Best Way to Prepare Fish?
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From: ɯooɹpǝq ɹnoʎ
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I cook 5lbs. of chicken at a time, and it lasts me about 3 days on my current diet. 6-8oz. 3x/day.
I was looking at individually packaged Salmon/Tilapia at the store last night and considered mixing that into my diet to replace chicken, at least one meal a day. Unfortunately, one of my biggest concerns is the smell in the house. When I cook 5lbs. of chicken, the smell consumes and lingers through all 3,000sq. ft. of my home, whether I use skillet, oven, or crock pot. Will tilapia or salmon leave a strong smell?
What seasonings should I use to cook the fish, besides lemon/lime juice? What's the best way to cook a few fillets inside the home, and how long can I refrigerate before eating them? My grill needs a new grate, it's cracking and rusting. I may cook some on the grill, just on a layer of foil.
I was looking at individually packaged Salmon/Tilapia at the store last night and considered mixing that into my diet to replace chicken, at least one meal a day. Unfortunately, one of my biggest concerns is the smell in the house. When I cook 5lbs. of chicken, the smell consumes and lingers through all 3,000sq. ft. of my home, whether I use skillet, oven, or crock pot. Will tilapia or salmon leave a strong smell?
What seasonings should I use to cook the fish, besides lemon/lime juice? What's the best way to cook a few fillets inside the home, and how long can I refrigerate before eating them? My grill needs a new grate, it's cracking and rusting. I may cook some on the grill, just on a layer of foil.
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Salmon will smell pretty strong depending on the cooking method. If you want to keep smell down and come up with a way to eat it for more then 1 day at a time, I would suggest poaching. Water, white wine, lemon juice and a little salt. it will keep the smell down too. Salmon is gamey and strong on the smell. Tilapia is mild and has very little smell, but would be best if cooked and eaten all at once. Pan seared in oil, broiled with veges and citrus, or baked with some herbs and served with rice.....whatever. Tilapia is super versatile.
EDIT: Also note; the older the salmon, the more potent the smell and flavor. If you're going to eat it, it may be worth your while to find a place with nice fresh seafood and pay a little more for it.
EDIT: Also note; the older the salmon, the more potent the smell and flavor. If you're going to eat it, it may be worth your while to find a place with nice fresh seafood and pay a little more for it.
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Ooooh, you just asked the right question. I've been cooking salmon fillets for a year or two now, and have it down to a science. I've done the full 5-10lb fillet, as well as the individual serving size.
Ingredients:
Salmon (or any fish) skin on the bottom is fine, if not better
Lowry's Seasoning Salt (wal-mart, or most grocery stores)
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (again, most grocery stores have it)
Butter (doesn't really matter what kind, margarine works too)
1-2 Limes (or lemons)
Parsley (optional)
Foil
Prep:
Take the salmon fillet and rinse it with water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place the fillet skin side down on the counter, or on a piece of foil Spread a thin, but visible layer of butter over top of the entire fillet. Sprinkle the top with a good layer of seasoning salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Use your fingers to rub in the seasonings and butter all over the top of the fillet.
Coooking (grill):
Place a layer of foil on the rack of the grill. Preheat grill. Place fillet top side down (skin side up) on the foil. Grill for a few minutes until the bottom it's just starting to brown. Flip the fillet over, so the skin is now down. Continue to grill until your desired done-ness. (usually about 5min with the top side down, and 5min with the skin side down) When it's done, get one or two spatulas (idally metal grill ones, but plastic works fine too). Carefully separate the fillet from the skin, leaving the skin stuck to the foil on the grill. If it's cooked well, it should come right off the skin. Cleanup is simply throwing away the foil.
This leaves virtually no odor as you're cooking it outside.
Cooking (oven):
Place foil on a cookie sheet, and place fillet skin-side down on the foil. Turn broiler on low, and place rack at the highest level (so fillet will be about 2-3in away from coil). Broil on low until the fillet almost reaches desired done-ness (about 10min). If the top side still isn't browned, turn the broiler on high until the top is just browned.
Remove the fillet from the skin and throw away the foil. The fillet should come right off the skin if cooked well.
Smell on this is also minimal, just be sure to take your trash out afterwards.
Serving:
Place the skinless fillet on a nice serving platter (cedar plank <---ideal, cutting board, or large serving plate). Cut one lime in half and squeeze the juice over the fillet. Slice the other lime into 1/4 slices, and cut them in half (so you get half moon shaped pieces). Arrange them artfully on top of the fillet. Optional parsley can go on top for decoration.
Notes:
It's hard to have too much seasoning on it. I've done it once so there was virtually a crust of the seasoning, and it was probably the best salmon fillets I've made.
Ingredients:
Salmon (or any fish) skin on the bottom is fine, if not better
Lowry's Seasoning Salt (wal-mart, or most grocery stores)
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (again, most grocery stores have it)
Butter (doesn't really matter what kind, margarine works too)
1-2 Limes (or lemons)
Parsley (optional)
Foil
Prep:
Take the salmon fillet and rinse it with water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place the fillet skin side down on the counter, or on a piece of foil Spread a thin, but visible layer of butter over top of the entire fillet. Sprinkle the top with a good layer of seasoning salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Use your fingers to rub in the seasonings and butter all over the top of the fillet.
Coooking (grill):
Place a layer of foil on the rack of the grill. Preheat grill. Place fillet top side down (skin side up) on the foil. Grill for a few minutes until the bottom it's just starting to brown. Flip the fillet over, so the skin is now down. Continue to grill until your desired done-ness. (usually about 5min with the top side down, and 5min with the skin side down) When it's done, get one or two spatulas (idally metal grill ones, but plastic works fine too). Carefully separate the fillet from the skin, leaving the skin stuck to the foil on the grill. If it's cooked well, it should come right off the skin. Cleanup is simply throwing away the foil.
This leaves virtually no odor as you're cooking it outside.
Cooking (oven):
Place foil on a cookie sheet, and place fillet skin-side down on the foil. Turn broiler on low, and place rack at the highest level (so fillet will be about 2-3in away from coil). Broil on low until the fillet almost reaches desired done-ness (about 10min). If the top side still isn't browned, turn the broiler on high until the top is just browned.
Remove the fillet from the skin and throw away the foil. The fillet should come right off the skin if cooked well.
Smell on this is also minimal, just be sure to take your trash out afterwards.
Serving:
Place the skinless fillet on a nice serving platter (cedar plank <---ideal, cutting board, or large serving plate). Cut one lime in half and squeeze the juice over the fillet. Slice the other lime into 1/4 slices, and cut them in half (so you get half moon shaped pieces). Arrange them artfully on top of the fillet. Optional parsley can go on top for decoration.
Notes:
It's hard to have too much seasoning on it. I've done it once so there was virtually a crust of the seasoning, and it was probably the best salmon fillets I've made.



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