Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

ROY FINAMORE has worked as a cookbook editor for thirty years, most recently at Clarkson Potter. Among the authors he has published are Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Tom Colicchio, Diana Kennedy, Anne Willan, Gale Gand, and Lee Bailey. A cooking teacher, as well as a sought-after cookbook collaborator and food and prop stylist, his books include Tasty, which won a James Beard Award, Fish Without a Doubt, and One Potato, Two Potato.

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Fish WITHOUT A DOUBT

Houghton Mifflin Company

Contents

Introduction.............................................................13Fish and Health..........................................................16Sustainable Seafood......................................................17Is It Cooked?............................................................23The Fish Cook's Kitchen..................................................27Preparing Fish and Shellfish for Cooking and Serving.....................33Shopping for Fish........................................................49Storing Fish and Shellfish...............................................53Notes on the Fish in This Book...........................................55Poaching.................................................................77Steaming and Boiling.....................................................101Broiling.................................................................121Grilling-Stovetop and Outdoor-and Smoking................................133Baking and Roasting......................................................187Searing and Sauting.....................................................227Frying...................................................................257Shellfish Appetizers and First Courses...................................277Chowders, Soups, and Stews...............................................295Salads, Ceviches, and Gravlax............................................333Fish Cakes and Burgers...................................................359Pasta and Rice...........................................................375Salsas and Relishes......................................................393Sauces, Vinaigrettes, and Spice Mixes....................................403Essential Sides..........................................................445Some Helpful Techniques and Building-Block Recipes.......................473Online Sources for Fish and Shellfish....................................477Index....................................................................478

Chapter One

Whenever I teach a class or do a demonstration on cooking fish, I hear two questions: "How do I tell if fish is cooked?" and "What if I overcook it?" These are valid concerns, particularly when you're paying a high price for a great piece of fish. To begin with, let me tell you that my preference for most fish that I'm cooking all the way through-bluefish, say, or sardines or sole or halibut or striped bass-is to undercook it slightly and let the residual heat finish the job. The outside of the fish you're cooking is going to be hot when you remove it from the heat source, and that heat-the residual, or carry-over, heat (more about this later)-will continue working its way to the center of the fish, cooking it perfectly. I like salmon medium-rare and tuna rare. The timing in my recipes should lead you to these results. But while I may tell you to cook a piece of fish on one side for 4 minutes, I know there are a lot of variables in play. The pan you're cooking in may be lighter than the one I use. Your stove may be hotter than mine (most of these recipes were tested on a pretty dinky home stove). The kitchen itself may be hotter, or cooler, and when you take the fish out of the refrigerator, it reacts to the room temperature. So keep these things in mind:

FISH CHANGES COLOR AS IT COOKS. Fish is a high-moisture protein, and as the protein cooks, it will change from translucent to opaque (think of what happens to egg whites when they cook). That piece of salmon may look bright pink when you take it out of the refrigerator, but as it cooks, the color softens, almost turning pastel. Bluefish and sardines turn grayer. White fish may start translucent, but the white becomes chalkier as you cook. WATCH FOR CUES. When you're sauting a thicker piece of fish, you can see it cooking from the bottom up; when you broil, you can see it cook from top and bottom toward the middle. With thinner fillets, you will notice a definite change around the edges. Fried food will start turning golden and then brown. The eyes on a whole fish turn opaque as it cooks. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TOUCH. Remember what the fish felt like when it was raw. As it cooks, it will become firmer and resilient. Use the flat part of the first joint of your index or middle finger to check as the fish cooks (the tip of your finger is really pretty useless for this; it's not sensitive enough). And don't wait until the moment you think the fish should be cooked; check it along the way and track the changes-always in comparison to how it felt raw. Make it a learning experience, and give yourself a set of references that will guide you to becoming a fish cooking expert. REMEMBER RESIDUAL HEAT. Just as when you cook a chicken or a roast of beef, that piece of fish will continue to cook when you take it off the stove and even out of the pan. Think of this as temperature momentum-the larger the "vehicle," the longer the coasting. PEEK. Who says you can't poke a knife into that salmon fillet so you can see what it looks like inside? And when presentation is important to you, put the piece you checked on your plate so you can still impress your guests. For most fish, other than tuna and salmon, you are looking for a glistening moistness in the center and a color that hasn't changed all the way through. Residual heat will take care of the difference. For fish that you want to serve less well cooked, the center should still look raw. ADAPT. I've told you that I like salmon medium-rare. If you like it more cooked, approach my recipes knowing that you will be cooking the fish another minute or so. ABOUT FLAKING. I bet someone's told you that if the fish is flaking, it's overcooked. There's some truth in that. If a dense fish like tuna or salmon is flaking, you can be sure it's very well done. But a flaky fish like cod will start to separate into those individual slivers, or flakes, when it's medium-rare. What this means is that you should start by relying on the other cues. Be curious, and taste often.

Overcooking is another issue. I can't lie to you; cooking fish is definitely a case where practice makes perfect. That said, if you follow the tips I've just given you and the cues in the recipes, you won't overcook a piece of fish to the extent you can't serve it. I wish I didn't have to make the meat comparison again, but I will. What happens when you overcook that roast? It's dry and chewy enough to keep your molars working for much longer than they should. That won't be the case when you overcook fish; it will just be more dry than you want, and it will have lost the taste of the ocean. But you can still eat it without chewing forever.

If you are very concerned about overcooking, let me give you two pieces of advice. Start with steaming or poaching, since these techniques keep fish moist. Or go with a whole fish-steaming it or putting it in the oven or even on the grill. A whole fish gives you a lot of leeway. You have the skin protecting the fish all around when you cook it, sealing in the natural juices. And you have those bones too. Fish bones may vary in size, but they...