(Non-Messy) Recipes with Fish
March 25, 2024 5:21 AM Subscribe
I would like to eat more fish, especially fish that is non-farmed and sustainable (i.e. not salmon). I have very poor fine and gross motor skills which make eating fish with bones a miserable experience. Canned fish is fine but I would like more recipes with fresh fish. Please suggest recipes that do not involve deboning fish or eating fish with too many bones. Bonus points if the fish goes well with pasta and rice.
You may say, ask a fishmonger. But a fishmonger scares me, as I did was not so culturally privileged to ask my local fishmonger what to eat fish-wise. So some guidance about what I should ask a fishmonger would be great. Pretend I am a five year old (which I am, with regards to my motor skills).
Yes salmon fits the criteria but I would like to be brave and adventurous and try new fish.
You may say, ask a fishmonger. But a fishmonger scares me, as I did was not so culturally privileged to ask my local fishmonger what to eat fish-wise. So some guidance about what I should ask a fishmonger would be great. Pretend I am a five year old (which I am, with regards to my motor skills).
Yes salmon fits the criteria but I would like to be brave and adventurous and try new fish.
Hey, I used to work at a fish market many years ago. If you are interested in buying fresh, never-frozen fish, it would be helpful to know where you are located, since this is a highly regional product. However frozen fish can be great, and nowadays a lot of fish is frozen at sea. Unfortunately for people cooking for one or two, it is often packaged in fairly large quantities - like 400-500g - which can be a lot to eat over the course of a day or two!
About the easiest way I know to cook fish is to bake it with breadcrumbs. The fish market where I used to work sold a breadcrumb topping that was crushed Ritz crackers, butter, and garlic powder. It was delicious. Here's a very similar (but slightly classier - fresh parsley?) recipe: Baked Cod With Buttery Cracker Topping. This is something that is absolutely served alongside rice at restaurants where I live. You can make this with other types of fish; only the cooking time will vary.
For thin fillets, sauteing them in butter or olive oil is very nice and quite fast (here's a recipe idea: Fillets of Sole In Herbed Butter.
The main difficulties with fish (especially whitefish like sole, cod, flounder, haddock) are: it cooks very quickly and is therefore very easy to overcook, it has a tendency to fall apart (this is not the end of the world - it's just less attractive), and it has a shorter fridge life than other meats.
As for bones, at least where I am (Northeastern US), boneless cuts are the norm at most fish markets/fish counters, unless you're buying whole fish. You can reasonably expect small filleted whitefish like flounder and sole to be boneless. In general fillets of cod, haddock, etc. will also be boneless but sometimes they will contain a few "pin bones" which are safe to crunch up and swallow but which I find unpleasant.
Are you interested in shellfish at all? Pre-cleaned shrimp are very easy and fast to cook. Shrimp Scampi with pasta is a delicious classic.
posted by mskyle at 6:03 AM on March 25, 2024 [10 favorites]
About the easiest way I know to cook fish is to bake it with breadcrumbs. The fish market where I used to work sold a breadcrumb topping that was crushed Ritz crackers, butter, and garlic powder. It was delicious. Here's a very similar (but slightly classier - fresh parsley?) recipe: Baked Cod With Buttery Cracker Topping. This is something that is absolutely served alongside rice at restaurants where I live. You can make this with other types of fish; only the cooking time will vary.
For thin fillets, sauteing them in butter or olive oil is very nice and quite fast (here's a recipe idea: Fillets of Sole In Herbed Butter.
The main difficulties with fish (especially whitefish like sole, cod, flounder, haddock) are: it cooks very quickly and is therefore very easy to overcook, it has a tendency to fall apart (this is not the end of the world - it's just less attractive), and it has a shorter fridge life than other meats.
As for bones, at least where I am (Northeastern US), boneless cuts are the norm at most fish markets/fish counters, unless you're buying whole fish. You can reasonably expect small filleted whitefish like flounder and sole to be boneless. In general fillets of cod, haddock, etc. will also be boneless but sometimes they will contain a few "pin bones" which are safe to crunch up and swallow but which I find unpleasant.
Are you interested in shellfish at all? Pre-cleaned shrimp are very easy and fast to cook. Shrimp Scampi with pasta is a delicious classic.
posted by mskyle at 6:03 AM on March 25, 2024 [10 favorites]
This is how I do this: I go to the grocery store and find frozen fillets that match the green or yellow columns on this list. Yes, frozen, you do not want to eat fresh fish - especially not fresh fish from a whole other part of the world or opposite coast - and that honestly includes IF you caught it yourself. It's a parasite thing.
In the US, the fillets will be individually frozen, which yes is some waste packaging but that does mean you can take out exactly what you want, it's not stuck together, and you don't waste food.
I am comfortable enough asking for a specific fish from the meat counter attendees, if that works for you, though it has to be a same-day-cook for me because they've just thawed it. This will expand your options a little bit, though, especially if you have a high-end grocery store option that carries more variety. You can also order frozen fish shipped, but damn is that NOT cheap.
The number one way to cook fish well from frozen is to roast, broil, or air fry from frozen. You want to put some kind of fatty coating on it - I use mayo because it's emulsified oil with a browning agent (egg) in it. You can use a silicone brush to do this. Then sprinkle seasoning on it, and I have a primary selection: cajun, greek, or just onion and garlic powder plus salt and pepper. Jar pesto or sundried tomato spread is also perfect for this, if you want to make it look so fancy. If your pasta is going to have a flavorful sauce, I'd just go with the onion-garlic-salt-pepper. You can also make flavored rice; in both cases you're just going to let the fish be its own fine self and the starch can carry the extra flavorings.
I just google the timings. (ex: "air fryer black cod from frozen", 12-14 minutes, sounds about right.) If you can't find a timing for "from frozen", just add a few minutes to a non-frozen recipe but start checking it at the recommended time - unless it's a very thick steak-y fish they all thaw very fast so it doesn't take much extra.
If you're primarily going to use your oven for roasting/baking, I recommend getting a steel quarter-sheet pan and buy a stack of quarter-sheet precut parchment paper. It just makes it so easy.
Fish stews are also super easy to make, and you can use something like this for a base recipe and absolutely used canned carrots and potatoes, or pre-cut bagged carrot slices and quartered baby potatoes.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:14 AM on March 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
In the US, the fillets will be individually frozen, which yes is some waste packaging but that does mean you can take out exactly what you want, it's not stuck together, and you don't waste food.
I am comfortable enough asking for a specific fish from the meat counter attendees, if that works for you, though it has to be a same-day-cook for me because they've just thawed it. This will expand your options a little bit, though, especially if you have a high-end grocery store option that carries more variety. You can also order frozen fish shipped, but damn is that NOT cheap.
The number one way to cook fish well from frozen is to roast, broil, or air fry from frozen. You want to put some kind of fatty coating on it - I use mayo because it's emulsified oil with a browning agent (egg) in it. You can use a silicone brush to do this. Then sprinkle seasoning on it, and I have a primary selection: cajun, greek, or just onion and garlic powder plus salt and pepper. Jar pesto or sundried tomato spread is also perfect for this, if you want to make it look so fancy. If your pasta is going to have a flavorful sauce, I'd just go with the onion-garlic-salt-pepper. You can also make flavored rice; in both cases you're just going to let the fish be its own fine self and the starch can carry the extra flavorings.
I just google the timings. (ex: "air fryer black cod from frozen", 12-14 minutes, sounds about right.) If you can't find a timing for "from frozen", just add a few minutes to a non-frozen recipe but start checking it at the recommended time - unless it's a very thick steak-y fish they all thaw very fast so it doesn't take much extra.
If you're primarily going to use your oven for roasting/baking, I recommend getting a steel quarter-sheet pan and buy a stack of quarter-sheet precut parchment paper. It just makes it so easy.
Fish stews are also super easy to make, and you can use something like this for a base recipe and absolutely used canned carrots and potatoes, or pre-cut bagged carrot slices and quartered baby potatoes.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:14 AM on March 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
Oh I should add: sometimes a fish steak (from a larger fish like halibut, sea bass, etc.) will have a bone in the center; you don't need to remove this, you usually just eat around it.
Also since you are concerned about sustainability, the Seafood Watch from the Monterey Bay aquarium is a great (though sometimes overwhelming) source of info about the sustainability of various types of seafood. (And sometimes it does get down into "ask your fishmonger/grocer about the specific origin of this product." But people at fish counters have heard much more annoying questions than, "was this cod caught with a pole and line in the Gulf of Maine?" - they might not always be able to answer you, but if they get annoyed, that's on them, not you.)
posted by mskyle at 6:17 AM on March 25, 2024 [6 favorites]
Also since you are concerned about sustainability, the Seafood Watch from the Monterey Bay aquarium is a great (though sometimes overwhelming) source of info about the sustainability of various types of seafood. (And sometimes it does get down into "ask your fishmonger/grocer about the specific origin of this product." But people at fish counters have heard much more annoying questions than, "was this cod caught with a pole and line in the Gulf of Maine?" - they might not always be able to answer you, but if they get annoyed, that's on them, not you.)
posted by mskyle at 6:17 AM on March 25, 2024 [6 favorites]
My favorite recipe is also very easy. I usually make it with catfish but anything will do.
First, marinate the fish in lime juice, turmeric, and salt for an hour or so.
Then layer sliced onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro (or fresh kari leaves if you're able) in a baking dish. Lay the fish filets on top. Pour just enough coconut milk to coat the fish and bake
Eat on rice (basmati would be standard) and top with tempered onion and mustard seed and more fresh cilantro (if you enjoy that).
posted by dbx at 6:17 AM on March 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
First, marinate the fish in lime juice, turmeric, and salt for an hour or so.
Then layer sliced onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro (or fresh kari leaves if you're able) in a baking dish. Lay the fish filets on top. Pour just enough coconut milk to coat the fish and bake
Eat on rice (basmati would be standard) and top with tempered onion and mustard seed and more fresh cilantro (if you enjoy that).
posted by dbx at 6:17 AM on March 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
My favourite no-work recipe for white fish fillets is steamed in vinegar and soy sauce with ginger. Served over rice, it's full of flavour, self-saucing and all but impossible to overdo in the way baking or frying is. And it literally requires just one pan - I season the fillets in the open box, then flip them into the pan and season the other side.
If you live somewhere where you can get matjas style herring fillets, they're preserved in oil and much lower in salt than typical salted fish, with lots of good fats and Omega acids plus absolutely no bones. You can fry them, or go traditional and cut them into pieces, then layer them tightly with diced onions in a jar, cover with good oil, add your choice of spices (bay leaf's classic), then put away in the fridge for at least two days. Makes a lovely snack with bread and lets you diversify your fish consumption away from dinner-only.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 6:51 AM on March 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
If you live somewhere where you can get matjas style herring fillets, they're preserved in oil and much lower in salt than typical salted fish, with lots of good fats and Omega acids plus absolutely no bones. You can fry them, or go traditional and cut them into pieces, then layer them tightly with diced onions in a jar, cover with good oil, add your choice of spices (bay leaf's classic), then put away in the fridge for at least two days. Makes a lovely snack with bread and lets you diversify your fish consumption away from dinner-only.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 6:51 AM on March 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
The most basic type of fish falls into the category "mild white fish". These are fish that typically have a very mild flavor and the flesh is white. Think sole, cod, haddock. When you buy these from typical stores, you get fillets which have no bones in them. This is probably the best way for you to start.
Here's one of the simplest ways to cook fish in general: baking.
Set your oven to 350F. Put the fish in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil or a couple pats of butter, salt and pepper. Put a lid on the dish (or cover with foil), bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh easily comes apart with a fork. Remove from the pan with a spatula, garnish with lemon juice and minced fresh herbs.
Now, the cool thing about mild white fish is that it is often a sponge for flavor. You can marinate it in citrus juices, soy or teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar and miso etc, etc. Or instead of salt, try a salt/spice mix like Lawry's or a cajun mix, or something that looks interesting from Penzey's.
Let's address the sustainability aspect. Farming does not necessarily mean bad. For example, US farming of rainbow trout is done very well. Catfish is done very well in the United States. One way to check is to look up the species at Seafood Watch. Salmon farming is bad when it's done in open water with no waste treatment. Oysters are not only farmed well, the farming of them is AMAZINGLY good for the environment. My father-in-law worked designing aquaculture systems and had nothing but praise for mussel farming.
posted by plinth at 7:11 AM on March 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
Here's one of the simplest ways to cook fish in general: baking.
Set your oven to 350F. Put the fish in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil or a couple pats of butter, salt and pepper. Put a lid on the dish (or cover with foil), bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh easily comes apart with a fork. Remove from the pan with a spatula, garnish with lemon juice and minced fresh herbs.
Now, the cool thing about mild white fish is that it is often a sponge for flavor. You can marinate it in citrus juices, soy or teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar and miso etc, etc. Or instead of salt, try a salt/spice mix like Lawry's or a cajun mix, or something that looks interesting from Penzey's.
Let's address the sustainability aspect. Farming does not necessarily mean bad. For example, US farming of rainbow trout is done very well. Catfish is done very well in the United States. One way to check is to look up the species at Seafood Watch. Salmon farming is bad when it's done in open water with no waste treatment. Oysters are not only farmed well, the farming of them is AMAZINGLY good for the environment. My father-in-law worked designing aquaculture systems and had nothing but praise for mussel farming.
posted by plinth at 7:11 AM on March 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Sorry should have mentioned also, please no cod or tuna. I guess the word I am looking for is 'apex predator' (still learning!). No apex predators. And I'm trying to move away from finding frozen fillets in plastic bags in supermarket aisles and more to fishmongers.
I am currently based in the UK.
I would say I would like to eat fish like herring, mackarel, sardines, which is currently not fashionable and maybe overfished (??) but not an apex predator so the stress on their population is less (??). But when I ate sardines, it had so many small bones! Is there a fish like sardines but with less bones for my poor motor skills?
I LOVE all kinds of shellfish (prawn, clams, cockles), but I would like to eat more fish.
*apologies -- I don't know the right words even to ask the question I want to ask! Hence the problem.
posted by moiraine at 7:11 AM on March 25, 2024
I am currently based in the UK.
I would say I would like to eat fish like herring, mackarel, sardines, which is currently not fashionable and maybe overfished (??) but not an apex predator so the stress on their population is less (??). But when I ate sardines, it had so many small bones! Is there a fish like sardines but with less bones for my poor motor skills?
I LOVE all kinds of shellfish (prawn, clams, cockles), but I would like to eat more fish.
*apologies -- I don't know the right words even to ask the question I want to ask! Hence the problem.
posted by moiraine at 7:11 AM on March 25, 2024
It is safe and normal to eat the bones and skin of cooked/tinned sardines (and many other small fish), though some people don’t like the texture. Would this work for you as an alternative to deboning?
posted by mbrubeck at 7:38 AM on March 25, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by mbrubeck at 7:38 AM on March 25, 2024 [7 favorites]
Best answer: Smaller fish are harder to debone. Choosing a medium sized or larger fish is going to be key. When speaking with your fishmonger, ask for them to “fully and thoroughly debone the fillets, please”. They may do two different things. They may weigh your fish as-is and include all the bones trimmings in your package (usually in a separate bag wrapped up next to the fillets), or they may weigh the fillet afterward and charge you only for that.
Depending on the anatomy of the fish and the precision of the fishmonger you can lose significant portions of fish through deboning, and those trimmings and bones make delicious stock base. Just pop the trimmings and all in a pot plus maybe some fresh herbs and aromatics, cover with water, bring to a simmer for about twenty minutes, and strain. No bones once it’s strained! This is a great way to use a whole animal, if that’s part of your sustainability concerns. Use the fish stock as base for a chowder or reduce it and add other flavors for a sauce, or steam other seafood in it like shrimp or mussels.
I am not familiar with what is sustainable in the UK so I did a brief bit of research. It seems like arctic char is good? Char is similar to trout and I think it is delicious. I would say it’s a medium sized fish but it will be quite bony so you will lose significant portions of fish once it is deboned. A good way to enjoy it would be roasted with lemon, capers, and butter, sort of piccata style. You could have that on pasta or with any starch you like, and a bed of sautéed greens or leeks. Pretty much any trout recipe can probably be adapted to char, but it’s also somewhat like salmon so lots of those will be good too.
Whole tinned sardines are delicious eaten whole with the bones still in. The bones are soft and quite edible and good for you. I’m not so sure about larger fresh sardines though. I’ve crunched down on large fried sardines where the bones were just some added crunch but then there were portions of the fish up around the head that were not crunchable. Deep frying seafood such that the bones (or in the case of critters like shrimp, their shells) become crispy and yummy is a difficult thing to achieve in a home kitchen, let alone by someone with mobility concerns. So I think probably doing research on which brand of whole tinned sardines are best for your personal rubric of sustainability is the way to go. You can eat them straight out the tin perhaps with some dressing on a nice salad or you can lightly flour them and shallow fry with things like shallots or basil that will crisp up alongside the fishies. I also love a tomato fennel and sardine stew, just cut your fennel into wedges and sauté them in some good olive oil until a bit tender, then add garlic, olives, the sardines in big chunks or whole, and tomato purée. Add your best paprika and let the whole thing simmer for about twenty minutes so the flavors mingle, and top with minced fennel fronds if you kept them, and a squeeze of lemon. Awesome with pita or crusty bread for dipping.
posted by Mizu at 8:05 AM on March 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Depending on the anatomy of the fish and the precision of the fishmonger you can lose significant portions of fish through deboning, and those trimmings and bones make delicious stock base. Just pop the trimmings and all in a pot plus maybe some fresh herbs and aromatics, cover with water, bring to a simmer for about twenty minutes, and strain. No bones once it’s strained! This is a great way to use a whole animal, if that’s part of your sustainability concerns. Use the fish stock as base for a chowder or reduce it and add other flavors for a sauce, or steam other seafood in it like shrimp or mussels.
I am not familiar with what is sustainable in the UK so I did a brief bit of research. It seems like arctic char is good? Char is similar to trout and I think it is delicious. I would say it’s a medium sized fish but it will be quite bony so you will lose significant portions of fish once it is deboned. A good way to enjoy it would be roasted with lemon, capers, and butter, sort of piccata style. You could have that on pasta or with any starch you like, and a bed of sautéed greens or leeks. Pretty much any trout recipe can probably be adapted to char, but it’s also somewhat like salmon so lots of those will be good too.
Whole tinned sardines are delicious eaten whole with the bones still in. The bones are soft and quite edible and good for you. I’m not so sure about larger fresh sardines though. I’ve crunched down on large fried sardines where the bones were just some added crunch but then there were portions of the fish up around the head that were not crunchable. Deep frying seafood such that the bones (or in the case of critters like shrimp, their shells) become crispy and yummy is a difficult thing to achieve in a home kitchen, let alone by someone with mobility concerns. So I think probably doing research on which brand of whole tinned sardines are best for your personal rubric of sustainability is the way to go. You can eat them straight out the tin perhaps with some dressing on a nice salad or you can lightly flour them and shallow fry with things like shallots or basil that will crisp up alongside the fishies. I also love a tomato fennel and sardine stew, just cut your fennel into wedges and sauté them in some good olive oil until a bit tender, then add garlic, olives, the sardines in big chunks or whole, and tomato purée. Add your best paprika and let the whole thing simmer for about twenty minutes so the flavors mingle, and top with minced fennel fronds if you kept them, and a squeeze of lemon. Awesome with pita or crusty bread for dipping.
posted by Mizu at 8:05 AM on March 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You can usually get mackerel fillets in the UK. You can grill or fry them and then eat with some butter (flavoured butter if you have it). If you like smoked fish, you can definitely buy boneless smoked mackerel. I would cook it in the same way as fresh fillets.
It's also easy to get farmed sea bass, basa and trout at the supermarket. I like to cook these in foil parcels with a little olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs.
If you're wiling to look at online fishmongers then something like gurnard might work for you as it is a bycatch which you can buy filleted.
I think the challenge you have with the bones is that the smaller the fish the harder it is to fillet before selling. If you have an in-person fishmonger nearby (either a shop or a market stall) and you go when they are quiet then you should have time to explain what you are looking for and ask them which of the fish they sell they could fillet for you.
posted by plonkee at 8:46 AM on March 25, 2024
It's also easy to get farmed sea bass, basa and trout at the supermarket. I like to cook these in foil parcels with a little olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs.
If you're wiling to look at online fishmongers then something like gurnard might work for you as it is a bycatch which you can buy filleted.
I think the challenge you have with the bones is that the smaller the fish the harder it is to fillet before selling. If you have an in-person fishmonger nearby (either a shop or a market stall) and you go when they are quiet then you should have time to explain what you are looking for and ask them which of the fish they sell they could fillet for you.
posted by plonkee at 8:46 AM on March 25, 2024
Best answer: I have two suggestions:
*Monkfish (either kind available to you in the UK), and specifically the tail, which has just the one bone.
*Kingfish (aka hiramasa), which offers nice center cuts with easy-to-navigate bones.
Also, re: the recommendation to eat only frozen fish--there's a big difference between production freezing (which most supermarket fish will have gone through) and parasite-reduction freezing. Most commercial packaging freezing is nowhere near enough to kill most parasites. Sushi restaurant in many places have to take the extra step of super-cold, multi-day deep freezing in order to help eliminate parasites.
Just be aware this will not apply to fish you buy in the shops, unless they're expressly marked "sushi-grade."
posted by yellowcandy at 9:12 AM on March 25, 2024
*Monkfish (either kind available to you in the UK), and specifically the tail, which has just the one bone.
*Kingfish (aka hiramasa), which offers nice center cuts with easy-to-navigate bones.
Also, re: the recommendation to eat only frozen fish--there's a big difference between production freezing (which most supermarket fish will have gone through) and parasite-reduction freezing. Most commercial packaging freezing is nowhere near enough to kill most parasites. Sushi restaurant in many places have to take the extra step of super-cold, multi-day deep freezing in order to help eliminate parasites.
Just be aware this will not apply to fish you buy in the shops, unless they're expressly marked "sushi-grade."
posted by yellowcandy at 9:12 AM on March 25, 2024
Best answer: I just tried this recipe yesterday with a can of whole sardines and it was really good, not overly "fishy" tasting and I didn't notice the bones at all since canning makes them so soft that they end up dissolving while stirring the sauce. If you do notice any bones and it bothers you, you could easily blend the sauce before adding it to your pasta. Sardines are extremely healthy, sustainable and cost-effective so they're a great fish to target.
If chopping is difficult for you, frozen diced onions and jarred/powdered garlic should work just as well and every other part of the recipe is very simple.
posted by randomnity at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2024
If chopping is difficult for you, frozen diced onions and jarred/powdered garlic should work just as well and every other part of the recipe is very simple.
posted by randomnity at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2024
Fishmonger advice: I ported over my cultural knowledge when I went to the British ones and it seemed to work - they're more than happy to provide cleaning services ie descaling, removing the gills, the spiny fins, and innards, the head, and also chopping them into slices. Fairly standard across the world, but something they won't always train grocery store staff to do, esp UK ones. Once you figure out which fish to go for, you can ask for those and that should go a long way in your meal prep.
Re: sardines & bones - I would recommend sticking to tinned ones and then cooking them in some kind of spicy tomato broth or stew. Goes very well with rice and the small bones by then are basically edible.
posted by cendawanita at 9:44 AM on March 25, 2024
Re: sardines & bones - I would recommend sticking to tinned ones and then cooking them in some kind of spicy tomato broth or stew. Goes very well with rice and the small bones by then are basically edible.
posted by cendawanita at 9:44 AM on March 25, 2024
I was raised among Nordic US-midwesterners, for whom “tinned sardines (or mackerel) on crispbread with cream cheese (or quark)” is a quick and satisfying lunch. As noted above you really don’t need to remove bones from the tiny little tinned fish, or you can get mackerel fillets.
posted by graphweaver at 4:47 PM on March 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by graphweaver at 4:47 PM on March 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Graphweaver’s comment reminded me of a yummy way to have tinned mackerel with rice, which I call pseudo Asian style. It’s just toasted sesame oil with minced scallions, garlic, and ginger (the latter two of which you can find combined in a squeezy tube in places that cater to south Asian populations) and once the oil is super fragrant and sizzling hot you let the mackerel pieces get a bit crisped up. Place on top of rice and use the remaining oil in the pan to fry an egg with a runny yolk, which once broken and mixed into the rice becomes a lovely sauce. If you want spicy you can put chili crisp, gochujang, or your hot condiment of preference in with the raw egg to mingle with the oil as well. I prefer this on brown rice because I think the nuttiness of brown rice works really well with the flavor of mackerel.
posted by Mizu at 6:47 PM on March 25, 2024
posted by Mizu at 6:47 PM on March 25, 2024
But when I ate sardines, it had so many small bones! Is there a fish like sardines but with less bones for my poor motor skills?
Many people eat the sardines whole, bones and all. I am under the impression that it is very rare to do otherwise but that might be regional or cultural.
If I try to do this it feels like I'm choking and going to die, which I find to be a highly unpleasant experience, so I don't eat sardines. I think most people who like sardines don't have this type of sensation from eating them though.
posted by yohko at 12:51 AM on March 26, 2024
Many people eat the sardines whole, bones and all. I am under the impression that it is very rare to do otherwise but that might be regional or cultural.
If I try to do this it feels like I'm choking and going to die, which I find to be a highly unpleasant experience, so I don't eat sardines. I think most people who like sardines don't have this type of sensation from eating them though.
posted by yohko at 12:51 AM on March 26, 2024
Best answer: Go to the fishmongers, they are there to help you and will be delighted to help a new person get into more fish.
This is fairly important for you, because the type of fish you prefer need to be very fresh (or preserved), and most supermarket logistics don't allow for that, which is why you seldom see them in supermarket counters. (If there is an in-house fishmonger, that is an other case).
You can buy filets of herring and mackerel, though I find the heering filets often have a few bones in them, which is a bother. Though if you can explain your situation to your fishmonger, they might put in the extra effort to make you some with no bones at all. If you can get them to do this, here is an excellent recipe that works for both herring and mackerel:
You need fish, baking paper, soft herbs like parsley, sage, chervil and/or dill, a lemon, salt and pepper.
Get your fishmonger to debone the fish, so you have the two filets still attached to their one skin. Head can go off.
Heat the oven to 200 C
Take a piece of baking paper, maybe 30x30 cm for your first try. Put the fish in the middle, flattened out. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then put fresh herbs and one or two half slices of lemon on top. Fold the fish back together and then fold the paper around it so the package is completely closed. There are different methods to make it look pretty search online for fish en papilotte, I just sort of roll up and then scrimp the edges. You can tie it up with butchers' twine for extra safety, but that shouldn't be necessary. Bake the whole thing on a rack in a tin in the oven (or just in the tin). I think 15 minutes for herring and 25 for mackerel, but it depends on the sizes. You can carefully open the package at these estimates and see if the fish is cooked through. There should be no bright and shiny pink parts. To eat, you bring the whole package to the table, and unpack it. Take away the herbs and lemon and discard. The fish will be aromatic and tender and the juices delicious, so good with rice, or just a piece of sourdough. You don't eat the skin*, but it isn't bad if you get some in your mouth. This is primarily a late spring/early summer dish, so great with all the early summer salads. It could be lettuce and sliced strawberries with a cream and lemon dressing (mix cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over salad just before serving). Or a watercress salad.
Herring and mackerel are great smoked. You don't need to cook them beyond that, but they are best very fresh, specially if you aren't used to them. This is a traditional Danish way of serving smoked fish.
Apart from Dover sole, flat fish can be quite cheap and sustainable too, and while I rarely see them fresh in supermarkets, most fishmongers have some plaice or other small flat fish, either already filleted or that they can filet in a jiffy. Look for bright, white meat. If it's yellowish, it isn't good enough. It's very easy for the fishmonger to filet flat fish, no bones attached at all. This is my favorite recipe for fish-skeptics, that I learnt from my gran. It is best with rice:
For one person, you need two filets of fish, butter or oil for the dish, a small tub of creme fraiche, thick cream, lemon, fresh or dried tarragon, dijon mustard and salt and pepper.
Turn on the oven to 200 C.
Have you got a small oven proof dish? The dish needs to fit. A small enameled pie dish would be perfect for one person. If your dish is bigger, make a larger portion, it is good the day after, and freezes and reheats relatively well.
Grease the dish with butter or oil, roll up your filets and fit them into the dish.
Now make the sauce. In a bowl, combine two tablespoons of creme fraiche with two tablespoons of cream. season to taste with lemon juice, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper. You can taste this to your liking, but remember the herbs will develop while cooking.
Pour the sauce over the fish, it should cover them completely. If there isn't enough (depends on the size of the filets), make a bit more sauce to top with.
Bake for about 20 minutes till the sauce is bubbly and there are golden brown spots on top. It shouldn't be all golden or brown. Since again, the cooking time depends on the size of the fish, check at 15 minutes if the fish is done, and also at 20. Use a sharp pointed knife. If the fish is done, it is soft all through.
If you don't like tarragon, you can use a little finely chopped fresh parsley or chervil instead. The chopping releases the aroma, so get all the juices in the sauce.
(With your leftover creme fraiche and cream, you are ready for some fruit desserts!)
Filets from little flat fish can be deep fried too, coat in them in breadcrumbs and deep fry them as you would a chunkier fish, but only just till the crust is golden. They are done in a few minutes. I have heard you can cook battered fish in an air fryer at 180 C for 15-18 minutes, but I haven't tried it.
You can also make another oven dish with rolled-up filets, but inspired by Portuguese recipes:
Again, pack your filets in their little greased pan.
Make a sauce by lightly frying a chopped up shallot, a crushed garlic clove til they are soft, but not the least bit brown. Add a tablespoon of white wine or a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and let the strong smell dampen off. Add half a tin of crushed tomatoes, and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Season to taste with paprika, salt and pepper. You can use chili, too, then add it before the tomatoes.
Pour the sauce over the fish and bake for 20 minutes at 200 C, again checking along the way for doneness.
You can also just use any store-bought tomato sauce of your choice, they will all be good.
This is also best with rice.
Sometimes you can find these small filets in the freezer in the supermarket. They are just fine if you thaw them first. But they are always frozen together, so a large portion for one.
These recipes work very well with gurnard, too, but you have to keep an eye on them, because over- or undercooking is more of a problem with them.
*A tip for eating fish off the skin (or off bones): use two forks rather than a knife and fork, and very gently "scrape" the fish with one fork on to another, if you can see what I mean. Scraping is a bit too harsh a word, but I couldn't think of a better one. You don't want to cut into fish. Flaky fish should come apart at the flakes, and softer fish are soft.
posted by mumimor at 4:33 AM on March 26, 2024
This is fairly important for you, because the type of fish you prefer need to be very fresh (or preserved), and most supermarket logistics don't allow for that, which is why you seldom see them in supermarket counters. (If there is an in-house fishmonger, that is an other case).
You can buy filets of herring and mackerel, though I find the heering filets often have a few bones in them, which is a bother. Though if you can explain your situation to your fishmonger, they might put in the extra effort to make you some with no bones at all. If you can get them to do this, here is an excellent recipe that works for both herring and mackerel:
You need fish, baking paper, soft herbs like parsley, sage, chervil and/or dill, a lemon, salt and pepper.
Get your fishmonger to debone the fish, so you have the two filets still attached to their one skin. Head can go off.
Heat the oven to 200 C
Take a piece of baking paper, maybe 30x30 cm for your first try. Put the fish in the middle, flattened out. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then put fresh herbs and one or two half slices of lemon on top. Fold the fish back together and then fold the paper around it so the package is completely closed. There are different methods to make it look pretty search online for fish en papilotte, I just sort of roll up and then scrimp the edges. You can tie it up with butchers' twine for extra safety, but that shouldn't be necessary. Bake the whole thing on a rack in a tin in the oven (or just in the tin). I think 15 minutes for herring and 25 for mackerel, but it depends on the sizes. You can carefully open the package at these estimates and see if the fish is cooked through. There should be no bright and shiny pink parts. To eat, you bring the whole package to the table, and unpack it. Take away the herbs and lemon and discard. The fish will be aromatic and tender and the juices delicious, so good with rice, or just a piece of sourdough. You don't eat the skin*, but it isn't bad if you get some in your mouth. This is primarily a late spring/early summer dish, so great with all the early summer salads. It could be lettuce and sliced strawberries with a cream and lemon dressing (mix cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over salad just before serving). Or a watercress salad.
Herring and mackerel are great smoked. You don't need to cook them beyond that, but they are best very fresh, specially if you aren't used to them. This is a traditional Danish way of serving smoked fish.
Apart from Dover sole, flat fish can be quite cheap and sustainable too, and while I rarely see them fresh in supermarkets, most fishmongers have some plaice or other small flat fish, either already filleted or that they can filet in a jiffy. Look for bright, white meat. If it's yellowish, it isn't good enough. It's very easy for the fishmonger to filet flat fish, no bones attached at all. This is my favorite recipe for fish-skeptics, that I learnt from my gran. It is best with rice:
For one person, you need two filets of fish, butter or oil for the dish, a small tub of creme fraiche, thick cream, lemon, fresh or dried tarragon, dijon mustard and salt and pepper.
Turn on the oven to 200 C.
Have you got a small oven proof dish? The dish needs to fit. A small enameled pie dish would be perfect for one person. If your dish is bigger, make a larger portion, it is good the day after, and freezes and reheats relatively well.
Grease the dish with butter or oil, roll up your filets and fit them into the dish.
Now make the sauce. In a bowl, combine two tablespoons of creme fraiche with two tablespoons of cream. season to taste with lemon juice, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper. You can taste this to your liking, but remember the herbs will develop while cooking.
Pour the sauce over the fish, it should cover them completely. If there isn't enough (depends on the size of the filets), make a bit more sauce to top with.
Bake for about 20 minutes till the sauce is bubbly and there are golden brown spots on top. It shouldn't be all golden or brown. Since again, the cooking time depends on the size of the fish, check at 15 minutes if the fish is done, and also at 20. Use a sharp pointed knife. If the fish is done, it is soft all through.
If you don't like tarragon, you can use a little finely chopped fresh parsley or chervil instead. The chopping releases the aroma, so get all the juices in the sauce.
(With your leftover creme fraiche and cream, you are ready for some fruit desserts!)
Filets from little flat fish can be deep fried too, coat in them in breadcrumbs and deep fry them as you would a chunkier fish, but only just till the crust is golden. They are done in a few minutes. I have heard you can cook battered fish in an air fryer at 180 C for 15-18 minutes, but I haven't tried it.
You can also make another oven dish with rolled-up filets, but inspired by Portuguese recipes:
Again, pack your filets in their little greased pan.
Make a sauce by lightly frying a chopped up shallot, a crushed garlic clove til they are soft, but not the least bit brown. Add a tablespoon of white wine or a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and let the strong smell dampen off. Add half a tin of crushed tomatoes, and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Season to taste with paprika, salt and pepper. You can use chili, too, then add it before the tomatoes.
Pour the sauce over the fish and bake for 20 minutes at 200 C, again checking along the way for doneness.
You can also just use any store-bought tomato sauce of your choice, they will all be good.
This is also best with rice.
Sometimes you can find these small filets in the freezer in the supermarket. They are just fine if you thaw them first. But they are always frozen together, so a large portion for one.
These recipes work very well with gurnard, too, but you have to keep an eye on them, because over- or undercooking is more of a problem with them.
*A tip for eating fish off the skin (or off bones): use two forks rather than a knife and fork, and very gently "scrape" the fish with one fork on to another, if you can see what I mean. Scraping is a bit too harsh a word, but I couldn't think of a better one. You don't want to cut into fish. Flaky fish should come apart at the flakes, and softer fish are soft.
posted by mumimor at 4:33 AM on March 26, 2024
One more recipe:
When I was very young and learning to cook for myself, this was my fish thing:
In a pan with tall sides, like a sauter pan, cook some frozen spinach balls in cream. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, maybe a bit of mustard or chili flakes. Cook at very low heat till the sauce is quite thick, but not scorching the pan.
Now add in 2x2 cm chunks of whatever fish/shellfish you have, put a lid on it, and steam till the fish is done, which is a very short while, 2-5 minutes.
Don't stir at any time, you want the spinach to still be like islands in the sauce.
Very good with rice.
posted by mumimor at 4:40 AM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
When I was very young and learning to cook for myself, this was my fish thing:
In a pan with tall sides, like a sauter pan, cook some frozen spinach balls in cream. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, maybe a bit of mustard or chili flakes. Cook at very low heat till the sauce is quite thick, but not scorching the pan.
Now add in 2x2 cm chunks of whatever fish/shellfish you have, put a lid on it, and steam till the fish is done, which is a very short while, 2-5 minutes.
Don't stir at any time, you want the spinach to still be like islands in the sauce.
Very good with rice.
posted by mumimor at 4:40 AM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
Flounder or tilapia:
Preheat oven to 450.
Dip fish in milk.
Then coat in bread or panko crumbs.
Place in oven safe pan.
Pour melted butter over fish.
Bake for 15 minutes.
It's my go-to because I'm pretty much the only one who eats fish in my house.
posted by annieb at 6:25 PM on March 26, 2024
Preheat oven to 450.
Dip fish in milk.
Then coat in bread or panko crumbs.
Place in oven safe pan.
Pour melted butter over fish.
Bake for 15 minutes.
It's my go-to because I'm pretty much the only one who eats fish in my house.
posted by annieb at 6:25 PM on March 26, 2024
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posted by moiraine at 5:47 AM on March 25, 2024