How do you bake fish?

[Slaughter-06]

Or Grill?
I hate how all the water comes out of the fillets when baking or grilling them.
I will cook mine for a few min then poor the water off and add my butter and seasoning then.

Does anyone have a better way to deal with the water in the Fillets?

 

[Hawk]

Sear with butter or oil for a minute or two in an oven proof skillet. Place in oven and bake as normal or til flaky

 

[jb3]

Before searing, make sure to pat it dry.

 

[Slaughter-06]

I squeeze it with my had like a rag and pat it dry. It still has lots of water in it.

Hawk so take a cast iron skillet and heat it on the stove top then sear it? will water be present then? Poor off excess then add seasoning?

The water to me takes away the taste of the seasoning and butter I have used, I can not get the desired results I want.

 

[TAFKAP]

Once you have manipulated all the moisture out that you can manage, try sticking them on a rack in the fridge for a few hours. The cold will help evaporate the remaining moisture.

Then, preheat your cast iron in the oven at a high temp, then slap the fish in there for a couple minutes.

I've never been a fan of baked fish, mainly because of the texture and flavor. High heat, short endurance is most frequently the best way to cook fish.

 

[Slaughter-06]

Thanks TAFKAP I will try that next time.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

Use a roasting pan,or a pan with a rack in it. All the water will drain off while cooking.You can also cook them on a grill or in a smoker and the moisture will cook off. I have a fish holder that you put the fish in while grilling that helps hold them together.

 

[Crosshairy]

The type of fish you cook seems to matter as much as the cooking method.

Catfish, for example, seem to be awful about holding liquids. Plus, the meat has an almost fatty texture to it.

I baked a catfish last week that I had cut into about 6 pieces (it was a bit under 3 lbs live weight). I baked it on a rack above a pan in the oven at 350 for about 18 minutes.

Frankly, I was pretty disappointed. It tasted OK, but the texture wasn't that great. I cooked it a bit longer to get it to firm up.

The firmer the fish, the less I have a problem with watery meat. Also, try vacuum-sealing them instead of freezing/storing in water, and that helps as well.

 

[Slaughter-06]

Okay I fried Crappie and catfish yesterday, I set aside some crappie a 3 pc. of cat fillets, patted them dry and in the fridge ready to bake tonight. I wanted to try the cats, but after reading your post not sure now lol