If you are a heavyweight fish fan, of course, there is nothing more tempting than kilograms of fresh fish sold cheaply in the market or supermarket. The new guilt arises when you've already filled your shopping cart with dozens of fish which of course will not be finished in one day. Don't worry, if frozen with the right technique, fish can last for months in the freezer. Freshness, texture, and taste will not even be much different from when you first bought it. Frozen fish can be cooked without thawing it first. However, there are a few techniques you need to master before grilling frozen fish or pan-searing it in a little oil. If you prefer to thaw fish first, this article will also explain various ways to thaw fish without compromising on its quality and nutrition.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Cooking Frozen Fish Without Defrosting It
Step 1. Wash the fish thoroughly with cold water
Before processing, frozen fish need to be washed with cold water so that the ice crystals on the surface disappear. Avoid washing fish with warm water because it can stimulate bacterial growth and damage the texture of the fish.
- Don't forget to wash your hands before handling frozen fish.
- Do not use this method if you have not cleaned the entrails of the fish. Instead, thaw the fish first, clean the fish to the inside of the stomach, then process the fish according to taste.
Step 2. Dry the cleaned fish
Pat the fish with a paper towel to remove any mucus and ice crystals that remain on the fish.
Step 3. Use a special technique for fish with thick meat or fish that will be cooked at high temperatures
Thick-fleshed fish take longer to cook. To save cooking time, try wrapping the fish in aluminum foil or banana leaves when processing it. This process is able to vaporize the ice crystals in the fish's body and accelerate the fish ripening process. Fish should not be cooked too long at high temperatures. The ways below are worth trying to save cooking time:
- Wrap the fish in aluminum foil or banana leaves, then bake the fish in the oven or grill. Wrapping the fish in aluminum foil or banana leaves will prevent the outside from scorching while the inside is still undercooked. In addition, wrapping the fish using aromatic leaves with a wide cross section such as banana leaves will also enhance the taste of the fish after it is cooked.
- Fish that are processed by pan-searing technique (frying fish in a little oil at a high temperature) do not need to be wrapped in advance. Cook the fish in a flat pan that has been heated and lightly oiled. Once the fish stock has come out, cover the pan and continue the cooking process until the fish is fully cooked.
Step 4. Season the fish in the middle of the cooking process
Cook the fish for a few minutes until the outside is melted. After that, then start to season the fish according to taste. This will make it easier for the spices or marinade to penetrate to the inside of the fish. Follow these steps if you want to coat the fish with flour before grilling it: arrange the frozen fish on a baking sheet (no need to line it with aluminum foil), sprinkle with breadcrumbs that has been mixed with various spices until all parts of the fish are coated, then grill the fish as usual..
Step 5. Double the cooking time
Basically, frozen fish can be processed into a variety of delicious dishes like fresh fish. Although the cooking time is very dependent on the size and thickness of the fish, basically frozen fish does need to be cooked twice as long as fresh fish in order to be fully cooked. At least you've saved cooking time by not defrosting it first. Use the methods below to check for doneness of fish:
- Cut some fish meat with a sharp knife. If the color of the fish meat has turned pale to the inside, it is a sign that the fish is perfectly cooked.
- If you have a kitchen thermometer, cook the fish until its internal temperature reaches 62.8ºC.
Method 2 of 3: How to Defrost Fish
Step 1. Thaw the fish in the refrigerator for eight hours or more
The lower the temperature in your refrigerator, the less likely it is for bacteria to multiply in the fish. For best results, it's best to thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator. Set your refrigerator to below 8ºC, and cook fish no later than 48 hours after thawing.
- Remember, gradually the fish will melt. Therefore, store the fish in a container that can hold liquid. To prevent the fish from absorbing too much water, make a hole in the bottom of the container with the fish and place it on top of another container. This second container is used to hold water droplets.
- Basically, eight hours is enough time to defrost the fish. However, if the fish you are thawing is large or in very large quantities, it is best to thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 2. Defrost the fish by submerging it in a bowl of cold water
If you don't have much time to thaw the fish in the refrigerator, do this this way: put the fish in a plastic clip bag, seal the ends, then submerge the plastic filled fish in a bowl of cold water. Keep the bag from leaking to prevent bacteria from multiplying. If you use this method, half a kilo of fish only takes 1-2 hours to melt completely. In addition to thawing quickly, fish will also not lose its quality.
Do not use warm or room temperature water to thaw fish, as this can promote bacterial growth
Step 3. Defrost the fish using the microwave
Turn the fish over when the texture of one side has softened, and continue the thawing process until the fish is completely melted. Although the process is considered the fastest (only about 3-6 minutes to defrost half a kilo of fish), this method is at least recommended because the thawing results are uneven. In addition, thawing with a microwave also has the potential to trigger bacterial growth in fish.
Step 4. Cook the fish as usual
After the fish is completely liquid and the texture is soft, cook the fish according to taste or try various variations of fish preparations that you can read about in the next section.
Even after defrosting, the fish will remain cold
Method 3 of 3: Variations of Processed Fish
Step 1. Learn the basic techniques of cooking fish
You are not used to processing fish? Or do you just want to try a new method of processing fish? Understand in advance the basic rules of fish processing (especially those related to temperature and cooking time) so that your fish dish ends up delicious. Fish is usually cooked by grilling, grilling, frying, steaming, or sautéing.
Step 2. Look for recipes related to the type of fish you are going to cook
Different types of fish have different textures and tastes, so they sometimes need to be treated differently. For example, tuna should not be cooked too long because the texture is easy to be tough. Therefore, instead of frying it until it is crispy, tuna is more delicious quickly stir-fried with balado or green chili seasoning.
Remember, frozen fish that has not been thawed first takes twice as long to cook
Step 3. Try soaking the fish in the seasoning solution for a better taste
Unlike red meat, fish only needs to be soaked for 5-15 minutes in the seasoning solution because the fine fibers absorb the spices quickly. Try sautéing fish with balado seasoning, cooking it in a fresh soup, soaking it in cheese sauce before grilling it, or frying it in salted egg sauce. All equally delicious!
Step 4. Get creative with unique recipes
Unique does not mean expensive and troublesome. Try making a typical British fried fish, better known as fish and chips. There's nothing difficult about making deep-fried fish, right? You only need to prepare flour, eggs, salt, pepper and other spices according to taste. So where is the unique? Wait a minute. Instead of eating it with your usual tartar sauce, try pairing your fish and chips with Balinese sambal matah! Spicy, unique, delicious, and of course the taste of the archipelago!
Tips
To save cooking time, preheat the oven or grill before you start working the fish
Warning
- Basically, most seawater and freshwater fish can be cooked until they are crispy and crunchy in texture. However, certain types of fish such as tuna should not be fried to a crisp because the texture will turn out to be extraordinarily tough. Other types of fish, such as salmon, which has very soft flesh, should also not be cooked too long because the meat is easily crushed.
- Store leftover cooked fish in an airtight container, in the freezer or refrigerator two hours after the fish is cooked (or an hour if the fish is previously placed at room temperature when the weather is very hot).
