White fish: Accessible and easy to prepare
Whether fresh or frozen, haddock, cod, halibut and sole are all options that cook quickly. These white-fleshed fish are great for weeknight menus, but they’re often criticized for being bland and boring. Enhancing the flavour and varying the textures is easy. Here are 5 tips to put into practice to get everyone at the table ready to dive in.
1. Use what you have on hand for flavouring
The easiest way to personalize a fish dish is to add flavour by going through your spices and pantry ingredients. Aniseed profiles such as fennel seeds and fresh or dried tarragon are classics, as are tangy and citrusy flavours. Curry and other Indian spices also work very well, and a blend of Thai spices is a great addition to grilling.
2. Serve with a dip
Sometimes all you have to do is open the fridge door to find all the condiments you need to make a dip or a cold sauce such as tartar sauce, made with mayonnaise, capers and pickles. It can be as simple as combining mustard and honey for a sweet and sour taste, or mixing Greek yogurt, lemon juice and herbs to add tangy flavour and freshness to every bite.
3. Prepare it in a sauce
Hollandaise, béarnaise, chimichurri, mushroom or tomato-based: There are so many sauces that are perfect for accompanying fish to give it character. The warmed versions, which can be reduced to make them thicker, are synonymous with comfort and have the advantage that you can put frozen fish fillets directly into them without having to thaw them first.
4. Serve breaded or coated
It’s not just the taste, but also the texture that sometimes makes white fish fall into the unloved food category. To improve the experience, breading it is a great option. Panko breadcrumbs provide a crispy texture that contrasts with the flaky, softer or firmer texture of fish. And the good news is that you don’t have to make a fish and chips recipe for it to be good. Shortcuts are possible, such as coating fish with a walnut crust or a puffed rice (Rice Krispies) crust.
5. Break it up
A fish steak that takes up all the space on a plate can be intimidating for some people. We tend to forget that once cooked, its flesh flakes easily with a fork, so why not take advantage of that and serve it as a garnish to a fresh salad. Once in pieces, it is the perfect complement to couscous. It can also be used as a protein in vol-au-vents or tacos.
Baking or pan-frying?
It is best to cook thinner fish in a pan, especially sole, as its cooking time is relatively short. The rule of thumb is that the pan has to be very hot to prevent the flesh from sticking and falling apart. Thicker fresh fish can also be browned in a pan, as is done in restaurants. For frozen varieties (of medium thickness or more), opt for cooking it in the oven on a baking sheet, or in an air fryer, since thicker fish tolerate intense heat well. In any case, using a spatula to handle the fish is preferable to tongs given the delicacy of the flesh.