Selecting Your Fish for Cooking

So you want to prepare a fish dish for dinner, what now? One of the first considerations is what type of fish do you want to cook? Consider your budget and availability of the fish you want. Visit your local fish monger or seafood market and view what they have in the counter window. Of course you want fresh fish that is in great shape, but what do you look for to know that it is still fresh?

Sometimes you never know how a fish has been handled and cared for, but there are a few things you can look for to determine if you want the fish. First, when you are selecting your choices, make sure that the fish's eyes are full and prominent with natural color. Next, make sure that the meat flesh is firm and not slimy. Also if the fish is still whole, check the scales to ensure that they are still of natural color and the fins are still stiff. If things factors do not seem right to you, then you may want to pass on that selection and move to the next. You should also give it a sniff test. Fresh fish does not stink, so if the selection you are considering does, then move on to the next. Once you are back home, make sure that your fish is thoroughly cleaned before you start the cooking process.

How to Cook the Fish?
There are several methods of cooking and preparing your catch. Some of the most popular include fried, baked, broiled, boiled and steamed. The method you ultimately choose will need to match the type of fish fillets you will be eating.

• Grilled salmon fillets      
• Fried Grouper Fingers     
• Baked Tilapia with Garlic Butter