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

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
>

"Irving Kimura" wrote:
>
>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.

Bake whole fish wrapped in banana leaves.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

Cook on lower heat so it cooks through evenly. Poach
it, if feasible. Or try a salt-crust baking method.
It's always impressive when they crack that dome of salt
and wipe the skin off the meat and carve the filets with
a spoon.

Get a probe thermometer to tell you when it's done.

Fish are medium-rare with moist, separable flakes at
130-135F, so I set my probe for 129 and expect a little
carryover. All the safety-heads will tell you to cook
fish to 145F. Try it and see if you like it; I know I
prefer the center of the fish, at least, to be moist.
The thinner edges probably reach well above the center.

I leave the probe in thick fish, but for thinner filets
I use my eyes and one of these:

http://www.goldaskitchen.com/merchan...id=2438&step=4

And it works great.

--Blair
"We should be evolved to be born
with probe thermometers."

That was very helpful. Thanks!

Irv