INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Baking is probably the most common cooking method, but not  necessarily
the first thing you think of for cooking fish. It is a  good choice
though because it offers a wealth of variety. And you can  bake fish
with very little or no added fat. Unlike the moist heat of  steaming or
poaching, oven heat is dry, so your most important  consideration is
that the fish remains moist while cooking.  There are many ways to do
this beginning with an even coating of  seasoned breadcrumbs or a quick
brush with olive oil or melted  butter. You can top the fish with
thinly sliced tomatoes, zucchini,  mushrooms or other vegetables, which
help maintain the moisture in  the fish as it cooks. You can even
oven-poach fish by cooking it  either partially or totally submerged in
fish stock, wine or other  liquid, covering the baking dish with foil,
or laying buttered foil  directly on top of the fish pieces. Wrapping
the fish, in lettuce  leaves, parchment paper or foil, is probably the
best way to keep  fish moist as it bakes. This in fact becomes
oven-steaming because  the moisture is sealed in.  Baking is so
versatile that virtually any fish or shellfish can be  baked, from the
thinnest fillets to oysters on the half-shell to the  largest whole
fish that your oven can accommodate. Smaller fillets or  fish pieces
should be baked at higher temperatures (about 425øF) to  cook more
quickly so there is less chance of drying out. Large pieces  of fish
and whole fish should be cooked at moderate temperatures  (about
350øF) so the heat can penetrate to the interior of the fish  without
overcooking the exterior.  How to Bake  Preheat the oven. Arrange the
fish in an even layer in a lightly  oiled or buttered baking dish,
folding thin ends under if necessary  to encourage even cooking.
Sprinkle the fish with the seasoning,  coating, vegetables or whatever
is called for in your recipe. Bake  the fish in the preheated oven
until it is opaque through the  thickest part of the fish. Cooking time
will vary depending on the  thickness of the fish and the accompanying
ingredients. Transfer the  fish and vegetables, if appropriate, to
individual plates. If there  are any cooking juices remaining in the
dish, spoon a little over the  fish and serve.  Simply Seafood Fall
1994  Posted by Michael Prothro KOOK-NET  :þ Mike's Resort BBS,
Fayetteville,AR,(501)521-8920þ  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster
collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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