Whether you fancy testing some exotic tilapia fish recipes or perhaps a delicious baked catfish recipe, you might think that baking fish is easy. It is indeed an uncomplicated way of cooking fish but there are a few tips and tricks you should know, to guarantee your baked fish recipes turn out great.

You can bake whole fish, fish fillets or steaks and seafood in the oven. Baking fish cooks it quickly at a high temperature.

Baking is a very popular way of cooking fish and many fish recipes call for it to be baked in the oven. People tend to worry about their fish drying out and how to prevent that from happening. If you leave your fish in the oven for even a few minutes too long, this might mean the difference between a moist piece of fish and a slightly dried out one. When fish dries out, this means the natural fish oil has gone. You need to check the fish often when it is cooking and remember that it keeps cooking for a couple of minutes after you remove it from the oven.

Selecting and Preparing Fish for Baked Fish Recipes

When you purchase a fish, there are a few things to look out for here are just a few. The gills should be red or pink and the eyes should appear bright, clear and be slightly protruding. If the gills are gray and the eyes are pink, cloudy, or sunken, it is stale and you should choose a different fish.

Whether you are shopping for fish to make cheesy baked cod fish recipes or herby tilapia fish recipes, you should follow the same rule: if you use very fresh fish, your recipe has more chance of being a great success.

In order to get the best results from your baked fish recipes, you need to make sure the fish is defrosted properly. Frozen fish is just as nutritious as fresh fish and keeps in the freezer for weeks or even months, depending on the fish. You should defrost the fish on the lower shelves of the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.

If you need it quicker than that, you can submerge it in cold water with 3 or 4 tablespoons of salt. This takes a couple of hours. If you have defrosted fish or fresh fish in the refrigerator, use it within 24 hours for the best results.

If you soak the fish in water with a little vinegar before baking it, it will turn out to be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. Another tip is to marinate the fish fillets in salt and lemon before baking. This makes them easier to handle and gives a fresh taste and firmer flesh.

Baking Your Fish

Because fish contains natural oils, it is not compulsory to add oil or fat before baking. To ensure the fish stays moist, you might like to brush a little oil or butter on top of it before cooking or top the fish with seasoned breadcrumbs or thinly sliced vegetables. There are many tilapia fish recipes, which make use of vegetables or breadcrumbs to add flavor and texture.

When baking fish recipes, the general rule is to bake the fish for 10 minutes per inch of its thickness. Most baked fish recipes call for a temperature of 450C. You will need to turn the fish halfway through its cooking time unless it is less than an inch thick.

Cooking times also vary depending on the density of the fish. While cooking fish, tuck any thin ends underneath so it cooks evenly. The fish is done when it is opaque all the way through, when it is 145F in the center, or when you can easily flake the flesh at its thickest point with a fork.

If you want to stop fish from sticking to the pan and therefore breaking up when trying to remove it, a good tip is to place the fish on a bed of celery, onions, or both. This will also give the fish extra flavor.