Cooking whole fish

[Risen]

I saw some tilapia on sale at the market for only $2 a pound, for the whole fish with the head on and everything (but scaled and gutted). What's the best way to cook a whole fish? I plan to cook these over an open fire while camping.

 

[Thalassa]

You could make fish soup, and then make this beautiful craft with the head when you get home from your camping trip.

 

[rav3n]

For ease, I'd just do butter and garlic in a pan.

 

[ragashree]

Baking or steaming works well for tilapia, and it's going to make it easier to deal with whole ones and make sure they cook through (as well as being good for flavour and texture). In your particular circumstances I think I'd want to wrap in foil to protect and keep moisture in, stuff with anything else tasty you have handy, and bake over hot embers, or otherwise steam in a covered vessel. A covered camping pan should be fine for the latter as long as you don't cook too quickly and make sture it stays moist (concentrating on cooking mostly with steam rather than trying to open fry at a high temperature). Another method which takes a bit more skill that should work is cooking on a wooden spit over the hot embers of a low fire (this is good with whole trout, and tilapia is a fairly simlilar fish). Hope that helps!

 

[ceecee]

Foil with butter and some herbs plus garlic. Maybe 10 minutes over the fire or in the coals. You can also use parchment paper for this but not on a open fire.

 

[Nijntje]

Bit late on the uptake (im always the last to a party!) but my favourite way to cook whole fish is to get lemongrass, Vietnamese mint and basil, limes and chilli and stuff the inside cavity with them then a little garlic/butter on the skin (as anything acidic will start the cooking process and may dry out the flesh) wrap in foil and let to steam. Perhaps a little white wine in there as well for good measure and steamy goodness. The flesh takes on the flavours from inside really subtly and the steam/bake keeps everything moist and yummy.

SOO tasty.

 

[Giggly]

con 'Z Limon, of course.

Actually any savory (vs. sweet) method of preparation of fish would appeal to me.

 

[INTP]

put it in the oven if you cant smoke it

 

[Giggly]

Mmmm smoked fish. *slurp*

 

[Randomnity]

I've only done it once, with a rainbow trout - I wrapped it in foil, threw in some butter/dill/lemon, and bbqed. It was pretty decent. You could do something similar cooking over coals.

Njintje's sounds better, though.

 

[wolfy]

I did one in the dishwasher once. Wrapped it in foil and threw it in. It was nice.

 

[INTP]

Mmmm smoked fish. *slurp*

yep.

especially these babys

 

[Oberon]

Yellow perch?

 

[INTP]

redfin perch