4 Easy, Low-fat Ways to Prepare and Cook Fish

Posted by on Jan 3rd, 2019 in Health | 0 comments

Fish is a versatile ingredient that can be cooked in a variety of ways, and can be used as a low-fat alternative to pork or beef, and sometimes even chicken.

However, because fish have little to no connective tissue or fat, they can be delicate when cooked. Here are a few ways that you can prepare it to get the best results:

1. Marinate it.
The process of marinating adds more flavor and moisture to the fish, as long as you keep the fish sitting in the marinade for no more than 30 minutes.

The marinade can vary in ingredients, but they usually include oil and other acidic ingredients, such as chopped tomatoes, and even lemon juice, along with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Bake your fish.
Cooking your fish in the oven can be an alternative to fried fish that still gives you the satisfying crunch without the fat. Just be sure to keep an eye out for how much butter, mayonnaise, and oil you’re using.

When you do cook fish in the oven, always remember to add a small amount of water or vegetable stock just enough to cover the bottom of the baking pan before covering it in aluminum foil.

3. Pan-fry it.
Pan-fried fish is perhaps the easiest to prepare, and the technique always results in food that is both crispy and tender. Most seafood as well as certain varieties of fish with firm meats, such as cod, can be cut into smaller strips and stir-fried by themselves or with vegetables.

Pan-frying fish also takes less time compared to other methods, as each side will take between four and five minutes to cook.

4. Poach it.
Any fish can be cooked gently in any heated liquid, whether it’s wine, vinegar, fish stock, water, or even milk. The best part about poaching is that you can then use this heated liquid to form the base of your fish sauce.
To poach your fish, be sure to add just enough liquid to cover it and cover the pan with a tight lid. For fillets, cook for eight to ten minutes and fifteen to twenty for whole fish.

When it comes to cooking, always remember the principle of residual heat: when you take the pan away from the stove, the heat will continue to cook the food for several minutes.

The best way to achieve the results you want is by cooking the fish until it’s almost done. After that, remove it from the heat source and let it stand in the pan for the fish to cook on its own.