Fishy Week

We are regulars of the Victoria Market, a place where fresh food products are of abundance and selling at reasonably better prices than the local butcher or the supermarket. It is also the place to be when buying fresh (not frozen) seafood, which supermarkets are unable to make available. Seldom does a week go by without anyone from this household frequenting the market to purchase the week’s supply of seafood, mostly fish than prawns or squid which have higher cholesterol content. Our diet I would say have become more of a consciously planned out one, inclined towards more white meat, fruits and vegetables.

It has been a fishy week. We’ve had four different types of fish for the last seven days, cooked in different ways of course. Having fish very often is good, but not when it is the same kind and the same flavour every time. That can actually be quite putting. And so it is an adventure to experiment on and try out various types of preparation for fish. To share some:

Salmon
Salmon can be prepared in many ways. Often I would put it in the oven and bake my pre-seasoned salmon wrapped in foil, primarily because baking requires the least effort. Some of the baked salmon styles I have done – (1) seasoned with salt and pepper and brushed with butter, this is quick and simple, the flavour soft thus retaining the natural taste of the fish; (2) seasoned with mixed herbs, sliced onion, and topped with lime cut into thin cross-sections, this one gives a more tangy flavour to the salmon; (3) placed on a bed of cut spring onions, sprinkled with salt, touch of chilli, brown sugar and a tiny squeeze of either lemon or orange juice, this gives a mixture of saltiness, spiciness, sweetness, and sourness.

Of course, pan frying and grilling are also standard ways of cooking salmon. These methods just require constant attention. Salmon head can also be baked or pan-fried; they’re good when they reach a level of crispiness. But I reckon that they are still best in soup. Boiling your salmon head in water, adding some miso paste, some cut tofu and a dash of seaweed… very good for colder winter days.

Trevally
Like salmon, I have tried cooking trevally by oven-baking and pan-frying. One deviation from the former fish is that it is not as suitable to be brushed with butter. Herbs and spices are good. I’ve twice tried putting it on a bed of chopped coriander, topped it with sliced tomatoes and lemon, of course it’s a given that the fish has already been rubbed with salt, seasoned with a bit of desired herbs, and then wrapped in foil and baked. It turned out tasting like a distinctive Filipino dish… sinigang! The coriander gives it a slight twist, some people may not like this flavour but we certainly do.

Craving for some bread-crumbed cover fish, but not wanting to deep fry, my alternative method is to use the same coating but baking the fish. First and as always, season the fish, this time all the desired herbs, salt, etc. are mixed with plain flour. After coating the fish with this, dip into egg (beaten), and then dipped into another bowl of breadcrumbs and sesame seed. Baking tray should be brushed with oil so that the fish doesn’t stick. 30 minutes in the oven with 200 C gas mark should make it all brown and scrumptious. For dip, Thai sweet chilli will do… or maybe it’s just me. :-)

Another favourite is to pan-fry, and having sugar caramelise on the fish towards the end… when the fish is already cooked. Not too much on the sugar as it will be too sweet… and not too early because it will burn.

Flake
My newest and favourite recipe for flake is to cook it semi-Vietnamese, semi-Chinese style. The Vietnamese bit comes in the flavour, and the Chinese bit comes with putting the fish in a clay-pot to simmer. Cut into pieces, jazz the fish up with any spice that you feel like… I like the combination of salt, lemon pepper, and chilli. Coat the fish with a bit of corn flour, and brown them in a wok with heated oil. Now that the tedious part is done, just add chopped garlic, a cup of stock, sugar, chilli, and let cook until the sauce thickens. When it’s almost done, put in some fish sauce to taste, and garnish with sautéed onions. Voila!

Flake is good for these kinds of cooking, as the meat is firmer and is not as prone to crumbling apart when tossed and turned in a wok, or mixed in with other stuff. We have also used this fish for congee… a bit of cheating by adding in some chicken stock for more flavour. Instant yum cha!

Barramundi
The meat of barramundi is finer and softer compared to the above three fishes mentioned. I find that it is most suited for steam cooking. This evening was a barramundi dinner following the standard Chinese cuisine. Thank God I didn’t have to gut or scale the fish; they do all of those in the market. Man, these fish you have to look out for the eyes… are they crystal clear, not already sunken and dead looking… but they’re dead, aren’t they?!?! Anyway… to the cooking… following instructions from my mom stuck at the back of my head for the longest time, I aimed to create the sort of flavour and taste that she produces. Cutting some wedges on the fish and stuffing some slivers of ginger into them (to remove fishy smell) and rubbing it with salt, it went for a fish sauna for 20 minutes. I had soy sauce and sautéed spring onions ready to top on to the fish after cooking. It turned out all well and good, although I consider still a notch below that of my mom’s.

That's about it for this entry on fish... there are heaps more out there in the market ready to be experimented on in the kitchen. Next go... would probably be fishing itself... good to be able to do it from start to finish.