Do You Feel Like Fish Tonight? (Fish)

Member Name: cindy1

Product:	Fish
Date:	29/09/01 (1363 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to prepare, Easy and fast to cook, Tasty

Disadvantages: None

My recipes are all cooked using the good old microwave oven. Most people tend to think that microwaves are only good for reheated food, and for cooking those ready meals from the local supermarket. However, this is not true, your trusty microwave can be used to make almost any meal, and best of all they cook it fast.

As the following recipes are fish recipes, it might be useful to give you some microwave tips for cooking fish, these handy tips can be incorporated into the following and many other fish based recipes.

The moist delicate texture of fish is especially suitable for microwave cooking. Fish can be cooked in minutes and if anything it's natural fresh flavour is enhanced by cooking in a microwave. To help keep the fish moist during microwaving, I would advise brushing the fish with oil or melted butter, and cover it tightly. When cooking fish slit the skin of the whole fish, this will prevent it from bursting.

If cooking large fish, I find it beneficial to curl it in a large dish so that it fits in the microwave. Also position the thinner ends of the fish fillets towards the centre of the dish and if you are cooking more than two fillets overlap the thin ends, separating them with Clingfilm.

Remember to always slightly undercook fish, as it will continue to cook when standing. You can tell when fish is cooked when the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork. One drawback with microwaving fish is that it cannot be deep-fried, or breadcrumbed fish will not become crispy. However, there is a way round this, first cook in the microwave, then transfer to the grill where it will crispen off. This is great if you are on a diet.

So there are my fishy tips, now for my tasty fish recipes.

Stuffed Trout with Caper Sauce.
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Time Needed: 30 minutes to prepare, and 21 minutes to cook.
Microwave Setting: High.
Serving: Enough for 4 hungry people.

In
gredients.
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150g of butter or margarine.
1 small onion, skinned and finely chopped.
50g of mushrooms, wiped and finely chopped.
45ml lemon juice.
Half a small fennel bulb, finely chopped.
50g fresh brown breadcrumbs.
1 egg white, lightly beaten.
Salt and pepper.
4 trout, each weighing 175g cleaned, and heads removed.
3 egg yolks.
15ml capers.

Instructions.
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Step 1: Place 50g of butter or margarine in a medium bowl and microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds or until melted. Stir in the onion, mushrooms, lemon juice and chopped fennel. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 5-7 minutes or until soft, stirring once. Stir in the breadcrumbs and egg white and season.

Step 2: Stuff each trout with some of the mixture. Arrange the fish in a shallow oblong dish, head next to tail and stuffing pockets uppermost.

Step 3:Cover and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Reposition the fish, cover and microwave for a further 5 minutes or until tender. Leave to stand, covered.

Step 4: Melt the remaining butter or margarine in a medium bowl on HIGH.

Step 5: Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining lemon juice and season to taste. Gradually whisk into the butter or margarine. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds, whisking every 15 seconds, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the microwave and whisk for a further 20 seconds to cool slightly. Stir in the capers and serve with the trout.

Step 6: Serve with potatoes and green vegetables.

Tip: When buying trout make sure that the fish are firm and have a slimy skin and bright eyes.

Did that get the old taste buds going? Well don’t run off yet, I have got another fishy recipe for you.

Haddock au Gratin.
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Time: 30 minutes to prepare, and 17 minutes to cook.
Setting: HIGH.
Serves: 4 people.

Ingredients.
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450g of Haddock fillet.
225g of Smoked haddock fillet.
60ml of dry white wine.
6 black peppercorns.
1 bay leaf.
1 small onion, skinned and thinly sliced.
50g of butter or margarine.
100g of button mushrooms, wiped and sliced.
3 tbsp. of plain flour.
75g of cheddar cheese, finely grated.
25g of fresh breadcrumbs.
25g of walnuts, finely chopped.

Instructions.
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Step 1: Place the fish in a shallow dish. Pour over the wine and 300ml of water. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and onion. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, turning the dish once.

Step 2: Strain off the liquid and reserve. Flake the fish and discard the peppercorns, bay leaf and onion.

Step 3: Place the butter or margarine in a medium flameproof casserole dish and microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds or until melted. Stir in the mushrooms and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Bland in the flour and microwave on HIGH for 5-6 minutes, stirring after every minute, until boiling.

Step 4: Season to taste with pepper and stir in half the cheese and the fish. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.

Step 5: Mix the breadcrumbs, remaining cheese and walnuts together. Spoon the mixture over the fish and brown under a hot grill.

Step 6: Serve with mashed potatoes and spinach.

Well that's my lot, hope you enjoy my tasty fish recipes. Watch this space, for more microwave cooking tips, and tasty recipes.

ENJOY!

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