Mistakes Made When Cooking Fish
Seafood is luxurious and delicious, but it can be difficult to cook. If you’re interested in preparing a seafood meal for yourself or your family, here are some common mistakes made when cooking fish and how to avoid them:
Many of us worry about consuming undercooked seafood. However, a common mistake made when cooking seafood is overcooking it. Each type of fish varies in cooking time, but no fish should be cooked for longer than 5 minutes on each side. If you cook fish for too long, it becomes dry, bland, and hard. When cooking for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, you cook the fish long enough to maintain the flavors.
When cooking fish, start by cooking with the flesh side down. Some people make the mistake of cooking with the flesh side up, which can cause the fish to break. You also don’t want to adjust the fish too much while it is cooking, as this can also cause it to break into pieces.
Don’t make the mistake of cooking your fish in a semi-hot pan. Fish needs to be cooked on a hot pan in order to be cooked properly. When you’re preheating your pan with oil, start cooking the fish when the oil is shimmering.
Before you even put your fish on the pan, you need to pat it dry. If your fish is wet, it will steam, rather than sear. You want your fish to sear so it has a flaky crust. Keep paper towels on hand when preparing your seafood to make sure it is dry before cooking.
Lastly, avoid salting your seafood too much. Salt is the most popular seasoning for a wide variety of foods, but seafood has a natural saltiness to it. If you marinate your fish using a high-salt marinade, you can ruin the taste of the meat and make it soggy. Limit the amount of salt you use during the preparation process and remember you can always add salt when you’re serving your fish.
Now that you know how to avoid the common seafood cooking mistakes, you’re ready to pick up some fresh seafood at PJ Lobster House. Our seafood market has deliciously fresh seafood available for purchase, so come by 134 Main St. in Port Jefferson, NY, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.!
