Gourmet SA

Cooking Fish Well

By: The Cobbler King

Not a very prepossessing title but all the same an activity that is most often honoured in the breach rather than in the observance. With this article I am going to focus on ‘Preparation and Cooking White Fish Fillets 101’. Why? Well, because most of my friends have very little idea what to do when presented with some fresh fish fillets. While we still have relatively abundant stocks of certain fish and good distribution networks allowing us (even in Johannesburg) to get good quality fresh fish, I feel that the least we can do is make sure that we cook it right. So we’ll start small and I’ll deal with the more complex oily jobs in a later missive.

For us in South Africa the fish most often thought of as an almost national fish (somebody please tell me what our national fish actually is) is the Kingklip. A wonderful firm fleshed white fish that although in itself not overly flavoursome, the Kingklip takes on other flavours in a regal manner. Other types of fish similar to Kingklip include: Kabeljou, very fresh Hake, reef fish such as 74 and Rockcod, Steenbras, Sea Bass, Musselcracker, etc. All listed exampled will provide beautiful fillets that can be prepared for you to order from your friendly fishmonger or bought from a much smaller selection at Woolies in a handy vacuum packed container.

The golden rule with fish is when you get home do NOT wash it. By all means, wipe it down with a damp cloth, but immersing the whole fillet in water will only serve to swell its flesh and dilute its flavour. Right, so you are now almost ready to rock and roll, but before you do remember that the absolute key requirement for cooking fish well, as with humour, is in the timing. Get the timing wrong and your seduction feast or impress a friend meal will disappoint every time.

Once you have got all your trimmings sorted out and nothing left to distract you, only then should you turn to the fish. Question one: Are you going to sauce it? If so, then please make sure that the sauce is appropriate - matching aioli with hake is just a very bad idea. Easy and efficient sauces can be made with lemon and butter, while certain other fruits, like seasonal mangos can be used to create wonderful flavours and contrasting colours. I find that the fish sauces I most often use come from the tome of modern cooking master Rick Steyn. That guy knows his fish sauces! They are easy to follow, don’t have too many ingredients and can often be made a bit in advance of the inevitable pyrotechnics that comes with getting to grips with the actual cooking process.

To prep the fish is simple. I like a mixture of flour and breadcrumbs with a little salt. Make sure that you only dip the fish fillets into this mixture just before you cook it. Shake off any residue before cooking, the object is not to create a thick crust but rather something that when pan fried will crisp up adding texture and flavour and not take away from that wonderful fish texture.

Right … let’s get onto the cooking.

The first - and probably only – unshakable rule is don’t overcook anything! The flesh of white fish is light and cooks quickly. It should be grilled or pan fried at a highish heat so that you can add the major flavour imparted by cooking, that of the caramelized fish flesh, to the dish. I like to pan fry fish fillets in a shallow pan with a small quantity of vegetable oil, a small knob of butter should be added once the first sizzle has been heard (an exact science). You can put the fish in skin up or down, but generally the side that you want presented on the plate should go in first. Don’t move the fish around in the pan (OK, so that is rule number 2 – I lied), let the cooking process work its magic for at least 60 seconds before you move anything then add the butter for another few seconds of sizzle and flip the fish over.

Now onto the million dollar question: when is it done? Personally, I would prefer fish that is slightly juicy rather than overdone but I accept that I am in a minority in this regard. A good test is to use a carving knife with a point and gently slide it into the thickest part of the fillet. If the blade slides in easily then the fish is done. My own test is just when I think that it is underdone, then it is done. It’s a bit Irish but it keeps me on my toes, because once your fish is overcooked there is no recovery, you are dead in the water no matter how hard you try to disguise the fruits of a fruitless labour. Once done, serve immediately. If you leave it in the warming drawer for more than a few minutes it will spoil and so will all that preparation.

So plate up quickly and elegantly, less is usually more with fish. Do not cover the fish in parsley or any other leaves. A piece of lemon is good with the sauce placed under the fish with maybe a few splashes of sauce and good olive oil over the top.

If you follow the process correctly the results will astound you. Friends, family political friends and foes, workmates, gym partners everywhere will look at you in awe, locals will mark your presence with respect and shower you with compliments as you go about your various peregrinations, it is also for the youngster a great mate puller. I love serving fish to my family and friends. By and large it is good for you, one tends not to overeat and it is just so much sexier than a great slab of meat – don’t you think?