Professional Cooking I

1
Professional Cooking I

• Seafood Cookery

2
General

• Fish have very little connective tissue
• Fish cook very quickly, even at low heat, since
  all that is required is sufficient heat to
  coagulate the proteins.
• Fish is naturally tender and if it becomes tough
  in cooking it is not due to connective tissue,
  but the extended exposure of the proteins to
  heat.
• Cooked fish must be handled very carefully or it
  will fall apart.
• Unlike in meat and poultry, moist heat cooking is
  used not to create tenderness, but to preserve
  moisture and provide variety.

3
Classification

• Flat fish, such as Sole, and fish with compressed
  bones are more suited to filleting
• Round, full bodied fish like tuna and shark are
  suitable to steaks
• Small fish, such as Herring and Trout are often
  cooked whole, with the bone in

4
Classification

• Fat Lean
• Great effect selection of cooking method
• Lean fish - low in fat - such as Flounder, Sole,
  Cod, Red Snapper, Bass, Perch, Halibut, and Pike
  dry out more easily
• Fat fish - high in fat - such as Salmon, Tuna,
  Trout, Butterfish, and Mackerel can tolerate more
  heat

5
Classification

• Shellfish
• Crustaceans - a bony, outer jointed skeleton or
  shell - includes lobster, crayfish, crab, shrimp,
  and prawn
• Mollusks - univalve (one shell) or bivalve (two
  shell) - snails, conch, and abalone are univalve
  - clams, oysters and mussels are bivalve
• Cephalopods - reduced internal shell called a pen
  or cuttle bone - includes squid, octopus, and
  cuttlefish.

6
Cooking Methods

• Sauté and Pan-Fry - almost any fish is good
  sautéed, whether left whole (if small) or in the
  form of steaks or fillets. Firm fleshed fish,
  such as Salmon, Monkfish, and Sole are most
  suitable for this cooking method.

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Cooking Methods

• Poaching - Most types of fish are well suited to
  poaching
• Fillets and other small portions are sometimes
  cooked in a small amount of fish fumet or wine.
  They are then served in a sauce made of the
  poaching liquid.
• For whole fish, a court bouillon is used. The
  head and bones of the whole fish contribute to
  the flavor of the poaching liquid. The acid in
  the court bouillon helps firm the flesh of the
  fish.
• Fish may be poached in milk. Poaching in milk
  removes strong flavors from salted or smoked
  varieties.

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Cooking Methods

• This is a popular cooking for many fish
  varieties. When surrounded by moisture, the flesh
  of the fish remains juicy. Steaming displays the
  individual characteristics of the fish clearly.
  This makes it possible to present several
  contrasting types and textures of fish on the
  same plate, offering an interesting combination
  to the guest.
• Steaming in its purest form is often combined
  with other methods to produce the needed results.
  There are two things common to most steamed
  items
• The item cooks in its own juices plus a small
  amount of liquid added liquid.
• The item is served with its cooking liquid.

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Cooking Methods

• Broiling - best suited for fat fish - all fish,
  fat or lean, may be marinated or coated with a
  small amount of oil to reduce this drying process
• Whole fish, up to five pounds, may be broiled
  with some success. Their bones will help keep
  them moist and their skin will protect them from
  the intense heat.
• Small slices or fillets, are best for broiling.
• When broiling fillets with the skin on, the cut
  side should be cooked first and presented upwards
  on the plate. Leaving the skin on the fillet will
  help hold them together.
• Thin fillets may be broiled or cooked only on the
  cut side.
• Thick fillets require turning when being cooked
  or broiled.

10
Tests for Doneness in Fish

• The fish just separates into flakes (it is
  beginning to flake but does not fall apart
  easily)
• If bone is present - the flesh separates from the
  bone, and the bone is no longer pink
• The flesh has turned from translucent to opaque
  (usually white, depending on the kind of fish)

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Lean Fish Preparation

• Since lean fish has almost no fat, it can easily
  become very dry, especially if over cooked. It
  is often served with sauces to enhance the
  moistness and give it richness.
• Dry Heat Method - If it is broiled or baked, it
  should be basted generously with butter or oil.
  Take special care not to over cook.
• Dry Heat Method with Fat - These fish are good
  for frying and sautéing, they gain palatability
  from the added fat.
• Moist Heat Method - These fish are especially
  well suited for poaching or cooking en papilloté,
  which preserves their moisture. Both are
  excellent methods of cooking without adding fat.

12
Fat Fish Preparation

• The fat in these fish enables them to tolerate
  more heat without becoming dry.
• Dry Heat Method - These fish are well suited to
  this method. The dry heat helps to eliminate some
  of the excess oiliness.
• Dry Heat Method with Fat - Large fat fish like
  Salmon, or stronger flavored fish like Bluefish
  or Mackerel are rarely cooked in fat. Smaller
  ones like Trout are often pan-fried. Take care to
  avoid excessive greasiness. Drain the fish well
  before serving.
• Moist Heat Method - These fish, like lean fish,
  can be cooked by moist heat. Poached Salmon and
  Trout are very popular.