Here's how to do it

From storage to cleaning, frying, steaming or deep frying – Kikkoman explains the best ways to prepare fish.

 

I. STORAGE

Ideally, fish shouldn't be bought until the day that you are going to cook it. It can be kept in the refrigerator, though, if you follow certain rules:

Fresh fish
Never leave the fish in its packaging. Always put it in a glass or porcelain bowl covered with foil when you get home and keep it in the fridge.

Frozen fish
Frozen fish can be just as good quality as fresh fish. It is cleaned, filleted and shock-frozen on the trawlers.

Home freezing fish
Clean the fish. Put it in an airtight packaging (freezer bags are best). Oily fish can be kept in the freezer at minus 18 degrees Celsius for up to three months and lean fish for six to eight months. Don't exceed these time limits because the quality and flavour of the fish is impaired if it is stored in the freezer for too long.

Tip! Immerse the fish in 250 g salt and 4 litres of water for 30 seconds before you freeze it. This keeps it firm when it is defrosted.

Defrosting fish
If the fish is small, simply defrost it slightly before you prepare it (e.g. coating it in breadcrumbs). Large fishes should be completely defrosted in the fridge. If fish is defrosted too quickly it loses juices and becomes dry.

 

II. PREPARATION

There are four important stages in the preparation of fish.

Cleaning
First of all, the entire exterior of the fish is washed. Then it is slit open along the stomach and gutted. Important: remove the black visceral tissue because it can make the fish taste bitter and unappetising. Then rinse the fish in water and dab dry. If necessary, remove the scales with the back of a knife. Cut of the tail and back fin with scissors to within 1 cm of the body. Then remove the head. Rinse and dab dry again.

Acidification
Drizzle a little lemon juice onto the fish to bind the proteins and the flesh will stay lovely and firm.

Salting
The fish shouldn't be salted until it is nearly time to cook it, otherwise the salt will draw out too much water and make the flesh dry.

Filleting
Smaller fish are fried or cooked whole; larger ones have to be filleted. How is that done? First of all, cut the fins off the clean and dry fish with a pair of scissors. Then use a sharp knife to separate the fish head from the rump (behind the head or gills, cutting up towards the backbone). Then use a filleting knife to cut the fish along the backbone to the tail, making the cut deep enough for the knife to touch the vertebral joints. Now you can remove the top fillet, starting at the head end. Use a knife to "comb" across the bottom fillet towards the tail. This lifts up the bones. Remove the rest of the bones from the fillet using a pair of tweezers. You can remove the skin by putting the fish on the plate skin side up. Cut a narrow strip of meat off above the skin. Then slide the knife along between the skin and fillet.

 

III. COOKING - FRY, GRILL OR STEAM?

There are lots of different ways to prepare fish.

Baking
If you bake fish in the oven, always wrap it in aluminium foil or cook it in a dish with a lid so that it doesn't dry out. It tastes delicious with a dab of butter, fresh herbs and a little lemon.

Frying
Fried fish is wonderfully tender. It is best to fry it in pure vegetable fat or oils because they don't spit as much. Don't let the fish get too brown, though, otherwise it will taste dry.

Steaming
This method of preparation is very healthy because it doesn't destroy the nutrients and vitamins in the fish. Fish that is cooked in a steamer retains its fine aroma. The structure also remains unchanged because it doesn't have to be turned over. Fish tastes especially delicious if it is placed in the steamer with herbs and spices. When you steam fish it's important not to let the fish come into contact with the liquid and the lid has to remain firmly closed so that the steam cannot escape.

Poaching
This extremely low calorie method of cooking fish involves simmering it in water at a temperature of between 70 and 95 degrees Celsius. This method also ensures that the nutrients remain intact. The lid should remain closed while the fish is cooking. Poached fish tastes delicious served on a bed of vegetables such as carrots, leeks and celery with a dab of butter.

Deep frying
Deep fried fish tastes delicious, but it's full of calories. The fat should be preheated so that the fish doesn't absorb too much of it. The temperature should also be no higher than 180 degrees Celsius to ensure that the fish cooks evenly. Tip! If you coat the fish in breadcrumbs before you deep fry it, it won't disintegrate.

Barbecuing
Barbecued fish is a very low fat food. The fish shouldn't be too close to the charcoal, though, otherwise it will char on the outside and stay raw on the inside. The fish stays nice and moist if it is wrapped in aluminium foil.

Braising
When you braise fish, you have to fry it first and then add liquid before continuing to cook it in the pan or the oven. This method of cooking lets the fish absorb the flavour of the sauce and keeps it nice and moist.