Try soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking it. It will be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.
If you soak fish in water and vinegar for about half an hour before cooking, the flesh will stay white; more importantly, if you add a little vinegar to a court bouillon, the fish will stay whole and firm.
The food comes out looking and feeling boiled, but it's never been near a flame. The dish is ceviche, and the secret is acidity. Soak fish or shellfish in vinegar or lemon or lime juice, and the meat turns opaque and the texture firms up, almost as if it has been cooked.
Soak fish in 1/4 cup vinegar, lemon juice or wine and water before cooking it for a sweet tender taste. Remove the fishy smell from your hands by washing with vinegar and water or salt and water. When baking whole fish, wrap it in well-oiled cheesecloth.
Also, you can marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar, and water for 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the fishy taste. Cooking the fish using a cooking method that will not allow the fishy flavor to become pronounced, such as grilling, baking, or steaming can help as well.
And, hey! The next time you cook fish, try these tricks that should cut down on the fish's potent odor during cooking, but won't affect its overall flavor. Soak fish in milk for at least half an hour before cooking it. Soak your fish in water mixed with 1/4 cup of vinegar or 1/4 cup of lemon juice before cooking it.
Per WebMD, fish is similar to poultry in that washing it raw can cause any bacteria to spread around your sink and kitchen, increasing the likelihood you will get sick. Raw fish is known to contain dangerous bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, and clostridium.
Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes
In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish.
As fans of the traditional fish and chips dinner, we have to say that malt vinegar is our choice as the best vinegar for fish and chips. The milder, sweet flavour balances perfectly with the saltiness of the food, with the acid cutting gently through the crispy, fried texture.
Dark malt vinegar, also known as brown malt vinegar, is the variety used for fish and chips. It has a dark brown color and a strong flavor.
Malt vinegar is made by melting barley, and while there are a few different variations, the kind known as dark malt vinegar or brown malt vinegar is most popular on fish and chips.
Undiluted vinegar works great as a stain treater for mustard, ketchup, deodorant stains, and grass stains on cotton and everyday clothing. Soak the stain in straight vinegar. Allow it to sit for 10-30 minutes. Wash as normal.
If you are going to fry or grill lean, white fish, the flesh will be whiter and firmer if it is soaked for half an hour in a 10% salt solution (brine). The salt penetrates in better and the fish gains a firmer, more satisfying consistency. The flesh tastes better and is easier to handle.
With an acid-based marinades, those that include a lot of vinegar or citrus juice for instance, marinate salmon for no more than 20 to 30 minutes.
Proper cooking is important to destroy any parasites or harmful bacteria that may be present. For fin fish, allow 10 minutes cooking time for each inch of thickness. Turn the fish over halfway through the cooking time unless it is less than a half-inch thick.
Soaking fish in brine or water before cooking to remove any muddy taste is not necessary. We prefer never to wash or soak whole or filleted fish in water or any other solution (except a marinade) before cooking as it affects the texture, and ultimately, the flavour of the fish.
After the Catch
If making fillets, rinse the fish in cold, clean water to remove blood, bacteria, and digestive enzymes. Pesticides or other substances may concentrate in fatty parts of the fish, so remove skin and fat deposits when cleaning fish.
Or, you could substitute the lemon juice with half as much white wine or white vinegar. Keep in mind that vinegar is best if used to substitute for a small amount of lemon juice, since too much will give your dish a strong vinegar taste.
Since the acid will not cause the evaporation of any moisture, the fish won't be as prone to drying out. That said, it is possible to 'overcook' ceviche! If the proteins remain in the acid for too long, or if the acid is very acidic, the proteins will curdle and unfold too much.
All fish smell "fishy" because they contain unpleasant-smelling substances called amines (which are bases). When lemon juice (an acid) is squeezed on to the fish, this smell disappears.
Acids and milk are both great odor absorbents. They work similarly to baking soda and charcoal, only you can apply them directly to the fish. If you eat fish often, it's good to have lemon juice or vinegar on hand for some of those stronger-smelling fish.
Get Rid Fish Odor With Vinegar
Just add a quarter cup of white vinegar to two cups of water and boil it in a pan on your stove. The acid smell will neutralize the fish scent and leave everything nice and fresh again. If you can avoid the fish smell in the first place, that's the biggest win.
We've found an easy way to eliminate the smell: Soak the fish or the shellfish meat in milk for 20 minutes and then drain and pat dry. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes the culprit that causes fishy odor with it. The result is seafood that's sweet smelling and clean-flavored.