Buying it
Fresh fish smells like clean seawater, and a sour or ammonia smell means it is old. The flesh should look moist and spring back when pressed. Frozen fish deserves more respect than it gets, because most of it is frozen within hours of being caught, and much of the fish on ice at the counter was previously frozen anyway. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or seal it in a bag and submerge it in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes. Cook fresh or thawed fish within a day or two. Salmon, cod and tilapia are easy places to begin.
Crisp skin in a pan
- Pat the fillets very dry on both sides, and salt them just before cooking.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Lay each fillet in skin side down, and press it flat with a spatula for ten seconds so that the skin does not curl.
- Leave it alone for four to six minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh has turned opaque most of the way up the sides.
- Flip it once, and cook it for one to two minutes more.
Fish that sticks is usually fish that was moved too soon. It releases from the pan by itself once the surface has browned.
The oven method
For skinless fillets and for anyone nervous about the stove, the oven is nearly foolproof. Heat it to 400 degrees, put the fish on an oiled sheet pan, brush it with oil or melted butter, and season it with salt and pepper. A fillet one inch thick takes 10 to 12 minutes, and a thin fillet of tilapia or sole takes six to eight. Lay lemon slices on top if you like.
Knowing when it is done
The USDA's safe temperature for fish is 145 degrees, measured in the thickest part. At that point the flesh has turned from translucent to opaque and separates into flakes when you press it with a fork. Check early, because a fillet goes from done to dry in about two minutes, and it keeps cooking for a minute after it leaves the heat.
The smell
Fresh fish cooked quickly leaves very little behind. Run the fan, open a window, wash the pan right after dinner, and take the wrapping out to the trash that night.
Tip A spoonful of mayonnaise brushed thinly over a fillet before baking keeps it moist and browns well, and nobody will taste it.
