Get hooked on cooking fish at home with these tips and tricks: Jasmine Mangalaseril

Cooking fish is an easy, often quick way to get dinner on the table. For some, pan frying pickerel fillets, simmering mackerel steaks in coconut milk, or grilling a spiced whole snapper seem, well, fishy.

If you're new to cooking fresh fish and want to give it a go, fresh fish counters and fishmongers can provide good advice.

"It's no different than someone going into a bakery or a butcher shop. They want the freshest product, and they want knowledgeable staff," said Jeff Tailby co-owner of Kitchener's T&J Seafood.

There are two broad categories: lean fish, like cod and perch, and fatty fish, like salmon and trout.

Whether you're at a supermarket or a fishmonger, you'll likely find whole fish, fillets and fish steaks.

Tailby said not to be put off by frozen products.

"A lot of these fishermen that go out, pack the fresh stuff in ice or they'll process them on the boat and flash freeze them right away," he said.

Here are some quick tips to selecting fresh fish:

• Clear, bright, plump (not sunken) eyes.
• Stiff fins.
• Faintly slippery skin with intact, hard scales that won't easily bend.
• Red or dark pink gills, when opened.
• Clean, non-fishy smell.
• Firm, springy flesh.

For fish fillets and steaks:

• No holes or bruising.
• Tilt the plastic-wrapped tray: less-fresh fish will excrete liquid (the older it is, the more opaque the liquid will be).

Keeping it fresh

It doesn't take long for fish to go past its freshness.

So keeping it stored properly once you get it home is important.

"[I] take off the package and I wrap it in a damp paper towel, so the moisture stays and you're locking in that flavour," said Chef Edgar Monge of Waterloo's White Rabbit.  "And then I just put it right into a resealable bag and then I fold it and store it in the fridge with a date on it."

The former fishmonger said when done this way and placed in the back of the fridge, it will be fine for about two days. He said fresh fish will keep for a week in the freezer, if it's treated the same way.

Pan-fried fish

Pan frying is an easy fish dish for first timers. Heat a pan and add butter or oil. Dry the fish with paper towel, season, and fry skin-side down first.

"By the skin, it starts getting a little more opaque. That's usually an indicator of when we flip the fish…so you can cook the flesh side but turn your heat off right away and let the residual heat from the pan finish cooking," said Monge.

It's cooked when the flesh is no longer translucent. Health Canada advises cooking fish to an internal temperature of 70 C.

Years ago, the Canadian Fisheries Department devised the "Canadian Rule" for cooking fish: 10 minutes per inch. It's a good basic guideline, just be aware that cooking over lower heat may require more time.

Simply measure your fish (whether fillet, steak or whole) at the thickest part and cook accordingly. If baking a fillet with a thinner tail section, just fold the tail under to keep a consistent thickness.

The raw deal

Tataki is a Japanese dish where the fish has a smoky, lightly seared surface and rare centre. Thin slices are dipped into a sharp, salty and citrusy sauce, and it can be eaten with fresh grated ginger or sliced green onions.

"You still enjoy the natural flavour, and those [smoky] flavours combined," said Chef Hyuntae (Ken) Yim, owner of Ken Sushi House in Waterloo. "For people who are little bit afraid of eating just raw fish as is, that might be an easier way to approach eating fish."

Sashimi-grade salmon, tuna and white fish are available at local fishmongers. Yim said accentuating their natural flavours is the secret to good sushi.

"What we need to do is...give it a touch of saltiness. When you're using soy sauce, it's made of a fermented bean, so it has a little deep flavour. You will need just to give it a touch [of soy sauce]. You don't want to overwhelm it."

For those interested in preparing sushi at home, Yim uploaded an instructional video, Ken Sushi Lesson to YouTube.

Whether you're interested in bringing international flavours to your fish cooking repertoire, or you want to explore international fish and seafood dishes, these local restaurants may provide inspiration:

• Brazil - Bossa Nova (Cambridge)
• Caribbean – Mark's Caribbean Kitchen (Kitchener)
• Kerala, India – Palm Valley (Kitchener)
• Peru – La Crema (Kitchener)
• Southeast Asia – Loloan Lobby Bar (Waterloo)