Best Ways To Cook Fish

A golden piece of flathead, barramundi with crispy skin or oven baked snapper can make a delicious dinner without much preparation. The trick is choosing a cooking method that suits the fish and taking it off the heat before it dries out.

Thin, delicate fillets need only a short cooking time, while thicker portions give you more room to work with baking, grilling and gentle cooking. Here are the best ways to cook fish, with practical tips for getting each one right.

Preparing Fish Before Cooking

A little preparation makes fish easier to handle and helps it cook evenly.

• Thaw it properly: Thaw frozen fish in the fridge and follow the packaging instructions. Remove vacuum packed fish completely from its sealed packaging before thawing, then place it in a covered container.
• Pat it dry: Use paper towel to remove surface moisture, especially from the skin. A wet fillet is more likely to steam than develop a golden surface.
• Check for bones: Run your fingertips gently along the flesh and remove any pin bones with clean fish tweezers.
• Check the thickness: Cook similar sized portions together, or remove thinner pieces as they finish.
• Prepare your sides first: Fish often cooks quickly, so have your salad, vegetables or rice nearly ready before starting.

Frying Fish In A Pan

Cooking fish in a pan is ideal when you want a golden surface or crispy skin. It also gives you control over the heat and lets you watch the flesh as it cooks.

For a simple white fish fillet:

1. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat, then add enough oil to lightly coat the base.
3. Place the fillet in the pan, laying it away from you to avoid splashes.
4. Leave it undisturbed until the underside is golden and releases easily.
5. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and cook the other side until done.

A thin fillet may need only a couple of minutes on each side. Thicker portions take longer, so use the centre of the fish to judge doneness rather than relying on the clock alone.

For fish with skin, start skin side down and press gently with a spatula for the first few moments to keep it flat. Let most of the cooking happen on that side, then turn briefly to finish. Reduce the heat if the skin is browning before the centre has cooked.

For skinless fillets, a light dusting of flour adds a delicate golden coating. If you prefer crumbs, coat the fish in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, then shallow fry over medium heat until golden and cooked through.

Grilling Fish On The Barbecue

Grilling fish adds a lightly charred surface and works particularly well with thicker, firm fillets. Delicate fish is easier to manage on a barbecue flat plate or in a fish basket than directly on open bars.

Start with a clean, preheated cooking surface. Pat the fish dry, brush it lightly with oil and season just before cooking. Place skin on portions skin side down and leave them to form a crust before attempting to turn.

Use a wide spatula to support the whole fillet. Repeated turning can break the flesh, so aim to turn it once. If the outside is colouring too quickly, move the fish to a cooler part of the barbecue to finish.

Lemon, herbs and a little olive oil are enough for a simple grilled fish dinner. Add sugary sauces towards the end so they do not burn before the fish is cooked.

Baking Fish In The Oven

Baking is one of the easiest ways to cook several portions at once. There is no need to turn the fish, and a lined tray makes serving and cleaning up straightforward.

For a simple baked fish dinner:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan forced.
2. Place the fillets in a lightly oiled baking dish or on a lined tray.
3. Brush with olive oil or melted butter and add salt, pepper, lemon zest and herbs.
4. Bake until the thickest part is cooked through.

As a starting point, thawed fillets around 2cm thick often take approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Thin whiting fillets may finish sooner, while thicker portions need longer. Begin checking early and use the doneness checks below.

For tender fish with some sauce, bake it in a folded baking paper parcel with a splash of stock or wine and thinly sliced vegetables. The enclosed moisture helps protect lean white fish from drying out. This method produces soft flesh rather than crispy skin.

Slow Cooking Fish

Slow cooking fish means using gentle heat with careful timing. Fish does not need hours of cooking to become tender.

For a gentle oven method, brush a thicker fillet with oil or butter and cook at 150°C conventional or 130°C fan forced. Start checking after about 15 minutes and continue until the centre is cooked. The total time will depend on the thickness of the fillet and its starting temperature.

You can also cook fish gently in a sauce. Prepare a tomato sauce, curry or broth first, then add the fish and keep the liquid at a gentle simmer. Avoid vigorous boiling, which can break up the flesh.

If you are using a slow cooker, cook the vegetables and sauce first and add thawed fish towards the end. Follow a recipe designed for your appliance and portion size, rather than leaving the fish in for the full cooking time.

How To Cook Different Types Of Fish

How To Cook Barramundi

Barramundi is a good choice for pan cooking, particularly when the skin is attached. Dry the skin thoroughly, season it and cook skin side down until crisp, then turn to finish.

For a thick portion, lower the heat once the skin is golden so the centre has time to cook. You can also transfer an ovenproof pan to the oven to finish cooking without burning the underside.

Skinless barramundi works well baked with lemon, garlic and a little butter.

How To Cook Snapper

Snapper suits both pan cooking and baking. For thinner snapper fillets, use a lightly oiled pan and turn carefully once the first side is golden.

Baking is useful for thicker portions or when you want to add tomatoes, olives or other vegetables. Choose vegetables that cook quickly, or give them a head start before adding the fish.

Whole snapper takes longer than individual fillets. Check the thickest flesh near the backbone, keeping the thermometer away from bone.

How To Cook Whiting

Whiting has delicate flesh and thin fillets that cook quickly. Lightly flour the fish and pan fry in a little oil, adding butter near the end for flavour.

Keep the heat moderate enough to colour the coating without drying out the flesh. Use a wide spatula and turn gently.

Crumbed whiting suits shallow frying. Serve promptly with lemon, salad and chips or potatoes.

How To Cook Salmon

Salmon can be pan cooked, grilled or baked. Skin on portions suit a pan when you want a crisp base, while baking is convenient for cooking several pieces together.

Pay attention to the cut. A thick centre portion needs longer than a thin tail piece, so remove individual portions as they finish.

Wild sockeye salmon is generally leaner than farmed Atlantic salmon. Brush it with oil or butter, check it early and avoid leaving it in the oven or pan once cooked.

How To Cook Flathead

Flathead is well suited to shallow frying, either lightly floured or coated in crumbs. Its mild flavour works with simple seasoning and a squeeze of lemon.

Pat the fillets dry before coating, then cook in a shallow layer of oil over medium heat. Leave enough space between pieces so the coating can become golden.

Flathead fillets taper towards the tail, so the thin ends can cook before the thicker sections. Separate very uneven pieces before cooking, or position the thinner ends towards a cooler part of the pan.

How To Tell When Fish Is Cooked

The flesh should change from translucent to opaque and separate into flakes with gentle pressure. Check the thickest part, as the edges may look ready while the centre still needs cooking.

For a reliable temperature check, insert a food thermometer into the centre of the thickest section. For thin fillets, insert it from the side. 63°C is the recommended safe internal temperature for fish.

Fish keeps cooking as it rests, particularly in thicker portions. Once it reaches the target temperature, transfer it from the hot pan or tray to a serving plate. Leaving it on the cooking surface can turn tender flesh dry and firm.

Serve crispy skin facing upwards and spoon sauce around it rather than over it to help preserve the texture.

Cook Our Cow’s Wild Caught Fish At Home

Our Cow’s wild caught fish range includes barramundi, snapper, whiting, flathead and sockeye salmon, giving you options for everything from a quick pan cooked dinner to a weekend barbecue.

Keep your preparation simple: choose a method that suits the cut, dry the surface well and watch the thickest part as it cooks. With lemon, a few herbs and your favourite sides, fish can become an easy part of your weekly meals.

Add our wild caught seafood to your next meat box delivery and enjoy the best tasting fish.