Cooking can be one of the best stress relievers after you come back from work and there is always something different when you decide to cook various Fish and seafood. By just talking about it, you can taste the rich lemony taste and the beautiful exotic smell. Here are some tips for the newcomers, so that they may surprise their loved ones. 

Buying Fresh

There is a considerable difference between buying packed, already processed fish, and fresh fish. It would be ideal for you to buy the fish from local markets, thus you will get rid of the middleman, making the food safer and cheaper. You should avoid your normal food shop because it’s unlikely to be as fresh. If you do buy frozen fish, be sure that the packaging isn’t ripped or crushed and that it’s not torn. When fish starts to thaw, it becomes a health concern to eat it. Avoid any frozen fish that has ice crystals on it, since this might indicate that the fish has been thawed and then refrozen. 

How to Store and Handle

Cleanliness: When working with fish, a clean working environment is critical for preventing infection. Hands should be properly washed before and after handling raw fish. After being exposed, the workspace, cutting boards, and utensils must be completely washed with hot soapy water and should not be used for other meals until they are thoroughly cleansed. This will prevent bacteria from spreading from the fish to other foods.

You should buy fresh fish just before leaving the supermarket so it won’t be exposed to dangerous temperatures and external factors. To prevent any spillage from contaminating other meals, place it in a plastic bag. The fish must be maintained at a temperature below 40°F to retain its quality. It should be carried home and chilled as soon as possible after purchase. The temperature in your refrigerator should be at or below 40° F (4° C), and the temperature in your freezer should be at or below 0° F (-18° C). You can use a freezer alarm to monitor the temperature and protect your seafood especially if you have a bulk quantity of expensive seafood. You can check out these freezer alarm recommendations if you don’t already have one. To avoid contamination when preparing and serving fish, the flesh must be handled carefully. Unless the platter and cooking tools were completely cleaned and dried after contact with raw fish, use a different platter and cooking utensils for cooked fish than for raw fish. Make sure raw fish doesn’t come into touch with cooked meals or items that don’t need to be cooked before eating, such as raw vegetables and fruit. 

How to Prepare It

When you want to cook at home: 

1. Using a paper towel, dab all sides down. Even a tiny bit of moisture will prevent the fish from developing the crispy, golden-brown coating that you desire. Also, don’t handle fish the same way you would meat. Only lightly touch it.
2. It’s essential to use the correct sort of pan at the right temperature. Heat a cast-iron skillet or a blue steel pan to a high temperature, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and a large sprinkle of salt. Remove the skillet from the heat and wipe the oil and salt from the pan with a paper towel. Fish cooks rapidly, and when it can be taken from the pan without flaking apart, you know it’s thoroughly seared.
3. Because fish is so delicate, its amazing tastes may easily be overwhelmed. Seasoning like salt, pepper, and herbs, or lemon juice will do the trick, and they will do it well. When fish is of good quality and cooked properly, less seasoning is required. Keep in mind that you may always add more.
4. If you’re new to cooking fish, start with thick, high-quality 1″+ fillets of cod, halibut, or salmon. Ask anyone in the fish market or grocery store for assistance; they’ll be able to provide you with valuable information and lead you on the correct path.
5. Apply even, hard pressure to the fillet with a fish spatula, skin-side down, until it rests flat. Press down on it until it’s nearly opaque and cooked, with a tiny raw spot in the center. The uncooked side should only be cooked for approximately a minute.

When it comes to other seafood one of the best ways to prepare most of them is steaming. Steaming is a low-fat, fat-free cooking method that preserves food’s natural moisture. This method transfers heat to and cooks a meal by using steam from a boiling liquid (typically water or seafood broth Because there is a safe distance between the food and the heat source, it is an ideal choice for preparing delicate shellfish because it helps to prevent drying. Unlike poaching or boiling, steaming preserves delicious fluids and nutrients inside the seafood instead of allowing them to escape into the cooking liquid.

Hopefully, these tips helped you prepare delicious food for yourself and your family.