How to cook fish in a healthy way?

Fish is a very delicious food and rich in essential components such as minerals or fatty acids , which is why it is essential in the diet, but it is also quite delicate to prepare, cook and maintain.

In order to take care of the health of many fish lovers , including in order to enjoy a very nutritious dish, in the following article we present how fish should be prepared properly.

Tips for cooking fish

Is a recipe with fish difficult to prepare? Certainly it is not when you know in depth what this preparation implies, so we want to make a short list of what? Of this, some useful tips that will help you when you want to prepare a fish by your own hand:

1. Choose a fresh and quality fish

The quality of the fish counts a lot, its freshness and quality (basically hygiene), is even an essential difference between other types of fish, such as salmon, including the edibility of the meat and the presence of fats in them.

In fact, it is advisable to ask for fish of local origin in seafood stores (ignoring those that are imported), since these do not go through a factory process or treatment with artificial seasonings that seek to “maintain” freshness and prevent diseases.

Note: The World Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) has a vast document that works as codes for the care of fish and fishery products, which should be a practice for all seafood restaurants. (1)

2. Opt for blue fish

It is ideal that you decide to buy oily fish, very popular for having essential nutritional properties, finding vitamins A, D and cobalamin , the presence of iron, calcium, phosphorus and even unsaturated fats.

The types of oily fish that you can get and cook are sardines, fresh tuna, salmon (very rich in nutritional values), anchovies, trout, turbot (to cook a gourmet recipe) and even swordfish.

Important: A study highlights the following: “Substances such as omega 3 fatty acids, or unsaturated fats, are present in some types of fish (especially oily fish than white fish) .” (two)

3. Keep the ingredients and utensils clean

Fish is a dish with a strong smell and very delicate care when cooking, so it needs to be prepared with the right ingredients and clean utensils, free of germs, mold or grease (a sign of poorly washed utensils).

Aside from proper sodium levels, fresh ingredients and flavor-boosting spices like pepper, parsley (fresh and chopped), thyme, garlic , and even saffron should be used.

4. Select healthy contours to accompany

It would not be appealing to eat a fish by itself, the contour is a paramount dish for such an excellent meal. For this reason , there is a wide variety of accompaniments , which can complement each other well when cooking fish.

Tip: You can choose balanced and easy-to-make foods first, such as mashed potatoes or baked Colombian potatoes, as well as broccoli salad with bulgur (food from wheat), caprese salad , pure white rice and finally avocado with light lemon juices and minced garlic.

What are the best healthy ways to cook fish?

It is not the same to have the type of fish on hand, than to prepare it with a recipe that is juicy and also remains healthy and nutritious , it is for this reason that we present 6 healthy ways to prepare fish:

1. Baked fish

It is one of the best recipes to prepare fish fillets. It’s easy, it keeps the meat fresh, and it allows the ingredients to mix properly. The time oscillates in 1 hour and 25 minutes , cooking lasts 1 hour maximum (preferably with an aluminum foil on top of the container), which means that the fish is not raw before serving.

Important: The National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development , recommends in several recipes for baked fish, that it must always be placed in a container with plenty of oil and salt, in this case we recommend using a healthy oil such as coconut. (3)

2. Steamed fish

It is a very easy recipe to consume and cook fish fillets, what does it mean steamed? This is where the fish is prepared in a steam pot or bamboo steamers . If you do not have it, you can opt for traditional or electric steamers, always with water. You just want to add enough salt to the fish as you see fit and have the heat high so that the water boils and generates said steam.

To highlight: In these cases of steam, cooking varies depending on the number of fish fillets (at least 15 minutes) and how much water is used to generate sufficient steam, it must also be seasoned beforehand and you should not place it with food on top If not, the steam cannot cook the fish.

3. Grilled fish

To cook fish in grilled recipes, several details must be taken into account since it can break, so choose a fish without bones and that has skin, as is the case with salmon , since they are easy to cook.

Do not put oil in the non-stick pan , but when seasoning the fish, it is moistened with small pinches of oil (also with crushed garlic), then place the fish for 3 minutes and flip for 1 minute.

Tip: It is recommended to have the pan hot and over medium heat before placing the fish, then garnish with parsley.

4. Grilled fish

You have to be very careful in this recipe, since the fish fillets are complicated when cooked on the grill, so choose the tuna and trout , which must be cooked for at least 3 minutes to 12 minutes (in whole pieces). , then spread with olive oil and a little lemon juice.

Note: For this recipe you must start with the skin part and make sure that the grill is thoroughly cleaned, so that the fish cooks and does not stick to it, ruining the dish.

5. Fish en papillote

The papillote is a very delicious dish, just as simple as steamed, being a recipe with a mixture of vegetables and fish that is cooked at high temperatures. Where from? from the oven. You need salt, pepper, well-cut vegetables, minced garlic, the fish fillet and aluminum foil, then cook in the oven for 12 minutes.

To stand out: This recipe helps to maintain the nutrients of the food that is cooked, with the fish wrapped with the vegetables inside the aluminum.

6. Fish in ceviche

This recipe is a seafood marinade and citrus dressings, including fish . How can you prepare the fish in this type of recipe? First , the fillet must be cut into cubes .

Later these cubes are marinated with lemon juice, chopped red onion and adding other seasonings (such as cilantro), it is important to leave it covered and that the lemon does the job for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Key Findings

• Fish is a protein of high nutritional value with healthy fats.
• It is advisable to choose fresh fish fillets such as salmon and with healthy contours.
• You have to be clean with the utensils to use for the best preparation of the fish.
• The fish can be cooked in ceviche recipes, on the grill, steamed , in the oven or in the foil.