Recipe Station

1- Picking The Right Fish

To properly cook fish you first need to pick out your meat. For some unknown reason I have a knack for picking the fish that is about ready to be pulled from the shelf. I get home and go to make it the next day and it is rotten! EWWWWW! Unfortunately I live in the middle of the desert so going to local fresh fish market is just out of the question, so I am left with the super market selection that the teenager behind the meat counter more then likely forgot to put in the refrigeration unit last night! I will pass!

2- Fish Eye Balls

Lets just say that I actually got past the gamble of finding fresh fish and head into the seafood department. I suddenly feel like I am the worst person in the world. It is like a fish morgue! All of those beady lifeless eyes staring back at me just flat out creep me out! Thank goodness that we don't buy our pork, beef and chicken with the eye balls still intact, I would surely become a vegetarian!

3- The Smell

Honestly, when I am making fish the neighbors know what is for dinner. I am pretty positive they can smell it down the block. A pleasant cooking aroma is always welcome, nothing is better then walking in the door and being greeted with a scrumptious aroma of your dinner to be. With fish I feel like my house smells like Shamu's lunch box! By the time you are finished cooking everything has dawned this odor from my hair to my clothing, even the couches. No thank you!

4- Is it Done?

For the life of me I can never tell if my fish is ready. They say it should be flaky, I either have raw or burnt to a crisp. So I typically have one test piece of fish that I cut into numerous times while cooking, the entire time debating when enough is enough. Inevitably, I then ask my Husband what he thinks, which never goes well since he hates seafood. Oh and of course if I do burn it problem #3 becomes even more prominent! The gal in the article below makes it sound so easy. Maybe I can go to her home for my next fish dinner!

Don't Overcook!

There's a delicate balance between perfectly cooked fish and overcooked fish. First of all, remember the principle of residual heat: a pan will hold heat when it's removed from the heat source, continuing to cook the food for several minutes. For best results, cook fish until it's almost done, then remove the pan from the oven, microwave, stovetop or grill and let it stand for a few minutes to finish cooking.

Some fish, especially tuna and salmon, can be served medium rare. I myself do not enjoy fish cooked this way, and serve all of my fish well done, but the choice is up to you.

5- The Disappointment

My fifth and final reason for hating to cook fish is the disappointment. More times then not my end product is close to un-edible so we end up running to a local fast food joint for plan b. Never good for my ego! One particular evening the fish was so horrible that when we offered it to the family cat, she sniffed it and ran! That is just terrible!

Clearly, I have some real issues when it comes to cooking fish. At this point I think I have a mental block with it, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. I still absolutely love to enjoy a fresh seafood dish, just not if I prepared it. We now live in a fish free home, sometimes you just have to throw the towel in. Next time I am in the store and get a wild inclination to attempt my favorite salmon dish I will kindly reference this list. I sure hope you have a better time with fish then I do!

What is the one food that you HATE making? It is okay, we all have at least one!

Check out this small article on how to see if your fish is safe for purchase: About Food