The Great Fish Cook-Off

Although I relish the crispy crumb and moist interior of fried fish fillets just as much as the next person, it pains me to see something so innately healthful be transformed within minutes to high-calorie, high-fat food fare. Some may think frying fish is the only way to cook fish. I'm here to help you think outside the "deep fryer" box.

Grilling Your Fish

This is perhaps the tastiest way to cook fish. The first key here is to keep as much of the moisture of the fish inside it as it cooks. Coating the fish lightly with oil will help seal some of this moisture inside. If you choose a smart oil like canola oil or olive oil with high amounts of the preferred monounsaturated fats and desirable plant omega-3s (canola oil), and you don't drench the fish with the oil, this will add around 1.1 grams of fat and 10 calories per serving (when using about 1/4 teaspoon oil per 5-ounce raw fillet).

The second key to grilling fish is to watch it carefully (since it is very vulnerable to drying out). Remember most fish on the grill only takes a few minutes per side. Flip the fillets over the second you cut into the fish and it is cooked half way through. Continue to watch the fish closely and take the fish off the grill as soon as it is cooked throughout or preferably slightly before because the fish will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat.

Wrap your fish serving in aluminum foil and place it on the grill. The fish will marinate in its own moisture as it cooks. You can add seasonings like fresh garlic, fresh rosemary or basil, freshly ground pepper, garden tomatoes, white wine, orange or lemon peel to create a subtly flavored fish dish.

Broiling Your Fish

Broiling is basically grilling in the oven. You are still cooking your fish at a high temperature with a direct heat source. You can still use a sauce or marinade with the fish but this time the sauce won't fall through the grill and hit the coals below. My favorite way to broil fish is to line a shallow baking pan with thick foil and coat it with canola cooking spray before adding my fish or sauce. Clean up is a snap this way.

Baking Your Fish

This is the antithesis to grilling where you need to lovingly watch your fish carefully for the ten or so minutes it is over the hot grill. Baking fish is more of a toss-and-go setup. Prepare the cooking sauce or coating (because you don't want to bake your fish dry) while you preheat the oven. Then pop the fish dish into the oven following the recipe instructions for cooking times (so you don't overcook it).

The tricky part can be if your fish isn't the same size or thickness as is called for in the recipe you are following; a thin fish fillet will cook more quickly and a thicker one will generally take longer to cook.