> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
> | > | |||
Catfish, channel | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Catfish meat is translucent, and turns opaque when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: Catfish has a mild taste, with a touch of sweetness. The texture is firm and slightly flaky. Suggestions: Often prepared with a classic Catfish recipe, it is dusted lightly with cornmeal, then fried in vegetable oil, and served with hush puppies. Catfish can be grilled, and broiled, along with just about any preparation with the exception of roasting. Try a range of flavorings, from mild to strong; the flesh of the Channel Catfish can handle them all. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Cod, Atlantic | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Atlantic Cod's translucent white meat consists of large flakes joined by connective tissue. When cooked, the meat turns opaque. Uncooked Cod meat isn't as firm as Haddock. Flavor/Texture Profile: Cod meat has a flaky texture and a mild delicate flavor. Suggestions: Cod can be boiled, baked, broiled, sauted, steamed or deep-fried, but it isn't a good grilling fish because the meat flakes easily. Smoked Cod can be substituted for Haddock in finnan haddie. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Cod, Pacific | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Raw Cod meat is off-white to white. Skinless fillets often have a pink tinge. When cooked, the meat is white. Flavor/Texture Profile: Pacific Cod meat is slightly sweet and firm, though not as firm as Haddock, and has a nice flake. Suggestions: Pacific Cod lends itself to various preparations. It cooks quickly and benefits from moist heat. Cod can be baked sauted, steamed, poached or deep-fried. For a quick and easy preparation, place Cod fillets in 1/8 in. of wine or water and brush with oil, then broil until meat flakes readily and is no longer translucent. Cod is not a good choice for grilling, because its flesh flakes too easily. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Flounder, Dab | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The raw meat is white with perhaps a pinkish tinge. It is white when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: Flounder has a nice, mild flavor and a pleasing firmness. The flake is small. Suggestions: Thick, meaty fillets of Flounder can be poached, sauted, baked and broiled - as long as the meat is continually basted. The delicate flesh is ideal for sauces and stuffings. Be careful no to overcook. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Flounder, Lemon Sole | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The raw meat is usually very white, though fillets from the back or dark side of the fish might have dark coloring. The meat cooks up an opaque white. Flavor/Texture Profile: The flavor is mild and somewhat sweet. Though fine-flaked, the meat is coarser than that of other flatfish and not as soft. Suggestions: Because Lemon Sole fillets are usually thicker and meatier than other East Coast flatfish, they can be grilled or pan-fried. The Flounder is good sauted, baked, or broiled. However when it is cooked, make sure the meat doesn't dry out. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Flounder, Rock Sole | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The raw flesh has an off-white or cream color and remains off-white when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: The flavor is slightly sweet, and the texture is tender but firm. Suggestions: Rock sole is a delicate tasting fish, so you have to be careful not to overpower its natural flavor with strong sauces. If you bake Rock Sole, be sure to keep basting the meat to prevent it from drying out. Rock sole is also good sauted. It's recommended that fillets be undercooked, as the meat continues to cook after it leaves the pan. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Flounder, Yellowtail | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The raw flesh is slightly milk-colored but cooks up white. Flavor/Texture Profile: Yellowtail is mild tasting, slightly sweet, with a soft texture and a small flake. Suggestions: Yellowtail fillets are boneless and lend themselves to many preparations. Yellowtail sauts well and is good poached or braised. This is not a good fish to grill because the flesh is so delicate. When baking Yellowtail, as with most flatfish, use sauce, liquid, or moist vegetables to keep the meat from drying out. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Haddock | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The raw meat is white and lean and cooks up even whiter. Flavor/Texture Profile: Haddock has a delicate and slightly sweet taste. The texture is firm and tender, and has a fine flake. Suggestions: Haddock can be cooked as whole fish, fillets or steaks. The same recipes that work for Cod are good for Haddock. Haddock fillets can be sauted, while all Haddock is good in soups and stews. New Englanders consider Haddock the best fish for chowders. Haddock is good poached and excellent for pan-frying. Haddock frames make fine stock. Smoked Haddock with the bone in is said to have a superior flavor to boneless smoked fillets. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Hake, Atlantic | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The Hake's off-white flesh becomes clear white when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: Though mild, the flavor is somewhat stronger than that of Cod. The lean, moist meat is slightly coarser than Cod and breaks into large flakes. Suggestions: Hake is an inexpensive fish that can be baked, fried, used in stews, or added to fish stock. When boiling Hake, try lightly salting the fish a few hours before for additional flavor and to firm up the flesh. Hake can be substituted in preparations calling for Cod. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Hake, Pacific | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The raw flesh of Pacific whiting is off-white and remains so when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: The flavor of Pacific whiting is mild and similar to the flavor of Cod. It's a soft, moist, lean meat though slightly coarser than Cod. Suggestions: Pacific whiting is used in soup and stews and is good fried or with sauces. For a quick and easy meal, broil the fish with a lemon-butter mixture or just a bit of oil. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Hake, other | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Argentine Hake has a pinkish coloring and cooks up paper white. Chilean Hake also has a pinkish color but cooks up white. Hake is white in its raw form and cooks up very white. Flavor/Texture Profile: Argentine Hake has a mild flavor and a somewhat firm texture. Cape Capensis Hake also has a mild flavor and is firm. Chilean Hake is sweet, somewhat firm, and flakes. Suggestions: Hakes are good fish to fry or saut, and work well with sauces. They can also be poached, steamed, or baked. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Halibut, Pacific | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Fresh meat is white and firm. The meat holds together well, and bones are easy to see. When cooked, the meat loses its glossy appearance but remains firm. Flavor/Texture Profile: Halibut is a mild-tasting, lean fish that dries out easily when overcooked. Meat from larger fish may have a slightly coarse texture. Suggestions: Pacific halibut can be broiled, grilled, baked, sauted, poached, or steamed. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Mackerel, Atlantic | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The soft and oily gray or occasionally pinkish flesh turns off-white and firms up when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: The cooked meat is firm and flaky, and the taste is variously described as mild or strong and fishy. Suggestions: Mackerel is considered one of the more healthful fish because it's high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Because of the oil content, the fish is best grilled or broiled but can also be baked or poached. Europeans temper the pronounced flavor of Mackerel by serving it with a sharp acidic sauce such as gooseberry or unsweetened cranberry sauce. A lime marinade before cooking also smoothes the taste and firms and whitens the meat. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Orange Roughy | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The meat of raw Orange Roughy is pearly white and cooks up to an opaque white. Flavor/Texture Profile: Orange Roughy has a mild, delicate flavor and moist, medium texture with a course flake. Suggestions: The fillet of Orange Roughy is tolerant of most cooking methods, except deep-frying. It's forgiving to the cook who isn't familiar with seafood preparation. The meat works well with almost any seasoning or sauce. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Perch, Atlantic ocean | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The flesh is white, though not as light as cusk or Cod. It turns opaque when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: Ocean Perch is mild tasting and has a tender, somewhat firm, finely flaked texture. Suggestions: Ocean Perch can be sauted, baked, broiled, poached or steamed. The firm texture of the meat works well in soups, stews, and chowders. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Perch, Pacific ocean/rockfish | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Rockfish Perch flesh is off-white with reddish tinges. The meat turns snow white when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: Though there are subtle differences among the species, rockfish flesh is lean, firm and big-flaked with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Suggestions: Rockfish takes well to frying, poaching, simmering, steaming, sauting (because of its firm flesh), and baking, which is considered an excellent way to cook this fish. Fillets might not be sturdy enough to grill. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Pollock, Alaska | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Alaska Pollock's flesh is whiter and leaner than Atlantic Pollock's. The meat becomes opaque when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: The flavor of the lean meat is mild and similar to Cod's. The texture is soft, though a little coarse, and the flake is smaller than Cod's. Suggestions: Alaska Pollock can be baked, broiled, steamed, poached, or sauted. It's also a good product for traditional fish and chips. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Salmon, Atlantic | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The flesh of wild Salmon is orange to red but not pale, and orange to red when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: The flavor of Atlantic Salmon is milder and more delicate than that of wild fish. The flesh is oily, though not as oily as the chinook's or king's. It is moist, with a large flake. Suggestions: Bake, broil, poach, or grill steaks, fillets, and whole fish. Fillets are pleasing to the eye and should be used with recipes that show off the fish. With the Atlantic Salmon's delicate flavor, avoid accompanying flavors that overpower the fish. Sliced cucumbers, new potatoes, and mayonnaise are ideal. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Salmon, chum | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Raw meat is orange, pink, or red. The exact color depends on where the fish was caught. Flavor/Texture Profile: Chum Salmon has a mild, not to oily flavor, and the meat is firm. Suggestions: Chum Salmon can be baked, broiled, poached, sauted, or grilled. However, since chum is a lean fish, it doesn't grill or broil as well as fattier Salmon. It's better to use chum with recipes designed to help the fish retain its moisture. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Salmon, Coho | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The meat of the Coho is orange-red to red, but not as dark as Chinook's When cooked, the meat holds its color. The flesh of the smaller pan-sized Coho is a pale pink. Flavor/Texture Profile: Coho is mild tasting and firm, but the pan-sized variety has a more delicate flavor and texture. Suggestions: Since the flesh of the Coho has less oil than other Salmon, it's better to use indirect heat for cooking, such as poaching, braising, and covered baking. If it's poached, try serving it with green mayonnaise. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Salmon, pink | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: This Salmon's flesh is pink, though paler than the meat of other types of Salmon. Flavor/Texture Profile: The pink Salmon is a generally lean and mild-flavored. The meat is low in oil and small-flaked. Suggestions: This fish can be grilled, broiled, poached, baked, or sauted. Do to a low fat content it does not grill as well as other Salmon. Due to the leanness of the meat it's important not to let it dry out. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Salmon, Sockeye | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The meat is the reddest of all Salmon, with a bright red or bright orange-red color. Flavor/Texture Profile: This fish carries a large amount of fat, lending the meat a nice, rich flavor, and firm texture. Suggestions: Salmon is a healthful fish that's rich in Omega-3 oils. It can be baked, broiled, poached, sauted, or grilled. Steaks or fillets should be marinated for a couple of hours before grilling. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Swordfish | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: Swordfish steaks have a whirling pattern. The Swordfish steaks flesh color varies according to diet and region where it was caught. The coloring can be pink, white, gray, or orange, but turns beige when cooked. Flavor/Texture Profile: Meat is lean, slightly sweet, and firm. Suggestions: Swordfish is most popular grilled in 1 1/4 inch thick steaks. Try basting with olive oil and lemon juice first. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Trout, rainbow | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Preparation | ||||||||||||||
Appearance: The rainbow Trout's flesh color is white, pink, or orange. When the meat is cooked, the color pales. Flavor/Texture Profile: Rainbow Trout have a mild delicate taste (some describe it as mild and nutty) and a flaky texture. Suggestions: Rainbow Trout are just the right size for individual servings. They can be grilled, baked, broiled, poached, deep-fried, and sauted. The delicate taste of the fish shouldn't be overpowered with strong sauces. A little butter, lemon, and parsley is enough for many people. |
||||||||||||||
Return to Top | ||||||||||||||
Information taken from The Complete Seafood Handbook, published by Seafood Business. | ||||||||||||||