06/07/2020

Fish isn’t just for Fridays

Every time I travel to a Mediterranean country, I find it is very easy to enjoy fish and seafood almost daily due to its availability and how it is so well integrated into the diet of the people.  I guess eating seaside, a thing you can do on any part of the Mediterranean coastline, is all part of the romance too.

Here in Australia, it seems to stop at ‘fish n chip’ Friday and we tend to avoid incorporating fish meals into the rest of the week. I think there are several reasons for this. One is that for many it is a religious observance to not eat meat on Fridays, although I would say this has evolved into a habit and an easy, relaxed option to not cook at the end of the week by ordering from the local fish n chip shop instead. Secondly, sometimes it’s a struggle to find a local fishmonger but I think that one of the biggest factors is that there is definitely a general lack of confidence in cooking fish.

Peninsula Fresh Seafood

There are loads of good reasons to eat more fish. Nutritionally, it’s a high protein, low fat food rich in omega three that ticks so many boxes as a good food choice. It is really quick to cook when you know how and we are really spoilt for choice for quality fish here in Australia both deep sea and freshwater varieties – we are surrounded by water, after all!

I also am an advocate of introducing kids to fish early – and not just boneless boring ol’ flake! Teach them to learn to deal with the bones by first choosing fish with larger bones (like snapper) so they can learn to navigate their way. It is worth it!

Now, back to cooking it. The most essential starting point is finding that good fish supplier. It does depend on where you live. Ideally, a market is the best source, and I love to buy straight from the supplier when I can, but most food malls have dedicated fish shops and nowadays even the supermarket can help. The important thing is to buy from a store that has a good turnover and always ask if the fish is fresh rather than frozen and thawed. Also aim to cook it on the day you buy it, so it’s as fresh as possible.

Cooking fish is actually quicker and simpler than cooking most meats and if you master just three cooking methods your fish repertoire will expand easily.

Pan Frying 

Crisp Skin Fish with Capers, Pine Nuts and Garlic Spinach

Whether you use fillets, fish steaks or small whole fish, I like to keep the skin on for a crispy texture. Firstly, run your knife along the skin to remove any excess moisture and pat it dry with paper towel – this helps it become more crispy when cooking. You can either then coat it in flour or just season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a little olive oil or butter in heavy based pan and when sizzling, add the fish, skin side down and cook for 2-3 minutes. Use a spatula to press the fish down as it’s cooking. Sometimes I gently press the fish with the base of another pan to keep it flat and crisp the skin. Flip it over and cook a further 2 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. This, of course, will vary with the thickness of the fish, and the type of fish you are cooking. If you want a rare salmon or tuna, then you need to adjust the cooking time.  The main thing is, pay attention – with practice you will learn when the fish is just right for you.

Then finish the fish off simply with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil, a bit of sweet chilli sauce, some tartare or you can get more fancy with a more complex sauce.

Deep Frying

Battered Fish and Prawns

While I do have a fabulous local fish n chip shop to call up when I have that craving for crisply cooked seafood, I do also love making it at home with my no fail beer batter.

The first step is to prepare the fish and seafood by cutting it into similar size pieces – around the size of the prawns, if you are having them. Pat them dry and get all your utensils ready. I use a wok filled with a deep pool of extra light olive oil for frying, together with a Chinese frying basket, but a deep pot also does the trick. Have a plate lined with paper towel ready for draining the fish and put the oven on 100°C if you want to keep it warm.

Whisk up the beer batter, just before you are going to use it – 1 cup self-raising flour to 1 cup beer (or you can use soda water) and add a teaspoon of salt.

Heat the oil until it’s rippling. Lightly coat the seafood in the batter using your fingers, then gently drop into the oil, frying in batches until golden. It is important not to overcrowd the pan as this will reduce the temperature of the oil and you will get soggy fish n chips which is NOT good! Then fry away, turning as necessary, but don’t stir the oil too much, this too cools it down. Drain well and serve with lemon wedges and an assortment of sauces, like mayonnaise, tartare, seafood cocktail sauce, sweet chilli or even a chimmichurri.

Roasting

Roast Trout with Ginger, Sesame and Coriander

If you are worried about the ‘messiness’ of frying fish, then oven-roasting it is for you. For whole fish, make sure they are well scaled, pat dry and cut a few incisions into the skin on each side. Fill the cavity with a sprinkle of lemon juice, sliced lemons or limes, spring onions and/or fresh herbs. Season, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes for a whole trout or medium snapper size – 45 minutes or longer for a larger fish. Use a fork to check if the fish is cooked right down to the bone, flaking easily. Again, if you are going for medium rare then less cooking time is needed.

Once the fish is roasted, I usually drizzle with olive oil mixed with aromatics – capers, spring onions, mustard for a European flavour; ginger, garlic, chilli, sesame, coriander for an Asian twist; chermoula for Moroccan; basil pesto for Italian…etc.

Garnish with a bundle of herbs and it’s a beautiful thing!

(And a last tip…if the smell of cooked fish in the house puts you off…then just burn one of those smelly candles, open the windows and sit back and enjoy your delicious fish dinner!)

THIS WEEK in my COOK-ALONG on Thursday 9 July 6pm AEST

We will be cooking Crispy Skin Salmon on Cauliflower Purée with Basil Almond Butter Sauce with some Roasted Fennel.

BOOK ONLINE HERE 

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Melissa Matheson
Melissa Matheson
20:44 14 Sep 22
We organised a virtual cook-a-long for our team with Naomi which was absolutely fantastic. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the session, Naomi is very engaging and has an absolute zest for inspiring others to find their finesse is the kitchen.
Cate Tibbertsma
Cate Tibbertsma
14:07 10 Sep 21
I enjoy Naomi's online cooking classes immensely. The classes are well-organised with all relevant information sent in advance so that the cook-along runs smoothly. Naomi is an engaging teacher and generously shares her knowledge and skill with the class; her recipes are easy to master and . many of them have become family favourites in my home.
Lisa Anderson
Lisa Anderson
02:23 06 Sep 21
I was fortunate enough to enjoy a few hours cooking with Naomi and some friends (virtually) last Sunday. What a delightful way to spend a few hours pulling together a delicious meal. Naomi made the whole experience so easy from booking, organising ingredients right through to putting the meal on the table. I loved hearing about her experiences of both the food we were cooking (Moroccan chicken) but also the places she had been. Oh and my family- being the beneficiary of a new take on Sunday night dinner were happy too. I would highly recommend this experience.
Sharon Thomson
Sharon Thomson
03:34 05 Sep 21
Naomi’s Cook-Along sessions are always fun and extremely informative. Ask Naomi anything about ingredients, food and wine and she will impart a world of wisdom. Not to mention the dish made in just an hour - so delicious and such a breeze online in the session. Thanks Naomi 😊
Carol Benson
Carol Benson
04:44 17 Aug 21
Naomi’s cooking classes are such fun plus they are improving my cooking skills. All the meals I have prepared with the classes are so flavoursome and have appealed to all the family (including a fussy teenager). All are on my ‘will make again’ list. I particularly like the extra little tips we get from Naomi – these tips are what helps a good cook become a great cook. Thanks Naomi
Jan Matheson
Jan Matheson
04:05 17 Aug 21
I've completed several of Naomi's Cookalong sessions and always learn new tips. The sessions are fun and we accomplish a delicious meal in 1 1/2 hours. Looking forward to more sessions.
Lorraine Aspinall
Lorraine Aspinall
09:13 13 Aug 21
“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.” Naomi brings joy to the art of cooking and sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience. Looking forward to joining more cook along sessions. Thank you Naomi!
Andrea Wood
Andrea Wood
00:04 12 Aug 21
Hats off to Naomi, she has absolutely mastered the presentation of her easy and delicious recipes in her classes on zoom.This was our first zoom class and we were really impressed. Naomi gave an immersive experience, enthusiastically sharing her knowledge and tips along the way and at the end of the class, we had a finished impressive meal, ready to sit down and enjoy.Naomi’s classes are a fab way to prepare your evening meal in a social environment and all while increasing your confidence and prowess in the kitchen. Now that’s an absolute win in our book.Thank you Naomi. You’ll be seeing us again in your Zoom kitchen. :)
River P
River P
11:45 27 Oct 20
Who would have thought Thursday nights would become a highlight of the week! These cooking classes are great fun and set an easy pace. You start at 6pm, relax with a wine with a great group while things bubble away, and you'll have a fab dinner on the table by 7pm - and it really will look amazing as Naomi also shows how to present things beautifully. I thought I'd have to do a lot of prep before the classes as I'm a slow cook, but it's not the case. You really do cook along easily in the hour and can ask for tips and questions all along the way. I've loved learning everything from restaurant style duck to Persian rice pilaf. I also highly recommend the leisurely Sunday slow cooks - you'll have a beautiful Sunday lunch and pro tips for leftovers. Think slow roast Greek lamb, then souvlaki with the leftovers and you know you'll be happy!
Luke Todd
Luke Todd
02:28 26 Oct 20
Naomi's online cooking classes are so fun and the food is delicious. Can't recommend highly enough. Book yourself in for a class, you'll be glad you did!
Sharon Tein
Sharon Tein
02:51 11 Sep 20
Great fun classes full of tasty food and all within an hour! Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
Loredana De Simone-Rybka
Loredana De Simone-Rybka
08:53 20 Jul 20
Highly recommend doing Naomi’s online cook along, it was such a great experience. Loved learning new recipes and learning new cooking tips along the way. Enjoyed making a few meals together with a great group of people and the food was absolutely delicious. Look forward to doing more classes. Thank you for creating this wonderful experience bringing foodies together sharing knowledge in cooking good simple, wholesome and delicious food. It was so much fun.
Aliki Zouliou
Aliki Zouliou
10:13 26 Jun 20
Cooking can sometimes be a chore for me but Naomi's cook-along classes have been so much fun! With her guidance I was able to whip up delightful meals that I normally wouldn’t have attempted, ready right in time for dinner – AND enjoyed by all the family!I found it was easy to multi-task when listening to voice instructions during the classes and being able to glance over at the screen at any time allowed me to visually check that I was on track. It was also reassuring having Naomi there ‘live’ in my kitchen to answer any questions along the way.Looking forward to the next Thursday night cook-along!!!
Patricia Colaci
Patricia Colaci
08:35 26 Jun 20
Thanks Naomi for another great, fun Cook-Along session last night. We always look forward to our Thursday night Foodcentric Cook-Alongs. The Moroccan Lamb Tagine was absolutely scrumptious and even had leftovers for today 😋 Looking forward to next week session - Surprise Mozzarella Meatballs & Brie & Garlic Bread. 😊
Julie Hughes
Julie Hughes
00:00 24 Jun 20
Best $20 ever invested in myself. This was my first on line zoom class, I was not sure what to expect. I found myself completely immersed in the experience. Fantastic collegiate experience, lovely to meet others over zoom and such fun!. Really helpful to be cooking with an expert. I learnt simple ways of tweaking dishes, so helpful! The class was structured and very easy to follow and to be honest it made cooking this family meal effortless. I was sad when the hour was up but very proud of what I created. I am a convert now! Naomi was very generous and thoughtful in the way she provided a shopping list before hand and the menu. Perfect for people who love to cook, want to learn more skills. For those who can't get out this online format provides some great social engagement and something to look forward to. Just do it!
Ursula Czubala
Ursula Czubala
23:36 23 Jun 20
Cooking classes with Naomi are fun, relaxed and educational! My favourite part of these classes, is I'm cooking from my own kitchen (don't go anywhere!), and I get to eat dinner with my family straight after the 1 hour session is done at 7pm. They're affordable and something to look forward to each week. Thanks Naomi!
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