In the last class we learned how to make vegetables absolutely delicious. Now, what to serve with those fabulous veggies? Well, I wanted to keep on this healthy eating theme, so today we will learn how to sauté and grill fish fillets.
Before we start cooking, I want to give some tips on choosing truly fresh fish and how to store it. When buying fish, there should be absolutely no fishy smell. Fresh fish should have the scent of sweet cucumber. If you walk up to a fish counter and it smells like a pier, run away as fast as you can! If you are buying skin-on fish, make sure that there are no scales missing. Color is another important factor. White fish should be bright white with a slight pinkish hue. Salmon should be a vibrant red as should be Ahi. When you press on a piece of uncooked fish, the flesh should bounce back. Fresh fish can stay in your fridge for up to three days. If you do need to freeze it, wrap tightly in plastic three times and put in freezer on a plate, this will help the delicate flesh from becoming freezer burned.
Okay, now that we can buy fresh fish and properly store it, let’s get cooking!
To sauté two fish fillets you will need: a large, oven safe, sauté pan, two tablespoons canola oil, salt and pepper.
First preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Remove fish from the wrappers and pat both sides dry with a paper towel. You don’t want a piece of wet fish to go into hot oil; it will cause popping and splattering. Salt both sides of the fish, but do not pepper it yet. Why? Because the pepper will burn in the hot sauté pan and become very bitter.
Next, put the sauté pan over medium heat WITHOUT the oil. We want the pan to get hot before we add the oil. Let the pan sit over the heat for a minute then add in the two tablespoons of canola oil. Now let the oil sit in the pan for about two minutes. When you see a wisp of smoke coming from the pan it is time to add the fish. It is very important that when you put the fish in the pan, that you put it in presentation side down. This means you put the best looking side of the fish in the pan first. We do this so when we serve it, the fish is not only delicious tasting, but also delicious looking.
Once the fish is in the pan, let it cook two minutes and don’t move it! Moving it around will only cause the fish to stick to the pan and tear apart. After two minutes, slightly shake the pan, if the fish moves around it is ready to flip. If it doesn’t, cook for one more minute and shake again. Once you have flipped the fish, pepper the top of fish and put the pan into your preheated oven. Cook for about four more minutes. You will know it is cooked through when the center of the fish is firm to the touch.
Once the fish is cooked, you can brush with a glaze, olive oil or add a squeeze of fresh lemon. I like to put three tablespoons of unsalted butter into a sauce pan with the juice of one lemon. Once it is melted, I add fresh chopped herbs and I brush this on the fish.
Next we will grill the fish fillets. For grilling you will need: a clean towel, spray oil, canola oil, salt and pepper. You want to grill fish over live heat with no flame. What does that mean? Live heat is when your coals have stopped burning and they are glowing red. If using propane, you want to get the grilling rods as hot as possible with a high flame and then turn down flame once fish is on the grill so it is not touching the fish. That is one of the keys to successfully grilling fish, super-hot grilling rods.
While grill is heating, remove fish from wrapper and dry both sides with paper towel. Lightly brush both sides of fish with canola oil and then salt and pepper. Once grill is hot, coat towel with spray oil and wipe the grilling rods, this will help keep the fish from sticking. Now, put the fish on the grill and let it cook two minutes. Again, do NOT move it. After two minutes, move the fish in a ¼ turn. This will give you those fabulous grill marks. Once turned, let it cook for two more minutes and then flip over. Repeat the same process on the other side. If after you have cooked both sides, it is not done, simply close the lid on your grill and let cook for another minute or two. There you have it, perfectly grilled fish!
Remember, you want to be a minimalist with fish. The idea is to let that super fresh seafood speak for itself. You don’t want to disguise the flavor with a lot of heavy sauces, etc. Now that you know how to cook it, eat more of it! As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious flavor.
Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.