Tips on How to Buy and Properly Prepare Fish

The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids have been touted for a number of years. Omega-3 is good for lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and for promoting heart health. (I have even found that additional omega-3 helps to alleviate the arthritis pain in my knees.) We all know that the best source of omega-3 is fish. You can, however, decide that adding more fish to your diet is not that great of an idea, if the fish you bring home is not that good. Even if you do select a good piece of fish, improper cooking can make it bad. Following are some tips that will help on both counts.

Buying fish
When buying whole fish, look for clear eyes, deep red gills, moist scales, and firm flesh.

If you are buying fillets, smell them first. If they smell "fishy," do not buy.

Make fish the last item on your shopping list and get it home as quickly as possible. Refrigerate immediately and cook the same day.

If you must store your fish for more than one day, wash it with cold water and wrap it in plastic. Place the fish on a container of ice in the refrigerator.

Cooking fish
Steaming is good for cod, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, mahi mahi, pollack, red snapper, rockfish, salmon, scrod, sea bass, sole, and walleye. Place the fish on a rack sprayed with a non-stick cooking oil. Put the rack over a pot with one cup of boiling water and cover. Do not remove the lid before the end of the cooking time. Cooking time: 10 minutes. Tip: Use lemongrass tea or water flavored with one tablespoon Dijon mustard, lemon juice, or a mild herb of your choice.

Poaching is a good way to prepare catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, mahi mahi, monkfish, orange roughy, pollack, red snapper, salmon, scrod, sole, whole trout, and walleye. Bring 6 cups water or stock to a boil and allow to boil for five minutes. Add fish, cover with additional liquid if necessary, reduce heat, and simmer. Cooking time: 10 minutes. Tip: Make a marguerita to use for the poaching liquid.

Baking is an ideal way to prepare bluefish, catfish, cod, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, mackerel, mahi mahi, orange roughy, pollack, red snapper, rockfish, salmon, scrod, sea trout, sole, and whole trout. Brush some juice -- lemon, lime, or orange -- onto the fish and then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes. Baste again with the juice and bake for another 6 minutes. Tips: Acidic juices work best with fish. You can also add thin slices of the fruit from your juice to the fish after the second basting in order to bake in a little extra citrus flavor.

Reference:
Rogers, Jean, ed. The Healing Foods Cookbook. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1991.

For some great seafood recipes, visit fellow Associated Content writer Jeffrey Weeks.