Expert: Jennifer Brizzi - 4/14/2009

Question
Hi Jennifer! Thanks in advance for any advice you can give! I am not a very adventurous eater, but I can certainly say I eat more kinds of food than my fiancee, mainly because he doesn't eat fish and I do. We mostly eat red meat and chicken, and I would like to try to add more fish to my diet to even the balance. My fiancee not only doesn't like fish, but can't stand the smell in our little condo. The smell of even tuna from a can makes him sick to his stomach! What kinds of fish (not shellfish) can I cook, and using what methods, to keep odor down? I have heard using steam bags or sliced lemons (or both) is quite effective, and have heard my future mother-in-law say that tilapia, for example, just "doesn't smell when you cook it." Thanks again for any advice!

Answer
Hi Jessica,

Thanks for your excellent question!

I think there are three keys to avoiding fishy smells when cooking fish:

1. The fish has to be as fresh as possible when you buy it. I don't know what part of the country you live in but if you are far from the source of the fish you may have to stick to frozen. Don't store it for long in the freezer, and thaw it out as close as possible to cooking time. If you are close enough to the ocean to get the fish from a fishmonger, choose carefully. If buying fillets they should look naturally moist and should not be flaking apart anywhere, a sign of dryness and age. Don't be afraid to ask the fishmonger how old the fish is and if he has anything extra fresh. The fresher the sweeter and less fishy-smelling and tasting--always!

2. Choose non-oily fish which don't spoil as fast. Avoid mackerel, tuna and swordfish and stick with mild white fish like sole, flounder, cod or that tilapia your mother-in-law-to-be suggested.

3. For sweetest aroma and flavor, don't overcook. A fillet of fish only needs about ten minutes of cooking per inch of thickness; after this time stick a small knife into the thickest part and pull apart--the fish flesh should have just barely turned opaque. It will continue to cook a little after it comes out of the oven or saute pan.

Cooking in a steam bag or parchment, and using lemon liberally, as you mentioned, are both excellent suggestions as well.

Good luck, Jessica! Let me know how it works out!

Best,

Jennifer

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