immersing into the fish. Deep fried fish is served together with either lemon slice, or with sauce, or with fried parsley
Baking a Fish
The fish could be baked in an oven either as a whole, or cut into chunks and fillets.
Baking a whole fish (stone perch, sea perch, gray mullet). There are some possible ways:
- Cover the fish with a thick layer of sea salt, put on a baking tray, and place the baking tray in an oven to bake.
- Cover the fish with a layer of any dough (yeast dough, flaky dough) and bake.
- Prepare stuffing mix: in a bowl mix breadcrumbs, chopped greens, onion, challot or garlic, low fat ground veal or bacon. Stuff the fish’s belly, brush surface with oil and bake, brushing the fish with oil from time to time, while baking.
Portion fish chunks (cod, haddock, hake, tuna). You can:
Place the fish chunks on a greased baking dish, cover with tomato sauce, add garlic, greens, seasonings, lemon juice, breadcrumbs if desired, cover the dish, place it dish in an oven and bake until done.
You can easily serve any sauce to the baked fish.
Oven Frying a Fish
This method is good for thick chunks of firm flesh fish — salmon, flounder and headfish.
Cut the fish into portions, sprinkle with oil, put on a frying tray and fry in an oven, avoiding burning. If desired, put sliced vegetables and greens in the tray with fish.
When the fish has been cooked, transfer it on a serving platter, and add wine to the leftover fat in the tray, to cook the sauce base.
You can leave fish chunks unskinned, to have crispy crust after frying. The fish could also be brushed with oil, breaded in a mix of breadcrumbs and chopped greens or grated horseradish.
