Sharing here some tips for cooking fish. I, myself practice these all the time.
What are the tips for steaming fish?
When steaming food, always wait for the water in the steamer to come to a boil first before putting in the food to cook. Steaming over high heat allows the steam to quickly coagulate the surface of the fish to lock in the moisture, this helps preserve freshness and flavor.
Spring onion can remove the fishy stench and enhance the aroma of the dish. Place some sectioned spring onion under the fish in the steaming plate to allow hot steam to cook both sides of the fish evenly. This will shorten the cooking time and meanwhile prevent the fish skin from sticking to the steaming plate.
What are the tips for stir-frying fish slices?
When cutting fish for a stir-frying dish, slice fish along the grain so that it doesn’t break apart easily during cooking. Do not slice too thinly.
Fish slices disintegrate easily during stir-frying, thus they are usually coated with a batter such as potato starch and egg white. This gives the fish slices a protective coating so that it doesn’t lose moisture. Scald in hot oil or water to firm up the fish. Scalding in water uses oil and is a healthier way of preparing the fish. When coating with a batter or scalding in oil or water, handle the fish gently to avoid breaking it up.
What is the ideal oil temperature for deep-frying fish?
Slices or pieces of fish are usually battered before deep-frying. Heat oil to 160 degrees C, fry fish over low heat until they float to the surface, then turn up the heat and fry for another 15-20 seconds. To deep-fry a whole fish, heat oil to 160-180 degrees C, fry over medium high heat until the fish floats to the surface, then turn off the heat, wait for a while before continuing to fry over low heat to help prevent the fish from burning, lastly turn up the heat to finish cooking, this helps draw out excess oil in the fish.
