There are many ways to cook fish, each producing unique and delicious results. Different cooking methods suit different fish and it also depends whether you are using a whole fish, fillets, or steaks. Stuffing adds texture and flavor. There is more space in the body cavity of round fish. Do not overstuff the fish because most stuffing contains breadcrumbs, which swell when they are cooked. Parsley and walnut pesto, for example, is delicious with sea bass. You can also roll or sandwich fillets with stuffing and oven-bake them.

More Ways of Fish Cooking

Poaching usually gives excellent results. To poach fish, you need to add herbs, seasoning and a thickener such as cream. You can use this as a sauce to serve with the fish. Steaming is easy and suits whole fish, steaks, or fillets. To steam fish, put it in a steamer over boiling water and make sure you use a tight-fitting lid.

Oven baking and roasting give great results and suit whole fish or fillets. You need to add oil or butter, seasoning, herbs and white wine to the fish, in an ovenproof dish. For very tender and moist flesh, you can cook the fish "en papillote", which is in sealed paper or foil. This means the fish will cook it its own steam. You can add lemon or limejuice, fresh herbs and white wine to the foil parcel before cooking, for more flavors. To braise fish, you place it on some sauted vegetables in an ovenproof dish. Pour over white wine and bouillon, put a lid on the dish, and bake it for 20 minutes or so.

If you have a grill, you can use it to cook fillets or small, whole fish. If you want to use whole fish, slash the skin on each side a couple of times and brush the fish with olive oil or melted butter. Turn the fish halfway through the cooking time and baste it to keep it moist and add flavor. You can also wrap the fish in a foil packet and add herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil before grilling it.

Some fish can be cooked without being heated. Ceviche is an example of this, when you soak white fish, such as sole, flounder, scallops, or snapper, in limejuice, chili, and herbs. The acid in the citrus juice cooks the fish.

Another Fish Cooking Method - Wood Fish Board

This is another great method for cooking fish. You can use just about any kind of wood to cook fish on, as long as it is untreated and pest-free. The wood must be completely waterlogged before cooking, to ensure the wood generates enough steam and smoke to cook the fish, so it needs to be soaked for at least an hour beforehand.

Cedar is a common wood for fish boards but you can also use alder, maple, cherry, apple, or oak. A wood fish board is for one use only and you can get one from a specialty food store or online.

Brushing your fish with oil stops it from sticking to the board. When you cook on a wood fish board, you do not flip the fish because it cooks indirectly. Once your fish is prepared, oiled on one side and seasoned, you need to place the fish board and fish directly on the grill. You can baste the fish during cooking but do not use anything flammable. The board should be over a low fire so as not to ignite.

Using a wood fish board to cook the fish results in a wonderful flavor. The wood will smolder, making the fish deliciously smoky. In addition, since you only use the board once, it really cuts down on washing up!