Is there a Golden Rule for cooking fish?

All fish have different textures and cooking times. When the meat flakes easily, it's done. Let me get my book. Sorry, thought I lost it there, but it was hiding.

Judging freshness

"your nose is the most reliable gauge of freshness, and you should trust your first impression when you sniff a fish"

"Fish should smell like a fresh ocean breeze". "fresh fillets and steaks look moist and lustrous", "avoid packages of fish in which liquid has accumulated" ...'cloudy"..."build up of ice crystals, discoloration, or drying"

Group 1, Thin and Delicate

small flounders and soles, including american plaice, gray sole, winter flounder and yellowtale

Pan fry or pan poach, roll fillets to poach the classic way (fillets)

oven brown, panfry, pan poach (whole fish)

Group 2 Medium Dense, Flaky (*lean, mild in flavor*)

bass, cods, large flounder, halibut, Dory, Perch, walleye, pike, rockfish, snapper, Tilapia, Tile fish

Steaks and fillets- bake in sauce or with a creamy topping. Oven brown, broil with moist heat or with a crumb coating, deep fry, pan fry, paoch, foil steam

Small Whole Fish (same as above)

Large whole fish- Bake in sauce or with a stuffing

(Moderately lean*)

catfish, salmon, trout

cook same way as above**

(Oilier or distinctively flavored)

buffalo, carp (ew), halibut, chilean sea bass, some trout, whitefish, barracuda, herring, mackerel, jack, pompano some salmon.

(Cook same way as above**

Group 3, Medium dense with extra firm flakes

drum, grouper mahi mahi, orange roughy

*cook as above, but can grill, too*

Group 4

*Lean, mild in flavor

Atlantic Halibut, Grouper, Shark

Bake in sauce, grill, skewers, broil, pan fry, foil/steam

Oilier* distinctively flavored

Cobia, mackerel, stugeon, swordfish, tuna

bake in sauce, grill, smoke, skewers, broil with dry heat, fry or foil steam.

then you have shell fish. Not from the book, but from experience. Most crab or legs and claws only take 5-8 minutes when dropped into a boiling pot of water. Shrimp can be done many ways. They are done when pink. Lobster is best grilled, but can be baked as well. Lobster is done when it's white. I also like canned clams. they are cooked and need reheating. Clam sauce with sautee'd shrimp in butter is terrific over pasta.

Hope I didn't overwhelm you. You can only tell your fish is done by testing it.

The one I use seems to work with what ever fish I am cooking. it does work best with frying fish as baking it takes a bit longer.

'The rule is 10 minutes per inch of fish thickness. As you mentioned, you tend to over cook it and then it gets rubbery. So if I have a piece of fish an inch thick, I will fry it 5 minutes on 1 side, flip and fry for another 5 on the other. Generally it is then done. Of course you can always check by doing the flake test. Fish that is NOT done will not flake. Once it is done, it flakes easily.

Grilling works the same. Baking in the oven is a bit different but here too, check for flaking. The minute it does, remove from heat. As with all meats, they still cook some after removal from heat source, just from the residual heat in side the piece.

The golden rule is 10 minutes - it never takes more than that to cook fish (if the oven/grill/whatever is at the correct temperature). There's no difference in time for sea or fresh water fish, and no difference between oily and white fish.

Here's a simply way:

* heat pan with olive oil and a little butter

* put fish in skin-side down and fry for a minute

* add any sauces, etc. put a lid on and continue to cook for a further 9 minutes

The fish will be fried underneath and steamed on top because of the lid, cooked to perfection.

You can find a lot of information here --->

http://allrecipes.com/Search/Articles.aspx?WithTer...

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Grilled Fish

Grilling fish is tricky without a grill basket, but don't let that deter you:

Spray the fish with nonstick cooking spray or brush it very lightly with oil.

Place the fish around the edges of the grill, away from the hottest part of the fire (Don't try to lift up the fish right away; it will be stuck to the grill).

Start checking for color and doneness after a few minutes, once the fish starts to release some of its juices.

Flip it over when it's got light grill marks.

Fish on the grill needs to be attended very closely and only takes a few minutes per side. If the filets are an even thickness, fish can be cooked through by grilling it on one side only.

Poaching Fish

The technique of poaching has been all but forgotten. This gentle cooking method is perfect for seafood, because it imparts lots of moisture and will not mask the delicate flavor of the fish. Traditionally, fish is poached in a court-bouillon--broth made from simmering aromatic vegetables and herbs in water together with peppercorns and something acidic such as lemon juice, vinegar or white wine. To poach fish, you can make your own court-bouillon or simply use vegetable or chicken stock.

Use a pan big enough to lay each piece of fish down flat.

Pour in enough liquid to just barely cover the fish.

Bring the liquid to a simmer, and keep it there.

If you see any bubbles coming up from the bottom of the pan, it's too hot--the liquid should "shimmer" rather than bubble. The ideal poaching temperature is between 165 and 180 degrees F (74 to 82 degrees C).

Steamed Fish

Steaming is another gentle cooking method popular in Asian cuisines.

Rub the fish with spices, chopped herbs, ginger, garlic and chile peppers to infuse flavor while it cooks.

Use a bamboo steamer or a folding steamer basket with enough room for each piece of fish to lie flat.

Pour about 1½ inches of water into the pan.

Place the steamer over the water, cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil.

Begin checking the fish for doneness after 10 minutes.

Steamed fish is a mild-tasting delicate preparation that is usually accompanied by a flavorful sauce.

Broiled Fish

When the weather's not right for grilling, try broiling instead. Broiling is great when you want a fast, simple, hassle-free preparation with delicious results. It gives fish a nicely browned exterior with the convenience of a temperature-controlled heat source. For easy cleanup, line the broiler pan with a piece of foil.

Baked Fish

Baking fish allows you to get the satisfying crunch of fried fish without all the fat. Just because it's baked, though, doesn't mean it's healthy: watch the amount of butter, oil, mayonnaise or cheese called for in the recipe.

This recipe works for me everytime:

I create a foil pouch and put the filet in, skin side down, unless already removed. Cover with Italian Dressing. Throw in a 1/2'd onion, 1/2'd green bell pepper, and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Seal and bake at preheated 400 degrees for 10 minutes. You can also throw the pouch on the grill for 10 minutes, if you're using a pit.

The basic rule is 10 minutes per inch of thickness , but I have found that varies depending on the style of cooking ( fry , bake , steam , grill , etc. ) But if its your firs time that is a good place to start

We also BBQ grill salmon, tuna or swordfish steaks; so it's easy to see when they're flaky & ready to eat. I don't like to cook fish inside, because it smells up the house - but I'd heard that 10 min. per inch of thickness of the fish was the length of time to cook it

microwaving fish is the best way, but don`t overcook, do it a few minutes a time and keep testing it.

Your fish is done as soon as it's opaque and completely 'set'. Stick your knife in and see that the center is white (with white fish obviously) and that will be fine.

non stick pan is your best friend when cooking fish. also, don't use too high heat. rather undercook, you can always put back on heat if needed.