If you are new to cooking seafood or preparing an unfamiliar species or cut, you may be wondering how to know that fish is cooked. Luckily, it’s not hard. Fish and seafood give clear signals as to how to tell if fish you’re cooking is done. You just have to look for them. You may have heard the old adage to cook fish ten minutes per inch of thickness. That’s a good start, but how do you know if your fish has been cooked properly? Follow these guidelines and we’ll have you cooking fish with fin-esse.
The best way to tell if your fish is done is by testing it with a fork at an angle, at the thickest point, and twist gently. The fish will flake easily when it’s done and it will lose its translucent or raw appearance. A good rule of thumb is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees.
How to Tell If Your Fish is Undercooked
You may be wondering how to tell if your fish is undercooked, and if eating undercooked fish is harmful. If you are still worried that your dish might be undercooked after following the tips above, remember that fish will continue to cook from residual heat for a few minutes after it is removed from the pan or the oven. If you think the fish is only slightly undercooked, you may want to remove it from the heat and check again in two minutes. Beware the temptation to overcook… that lovely fillet of halibut can become tough and dry faster than you think.
Always err on the side of undercooking your fish; as a matter of fact most people enjoy fish that is still a little translucent in the center. As long as you are following food safety guidelines in your kitchen (keeping ingredients cold, avoiding cross-contamination) there is no danger from eating our fish undercooked. All Sea to Table fish is flash-frozen at sea or at the dock to more than -30 degrees, eliminating any danger. As a matter of fact, Sea to Table fish is safe and suitable for raw preparations such as sushi, poke or gravlax.
Cooking 101: How To Cook Rainbow Trout
FAQ
What does a cooked trout look like?
Can you overcook trout?