A lot of people avoid cooking fish at home for various reasons. Some don’t like the smell and others see it as complicated, but the most common reason is that it often doesn’t taste as good as expected. The latter might have to do with some common mistakes that are fairly easy to make while cooking fish. But they are also easy to avoid. Check them out below.
Buying Poor Quality Fish
The most common mistake that people make when cooking fish happens before cooking. They buy poor-quality fish, probably without even knowing it, and they end up with a not-so-great dish. In order to avoid this from happening, you should always look to buy fresh fish. Also, just because the fish is not frozen doesn’t mean it is fresh. Professional chefs recommend that you feel the fish and buy ones that feel firm. If the fish feels soft, that is a good indicator that it has been out of the water for a while.
Seasoning Before Cooking
Most people have a habit of seasoning their fish right away and then cooking it. However, this is a mistake since seasoning, especially salt, will draw out all the natural juices from the fish. And you don’t want this to happen if you are looking for the best results. Instead, wait to salt it until the fish is almost cooked.
Touching the Fish While Cooking
Once you start cooking your fish, you should leave it alone and only interfere when it’s time to flip it. If you touch the fish too often while it’s cooking, you will lose the precious juices and the meat can fall apart.
Cooking for Too Long
Fish is easily overcooked, resulting in dry meat that doesn’t taste all that great. To avoid this, cook the fish for three to four minutes on each side if you are using a pan. If you are baking your fish, five minutes on each side will be enough for a fish that is one inch thick.
