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 method for cooking fish but a lot of people worry about their fish drying out in the oven. If you leave it cooking for even a few minutes too long, the fish might turn out dry. Fish contains natural oil and if you cook it too long, this oil is removed. You need to check the fish quite often while is cooking and know how long to cook it and at what temperature. Also, remember that fish continues to cook a bit more after you have taken it out of 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 for a tasty baked cod dish or delicious tilapia fish recipes, the same rules apply. If the fish is very fresh, your recipe will turn out better.

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.

Baked Fish Recipes - Perfect Every Time

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.

To make sure fillets cook evenly, tuck any thin ends underneath. Cooking times can be affected by the density of your fish. You know the fish is ready when it is 145F internally, when the flesh is opaque all the way through or when you can flake it easily with a fork at its thickest point.

To stop fish sticking to the baking dish, you can place it on a bed of onions, celery, or both. This makes the fish stay in one piece when removing it from the baking dish and gives it some extra flavor.