To me, the hot days and sultry nights of summer mean a craving for fish. Lots of people share my longing for fish – light and bright and healthy – during the summer months, but many fear to cook it. “I never cook fish,” is a phrase I hear all the time. “It’s too dicey, too difficult, you never know when you’ve got it right.”
That used to be me as well, but a couple of years ago, I hit on a formula that will cook absolutely ANY fish filet to perfection and simultaneously allow you to cook your entire meal.
IN A NUTSHELL: Season, then bake, broil or grill fish filets for 10 minutes per inch. Eat! They’ll be perfect!
Here are the details on my favorite way to do them.
Take your filets (figure about ½ lb. per person) and lay them out on a broiler pan that you’ve sprayed with oil just to make cleaning easier. You’re going to bake them—the broiler pan is just so they have a little breathing space beneath.
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl (I use a custard cup) melt a pat or two of butter and a tbsp. of olive oil just till soft and blended. Add a dash of garlic salt, a couple dashes of coarse ground pepper and about a tsp. of minced herbs (dill or thyme are my favorites but anything you like is fine.) Brush your fish with a generous amount of this mixture. Check to see how thick the filets are. You’re going to cook them for 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Let them sit while you do the rest of your dinner.
Lay out on a baking pan some vegetables (broccoli or asparagus are ideal), spray with olive oil, then salt & pepper. Lay out another pan of chunks of potatoes, spray and season as the veggies.
Put both the trays of veggies on the bottom shelf of your oven and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the tray of fish on the top shelf and cook
for the required 10 minutes per inch. Fish and vegetables will be done simultaneously.
Lay your fish in the center of a large serving plate, surrounded by veggies and potatoes, and accompanied by a bottle of your favorite wine.
Happy summer!
Savannah Dining Tidbits 