Fishing For Perfection

My quest for the perfectly-prepared fish continues. Monday night, I prepared chilipepper rockfish from Local Catch Monterey Bay. Or at least I think it was chilipepper rockfish. The bags aren't actually labeled, and when you get fillets, you can't compare them to a picture of a whole fish. The weekly email from Local Catch said 90% of the fish being distributed was chilipepper rockfish, and damn it, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a marine biologist*, so I'm playing the odds and saying that yes, I prepared chilipepper rockfish.



Marina was out of town, so I didn't attempt any of the more complicated recipes on offer that required glazing or basting or any methods that required a mastery of French vocabulary. I decided to cook it on the stove with my usual mix of butter, a splash of oil, garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay, and salt and pepper, focusing on the advice I was given to cook it hot and fast. Lemon juice was key, because our backyard lemon tree is heavy with lemons at the moment.



So yes, the fish preparation was basic, but I did decide to add side dishes. Nothing complicated, just a bit of pre-mixed salad and some instant risotto, just to make a more complete meal.

There have been two challenges I have found so far since I've started cooking seafood on a regular basis: making it flavorful and preventing it from falling apart into mush. This dish was certainly more flavorful, with good texture, although it still fell apart a bit. The flavor could be a result of combining the fish and the risotto, as the risotto did add a sweet creaminess, but I think the proportions of garlic and lemon juice were better this time. As for the fish falling apart, I may have cooked it just a bit too long, although the structural integrity was still better than my last attempt with rockfish. This is key, because everyone knows that structural integrity is the first qualification that one looks for in a gourmet meal.



Overall, I would say this meal was a success. Tonight I'll be preparing black cod, and since I have the day off, I might actually investigate some more complicated recipes. Marina is still away, so now is the time to experiment with potential disasters, right?

*Also, damn it, Jim, I'm a blogger, not a doctor, so don't come to me for free medical advice.