Fish Substitution Guide

Fresh and saltwater fish can be interchanged in recipes if the fish are of the same type. Certain migratory species can be found in both fresh and salt water. Do not interchange fat and lean fish, since storage and cooking methods differ for the two types. Lean fish can be frozen for about 6 months or more; fat varieties should be used within 3 months.

TYPE	FRESHWATER	SALTWATER
Large Fat (2 # and larger)	Brown Trout	Albacore
	Carp	Kingfish
	Lake Trout	Salmon
		Sablefish
		Shad

Small Fat (up to 2#)	Brook Trout	Butterfish
	Rainbow Trout	Mackerel
		Pompano

Large Lean (2# and larger)	Catfish	Black Drum
	Largemouth Bass	Bluefish
	Muskellunge	Cod
	Northern Pike	Cobia
	Smallmouth Bass	Grouper
	Walleye	Halibut
		Haddock
		Lingcod
		Pollock
		Sea Bass
		Sea Trout
		Shark
		Striped Bass

Small Lean (up to 2#)	Bluegill	Croaker
	Bullhead	Flounder
	Crappie	Mullet
	Yellow Perch	Ocean Perch
	White Bass	Scup or Porgy
		Smelt
		Whiting

STORING, DEFROSTING, AND COOKING

Once fish are caught, they must be kept alive or chilled in order to preserve flavor and quality. Wrapped, cleaned fish will stay fresh up to 24 hours in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

If you plan a fish meal later, freeze them immediately after cleaning. Always freeze fish in the portions in which you plan to use them. Small fish can be frozen whole and large fish should be steaked or filleted before freezing.

Cook soon after thawing. For appealing appearance and easy clean-up, bake fillets skin-side down in a pan lined with foil.

FROZEN FISH

There is a lot of water around frozen fish fillets that are being thawed. Be very careful to dry frozen fish after it has completely thawed. Pour off excess water, then pat it dry with paper towels so there will no water on the fish. BE WARE! When frying fish partially frozen or water on the fish, the oil will spit, bubble over and burn you.

COOKED SEAFOOD

Store in the refrigerator or freezer. In the refrigerator, place in covered container and use within three to four days. In the freezer, package in moisture and vapor proof materials and hold up to three months.

TIPS USING CANNED FISHERY PRODUCTS

Store in a cool, dry place up to one year. Once a can is open, remove the contents and store the product in a covered container in the refrigerator. Make sure labels are clear and accurate. Containers should be free of damage, rust and bulges. When you open the container, make sure it is full and the contents are free of extraneous materials. The packing juice should be fresh and clear.

FRESH FISH SELECTION

When selecting a whole fish from a fish market or catching it as it comes out of the lake, river, ocean etc., there are certain characteristics to indicate that the fresh fish is safe for eating.

The eyes should be bright, clear and bulging.
The gills should be bright red and free of slime.
The flesh should be firm and elastic, with exposed flesh fresh cut with no traces of browning or drying.
The skin should be iridescent and have unfaded markings and colors characteristic of its particular species.
The odor should be fresh and mild, with no disagreeable fishy odor.

Plan to use fresh fish within two days of purchase. If you can't use fish within two days, cook it. Cooked fish maintains quality in the refrigerator at 32 - 40 degrees for two to three days.

Fresh, fresh fish keep best when the fish is loosely wrapped and packed in finely crushed ice to prevent moisture loss. Handle seafood with care by making it the last purchase on a shopping trip. Take it home immediately and put it in the refrigerator or freezer.

MICROWAVE DEFROSTING

Defrost #30 power allowing 5 minutes standing time. Fish Fillets - defrost in package. Carefully separate fillets under cold water
turning once.

8-10 oz defrost #30 4-6 minutes
1# fish defrost #30 power for 4-6 minutes
2# fish defrost #30 power for 5-7 minutes

Fish Steaks - Defrost in package on baking dish. Carefully separate steaks under cold running water.

HOW TO FILLET A FISH
Scale the fish. With this method you need not gut or de-head the fish. Simply lay the fish on its side, get your electric knife and starting at the tail, cut close to the back bone and deep into the body. Turn the fish over and repeat on that side. You now have two perfect fillets. You can reserve and freeze the leftovers for the fish stock.

HOW LONG DO I COOK FISH?

Timing is the real secret of delicious fish cooking, no matter what cooking method you choose. Fish is done when the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Overcooking toughens and dries the fish. Remember, 10 minutes of cooking time per 1" thickness of fish. Double the time if the fish is frozen. If the fish is cooked in a sauce or foil, allow an extra 5 minutes per inch of fish.

Periodically test for doneness to avoid overcooking.

If a recipe calls for cooked, flaked fish, almost any cooking method will do. Poaching or microwaving are the simplest.

BAKING

Always preheat the oven to help ensure even cooking when baking fish in a conventional oven. To cook by dry heat, place fish in a greased baking dish. Keep fish moist and flavorful with seasoned oil, sauce or any condiment of your choice while baking. Fillets and steaks adapt easily to many recipes that require baking. A fish may be stuffed with an herb and bread stuffing and baked with the head and tail still attached. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Cooking time varies according to thickness of the fish.

BROILING IN THE OVEN
To cook by direct, intense heat, choose pan-dressed fish, fillets or steaks. Place the fish in a
single layer on a well-greased broiler pan. Baste well with oil or basting sauce before and during cooking process. The surface of the fish should be four to six inches from the source of heat. Cooking time is usually 8-10 minutes. Turn thicker pieces halfway through cooking time and baste.

CHARCOAL BROILING
If using a charcoal grill, start coals 30-45 minutes before you begin cooking. Adjust grill height
to 4-6 inches above coals. When coals are covered with grey ash, knock ash from coals. Grease grill. Arrange fish on grill. Every form or variety of fish must be brushed with a baste while barbecuing to prevent it from drying out.

Select whole fish, fillets, or steaks. Thick cuts are preferable. Wipe fish with damp cloth. Cut the fish into serving size pieces. Cooking in a hot charcoal, electric, or gas grill, a long handled hinged wire grill or basket is recommended for ease in turning. It also keeps the fish intact when it is almost finished cooking.

Baste the fish with the simplest baste, (1/4 c melted butter or a sauce of your choice) before and during broiling. Broil approximately 4-6 inches from moderately hot briquettes for 10-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Generously brush fish frequently and turn once when fish is browned and flakes easily in thickest portion with a fork.

For a 1" thick piece of fish, allow 10 minutes total, 5 minutes per side. Season to taste and serve with lemon wedges.

BOILING
To cook by boiling, bring water and salt (1 quart water to 2 T salt) to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add seafood, return to a boil; reduce heat, maintaining a slow boil. Shrimp is done in two to four minutes, rock shrimp in 35-40 seconds, lobster and crab in 12-15 minutes, and fish in 8-10 minutes. Shellfish and fish are boiled when they are to be served with a sauce or flaked and combined with other ingredients.

POACHING

To cook in a simmering liquid, place fish in a single layer in a wide shallow pan or fry pan.
Barely cover with liquid. The liquid for poaching fish may be lightly salted water, water seasoned with herbs and spices, milk or a mixture of white wine and water. Simmer fish for 5-8 minutes or until it flakes easily when tested with a fork. Poached fish can be served as an entree with a sauce, as a main ingredient in a casserole or chilled and flaked for salad or dip.

BASIC POACHING LIQUID
Large Recipe 2-3/4 c stock
2 c water
1 c dry white wine
1/2 c chopped carrot
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped onion
6 sprigs parsley
4 lemon slices
1 large bay leaf
16 peppercorns
1/2 t salt
Combine ingredients in a 3 or 4 quart casserole and cover. Microwave at full power (H) for 8 - 10 minutes until boiling.

STEAMING
To cook by steam generated from boiling water, use a deep pan with a tight cover. If a steam
cooker is not available, anything that prevents the fish from touching the water will serve as a steaming rack. The water may be plain or seasoned with various spices. Bring water to rapid boil. Place fish on well-greased rack. Cover the pan tightly and steam for 8-10 minutes. Serve steamed fish the same as poached.

DEEP-FAT FRYING
To cook in deep fat or oil, do not fill the fryer more than half full of oil. Allow room for fish and bubbling oil. Place breaded or batter-dipped fish, one layer at a time, in the fry basket so the pieces do not touch. This allows thorough cooking and even browning. Fry in deep oil, 350-375 degrees, until fish is brown and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Before frying additional fish, be sure the oil returns to the correct temperature.

PAN FRYING

Again, beware. There is a lot of water around frozen fish fillets that are being thawed. Be very careful to dry frozen fish after it has completely thawed. Pour off excess water, then pat it dry with paper towels so there will no water on the fish.

Cook in a small amount of hot oil, heat about 1/8" of oil in the bottom of a heavy fry pan. Don't let the oil smoke. Place breaded fish in a single layer in the hot oil. Do not overload the pan. Fry at moderate temperature for 4-5 minutes or until brown; turn carefully and fry an additional 4-5 minutes or until fish is brown and flaky and no longer translucent in the center. Drain on paper towels.

Electric skillet - Heat ¼” to ½” oil or shortening to 350 degrees.

OVEN FRYING
To cook by dry heat in an extremely hot oven, dip fish in salted milk and coat with breading mixture of your choice. Place fish in shallow, well-greased baking pan. Pour melted fat or oil over fish and bake in extremely hot oven at 500 degrees, until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Fish cooked by this method does not require turning or basting and cooking time is short. The method is especially good for serving large groups.

SMOKING
To cook with a covered charcoal, electric or gas grill, place fish on the grill, skin side and baste frequently during cooking. The smoky flavor is obtained by adding water-soaked wood chips to briquettes which produce smoke and lower the temperature. Cooking time varies with the weather, intensity of heat, amount of moisture in chips, type of grill and distance of fish from heat.

MICROWAVE COOKING
To cook in a microwave oven follow your manufacturer's directions for best results, as oven settings between brands lack standardized equivalents. Seafood is cooked at a high setting which radiates the most power and cooks food quickly to retain natural goodness, flavor and texture. The high moisture content of fish makes it cook very quickly in a microwave oven. Check for doneness often and watch for flaky flesh. Remember, fish will continue to cook as it stands.

Fish should be prepared at the last minute because it cooks very fast. Even the standing time is short. So, when you have everything ready, start to cook the fish. Place seafood with thick edges of fillets and steaks and thick ends of shellfish toward the outer edge of the baking dish.

Begin cooking at 70 or H for one fifth of the time that the conventional recipe recommends. Touch, stop and check if it appears to be done earlier. The secret to seafood is to watch it carefully. It's best to remove it when barely done and allow the standing time to finish the cooking.

MICROWAVE COOKING GUIDE

Fish Fillets-12 x 7" dish, covered
1# - 1/2" thick; HI; 4-5 minutes; Stand time 4-5 minutes for all
2# - 1/2" thick; HI; 7-8 minutes

Fish Steaks-12 x 7" dish, covered
1# - 1"thick; HI; 5-6 minutes

Whole Fish-appropriate shallow dish
8-10 oz; HI; 3 1/2-4 minutes
1 1/2-2#; HI; 5-7 minutes

Fish Fixins
When choosing fish seasonings--herb, spice, salt, fruit, vegetable, wine, butter, olive oil, condiment—consider the type of fish (lean or oily) and the cooking method (moist or dry heat).

Lean, white-fleshed fish such as flounder, sole, cod, rockfish, bass, snapper accept the widest range of seasonings—good candidates for poaching, steaming, moist-heat cooking methods in which they cook in liquid or steam infused with seasonings. Dry-heat methods require extra attention to prevent their drying out.

Oily fleshed fish such as trout, salmon, tuna, shark withstand dry-heat cooking—baking, broiling or grilling.

Various means of protecting fish during cooking by using seasoned marinades and bastes helps to prevent them in drying out. Cover or stuff fish with lemon or lime slices, onion or bell pepper rings, sprigs of parsley or other fresh herbs, spinach or other leafy greens, seasoned bread crumbs all contribute flavor and color while helping retain moisture.

Salt, pepper and lemon, are the essence of simplicity in fish seasonings. They complement the delicate flavors of fish such as sole, flounder or cod.

Fresh and dried herbs, garlic, lemon, lime, bell pepper, dried chilies and peppercorns are all choice seasonings for fresh fish.

Full-flavored prepared blends are intended for brushing over strong-flavored oily fleshed fish such as salmon, tuna, swordfish or shark.

Fish Substitution Guide

Send mail to llfclegend@sbcglobal.net with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 08/13/13

Send mail to llfclegend@sbcglobal.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 08/13/13