I
Irving Kimura
Guest
I have no problem deciding when to pull fish fillets out of the oven so as not to overcook them, but
I have a *much* harder time getting it right with whole fish. This is largely because I want to be
able to carve and serve nice fillets from the fish (so I don't want to hack too much into it).
Now, I absolutely *hate* overcooked fish, but I'm not wild about undercooked fish either (with the
exception of sushi/sashimi, of course). How can I tell when I have reached that magical point in
which the whole fish is cooked all the way to the backbone, but not overcooked? Is it even
*possible* to bake a large whole fish (say, 3 in [7.5 cm] thick) so that all of it is cooked, and no
part of it is overcooked?
My book ("Fish & Shellfish" by Peterson) instructs to "[c]heck for doneness by carefully sliding a
paring knife into the back at the thickest part, gently lifting the top fillet, and peeking inside
to make sure the fish pulls away from the bone and the flesh is opaque (but still moist) rather than
tranlucent and raw."
Well, the other night I did just that with a 4.5 lb (2 kg), 3 in.
(7.5 cm)-thick red snapper, which I baked at 400* F (200 C) for about 40 minutes. When I peeked
inside, the little I could see (opaque flesh) suggested that the fish was ready for carving. This
is a nearly irreversible decision in the case of a big whole fish, especially if you want to
serve nice fillets (it so happens I had guests over at the time); it entails transferring a big
fish from roasting pan to cutting board, and removing the hot stuffing (lemon slices and herbs in
my case), not maneuvers one wants to undo, and of course, making deep cuts into the side of the
fish. Unfortunately, my judgment was off. When I served it, the meat was rather soggy, especially
near the fish's backbone; it did not separate cleanly from the backbone, i.e. it was somewhat
undercooked.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Irv
I have a *much* harder time getting it right with whole fish. This is largely because I want to be
able to carve and serve nice fillets from the fish (so I don't want to hack too much into it).
Now, I absolutely *hate* overcooked fish, but I'm not wild about undercooked fish either (with the
exception of sushi/sashimi, of course). How can I tell when I have reached that magical point in
which the whole fish is cooked all the way to the backbone, but not overcooked? Is it even
*possible* to bake a large whole fish (say, 3 in [7.5 cm] thick) so that all of it is cooked, and no
part of it is overcooked?
My book ("Fish & Shellfish" by Peterson) instructs to "[c]heck for doneness by carefully sliding a
paring knife into the back at the thickest part, gently lifting the top fillet, and peeking inside
to make sure the fish pulls away from the bone and the flesh is opaque (but still moist) rather than
tranlucent and raw."
Well, the other night I did just that with a 4.5 lb (2 kg), 3 in.
(7.5 cm)-thick red snapper, which I baked at 400* F (200 C) for about 40 minutes. When I peeked
inside, the little I could see (opaque flesh) suggested that the fish was ready for carving. This
is a nearly irreversible decision in the case of a big whole fish, especially if you want to
serve nice fillets (it so happens I had guests over at the time); it entails transferring a big
fish from roasting pan to cutting board, and removing the hot stuffing (lemon slices and herbs in
my case), not maneuvers one wants to undo, and of course, making deep cuts into the side of the
fish. Unfortunately, my judgment was off. When I served it, the meat was rather soggy, especially
near the fish's backbone; it did not separate cleanly from the backbone, i.e. it was somewhat
undercooked.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Irv