HOW TO
cook fish
Most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 63°C .
frying
Cooking time: 5-6 minutes for thinner portions of fish and 6-7 minutes for thicker fillets.
- Prepare by seasoning or crumbing the fish portions or fillets.
- Put oil in pan and add the fish once the oil is hot.
- Fry the skin side of the fillet for 2/3 of the allocated time, then turn over.
baking
- Prepare by seasoning the fish or covering it with seasoned crumbs or any other topping you like.
- Line a tray with baking paper, add fillets with their skin side facing upwards and bake for 8-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
- Alternatively, use a sheet of foil and rub the fish with olive oil. Place it on the foil, season to your liking, add some lemon juice to provide liquid for steaming and seal the edges of the foil to form a packet. Bake for 12-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
The fish is cooked when the flesh is clear and separates easily with a fork.
steaming
Hake steams well due to its flaky nature.
Cooking time: Steam for 8-10 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
How to prepare: Season the fish to your liking, then place the fillet in a steamer and cover with a lid. If steaming in a saucepan, fill the pan with a layer of water and place the steamer on top. Heat the water to a gentle simmer and add the fish. Make sure that the fish does not come into contact with the water.
Seasoning suggestions: Be sure to season beforehand and finish off with a squeeze of lemon when done. You can also opt to incorporate some Asian flavours by using scallions, ginger and soy sauce.
braaiing
Snoek, yellowtail and trout make great whole fish braais. You can also make a parcel with foil and cook most types of fish fillets or steaks this way, with seasoning and lemon juice or another liquid that will allow the fish to stay moist when cooking.
Cooking time: Around 15 minutes
How to prepare: Make sure the snoek is dry before you apply any basting or seasoning. Ideally, you should braai your snoek ‘open’, with or without foil (which will keep it from sticking to the grid or burning).
Seasoning suggestions: The combination of butter, garlic, apricot jam and lemon juice works really well on snoek.
HOW TO
cook shellfish
Most seafood such as prawns, shrimps, mussels, and clams should be cooked to an internal temperature of 63°C.
how to cook prawns
Prawns should be cooked minimally, because they can get dry and rubbery if overcooked.
Cooking time: Stir-fry (2-6 minutes according to size), grill or barbecue (3-4 minute per side), or
poach (3-10 minutes, according to size).
How to prepare prawns:
The simplest way to cook prawns is to use a combination of garlic, butter, lemon and chilli.
You can also marinate the prawns for an hour in a marinate of your choice before cooking, or use it in a seafood curry or paella.
how to cook shrimp
Cooking time: 3-4 minutes for small shrimps
How to prepare: Shrimp are commonly prepared by steaming, simmering, sautéing, grilling or poaching.
Shrimp will become firm and clear when cooked.
how to cook mussels
Cooking time: 6-10 minutes
How to prepare: Mussels are commonly steamed, but mussel meat can also be fried.
A much-loved flavour pairing with mussels is the combination of garlic, onions/shallots, white wine and parsley.
Steam the mussels until the shells open and remember to discard those that don’t open.
Try our herby crumbed half-shell mussels recipe or mussel meat & leek risotto topped with prawns
how to cook clams
Clams are used in chowders, soups and stews. Smaller clams can be eaten raw or steamed. Larger clams can be stewed, braised or deep-fried.
Cooking time: Steam for 7-9 minutes
How to prepare: The shells open during cooking, but remember to throw out those that don’t open as they are spoiled.
[Link] Try our clam meat in a sweet chilli sauce or soy-dressed steamed clams recipes.
HOW TO
cook squid (calamari)
Squid, also called calamari, can be tenderised by scoring the connective tissue of the body. It is often deep-fried but can also be stewed or braised. Quick cooking is best because squid can become quite tough and will need to be cooked a long time to tenderize.
Cooking time: Fry in a searing hot pan for 2 minutes. If cooking in a stew, simmer for 30 minutes up to an hour.
How to prepare: Make sure the squid is dry. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat evenly.
A screaming hot pan is by far the quickest way to get squid to the table. You can slice the tubes or leave them whole, season with salt and pepper, sear the squid over the high heat for 2-3 minutes, and you’ve got an easy weekday meal.
