Try to aim to slightly undercook let it rest for ten minutes and then when
you do serve it up if still underdone .....nuke it for 30 secs or so until
at doneness required . It really is an excellent medium for cooking fish .
Merry xmas
TTFN Andy

"Irving Kimura" > wrote in message
...
>
>
>
> I have no problem deciding when to pull fish fillets out of the
> oven so as not to overcook them, but I have a *much* harder time
> getting it right with whole fish. This is largely because I want
> to be able to carve and serve nice fillets from the fish (so I
> don't want to hack too much into it).
>
> Now, I absolutely *hate* overcooked fish, but I'm not wild about
> undercooked fish either (with the exception of sushi/sashimi, of
> course). How can I tell when I have reached that magical point in
> which the whole fish is cooked all the way to the backbone, but
> not overcooked? Is it even *possible* to bake a large whole fish
> (say, 3 in [7.5 cm] thick) so that all of it is cooked, and no part
> of it is overcooked?
>
> My book ("Fish & Shellfish" by Peterson) instructs to "[c]heck for
> doneness by carefully sliding a paring knife into the back at the
> thickest part, gently lifting the top fillet, and peeking inside
> to make sure the fish pulls away from the bone and the flesh is
> opaque (but still moist) rather than tranlucent and raw."
>
> Well, the other night I did just that with a 4.5 lb (2 kg), 3 in.
> (7.5 cm)-thick red snapper, which I baked at 400* F (200 C) for
> about 40 minutes. When I peeked inside, the little I could see
> (opaque flesh) suggested that the fish was ready for carving. This
> is a nearly irreversible decision in the case of a big whole fish,
> especially if you want to serve nice fillets (it so happens I had
> guests over at the time); it entails transferring a big fish from
> roasting pan to cutting board, and removing the hot stuffing (lemon
> slices and herbs in my case), not maneuvers one wants to undo, and
> of course, making deep cuts into the side of the fish. Unfortunately,
> my judgment was off. When I served it, the meat was rather soggy,
> especially near the fish's backbone; it did not separate cleanly
> from the backbone, i.e. it was somewhat undercooked.
>
> Any advice would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Irv
>