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Fish and seafood
Also searched as: fish, salmon, perch, whitefish, prawns
In short: Fish flesh is more delicate than the meat of land animals: short muscle fibres, little connective tissue, and protein that cooks at low temperatures.
Picture it
Like a book of thin pages only loosely stuck together: with too much heat it falls apart.
What happens
Fish does not have to work against gravity, so it has little connective tissue. The protein cooks from about 50 °C and quickly turns dry and crumbly with too much heat.
Why it matters
Fish forgives little overcooking. Gentle heat and a hot, dry pan for the skin are the two tools.
Rules of thumb
- Better off the heat too early than too late.
- Pat the skin dry and fry skin side down.
- Acid right at the end.
Related entries
Sources · 2
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004)
- ThermoWorks: How Meat Cooks – Heat’s Effects on Muscle Fibers