“Nothing can more effectually destroy the appetite, or disgrace the cook, than fish sent to table imperfectly cleaned. Handle it lightly, and never throw it roughly about, so as to bruise it.”_ — Eliza Acton, Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845)
“Never eat more than you can lift.” — Miss Piggy, character on The Muppet Show
Fish is healthy, a great source of protein, complex vitamins and minerals the body needs. It does not have to be cooked for a long time because the meat has little connective tissue and muscles fibers, making it soft to the touch. When cooked it separates easily, flaking away or falling apart as the length of cooking increases.
One of my favorites is salmon, which is readily available even in public markets like Farmers in Cubao, Quezon City or EDSA Central, Mandaluyong City. Salmon are born in fresh water but travel to the sea and only return back to reproduce. After moving upstream towards the river, they lay their eggs and then die after a few days. The natural saltiness and rich flavor of salmon makes it ideal and not a lot of ingredients are needed to enhance its flavor. A good purchase should have no foul smell; it should spring back like a sponge cake when pressed with fingers, and be shiny in appearance. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. If you are not ready to use within a day or two, freeze. Let thaw for at least 12 hours in the ref before cooking. Fish can be stored for a maximum of two weeks in the freezer as the ice will change the texture and its natural taste will diminish.
There are many methods of cooking salmon but one important rule is it should be cooked thoroughly, similar to a well-done steak, unless used for sashimi or sushi. One way is pan-frying it in oil, preferably non-stick, where the pan should be hot but the heat when cooking should be low. Cooking at high heat overcooks the outside layer, but keeps the inside raw, which is not good. Salmon is a fatty fish; therefore little oil is needed as the natural fat content helps the cooking process. Oil is only added so it will not stick to the pan. Pan-fry both sides, at least four minutes per side. Some chefs would put it in the oven and let it bake at 350° F or 175° C for another five minutes to ensure it is thoroughly cooked. For those without an oven, in the same pan where the fish was fried, add water and poach in low heat for another 8 minutes. Poaching means cooking in liquid that simmers gently, where the water is allowed to boil then heat is lowered to keep the fish from breaking apart.
Pan-fried Salmon Steaks
1. Four pieces salmon steak, 3/4 inch to total of one kilo. Wash and pat dry.
2. Rub each with one tsp. of rock salt and coarsely ground peppercorn, two tbsps. fresh lemon or calamansi juice.
3. Prepare one 12-inch non-stick frying pan with cover, 1/2 cup cooking oil, 1/2 cup water.
4. For the sauce, put in a blender: 3 egg yolks, 2 tsps. prepared mustard, one tsp. chopped fresh dill leaves or 1 tsp. chopped spring onion. Pulse to blend. Gradually add 1/2 cup hot melted butter (salted). Put in a sauceboat.
5. Procedure: Heat pan, add oil. When hot, lower fire and fry fish both sides until brown. Add water, cover pan. Leave steaks five to eight minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter.
6. Garnish with a fresh lemon sliced into four rings or four wedges, or four cut calamansi, fresh dill leaves or spring onion stalk. Serve with sauce on the side.
7. Note: Tanguingue steaks also ideal for above recipe.