Cooking fish

Fish can be fried, baked in the oven or on a grill, boiled, steamed, stewed, smoked, marinated, or prepared raw, but they need to be properly prepared and seasoned. Fresh fish is recognized by its shiny, slippery skin, clear convex eyes, pink gills, and a natural aroma. To ensure that the purchased fish is fresh, place it in a container of cold water; fresh fish will sink, while spoiled fish will float.

Frozen portioned fish (cubes) can be fried or boiled after rinsing, while non-portioned ones need to be slowly thawed first (e.g., in cool sweet milk), but only enough to be divided. Once thawed, fish should not be refrozen. Most sea fish have a fairly strong odor, which can be removed by scraping the cleaned fish with lemon juice, wine vinegar, covering it with chopped vegetables (onion slices, celery, parsley), rubbing it with spices (tarragon, marjoram, basil, thyme), or soaking it in milk with added pepper.

For frying fish, it is best to use fresh low-erucic rapeseed oil or olive oil. The fish will taste better if a piece of butter is placed on it towards the end of frying. Adding some grated Parmesan to the breading will result in a golden color and a crispy texture. Universal seasonings for all fish include pepper, garlic, savory, onion, dill, curry, and for fried and fish salads – also basil and lemon balm.

Fish meat is delicate and easily falls apart during cooking, so it should be placed in boiling salted broth with vegetables, wine, vinegar, or lemon, reduce the heat, and remove from the heat as soon as it becomes tender. Whole fish should be cooked in special elongated tubs with a sieve allowing for gentle fish removal.

To prevent fried fish from falling apart, sauté it after drying it well, dusting it with salt and flour, and immediately frying it for no longer than 2-3 minutes on each side, frozen fillets for 6-7 minutes. The skin of fillets and whole fish should be scored in several places to a depth of about 3mm to prevent the meat from shrinking and distorting. For baking in the oven or on the grill, it is best to tightly wrap the fish in aluminum foil or transparent baking foil. Such baked fish will be juicy.

The taste of fish dishes depends not only on their preparation but also on properly selected, harmonizing additives.

Fish broths and fish soups are served with fish balls, dumplings, pea crisps, and croutons. For hot dishes with boiled fish, potatoes and boiled vegetables or puree, salads, lemon, hot and mayonnaise sauces, and dill, garlic, or lemon butter are suitable. For hot dishes with stewed fish, bread, potatoes in water or rice, dumplings, and salads are appropriate. For hot dishes with fried fish, bread, potatoes and boiled vegetables, fries, hot sauces, and salads are recommended. Cold fish tastes good with sauces: tartar, horseradish, Greek, mustard, lemon, yogurt.

The underwater world is full of strange fish. The flying fish is one of those species that seem to defy gravity. Thanks to special fins, it can lift itself above the water surface for a short distance, creating a spectacular sight. On the ocean floor, there lives the breath-holding fish, which can adapt to conditions with limited oxygen by breathing air. This is an extraordinary adaptation that allows it to survive in challenging environments. In the opposite direction, at the bottom of the ocean, lives the vampire fish, known for its long and sharp teeth, and the ability to pierce the bodies of larger animals to suck their blood. This behavior is one of the more terrifying among marine predators. The frogfish, resembling rockets in appearance, is a master of camouflage. It lives on the seabed and hunts its prey by hiding among rocks, achieving a perfect resemblance to the surrounding environment. On the other hand, the geoduck fish, although more like a clam than a fish, is one of the longest-lived clams. It lives in shallow waters and is known for its length and juicy trunk.

These are just a few of the extraordinary fish that inhabit our waters. Each of them is an example of fascinating adaptations to its environment and evidence of the diversity of underwater life. They remind us of how mysterious and beautiful the world of oceans and rivers is.