Baking and Grilling

If you are nervous about cooking fish the most uncomplicated and foolproof method is baking. Baking is a loose term generally meaning to cook in the oven; it can mean that the fish is wrapped in greaseproof paper or foil or that you bake it in a dish, basting with the juices. Bake large fish at a lower temperature and small fish at a higher one because then the cooking time is so short that they will not have time to dry out.

Steaks or pieces of meaty fish such as tuna, shark and swordfish can be cooked gently and comparatively slowly in a covered casserole with vegetables all round them to make a complete and full-flavoured dish. Whole fish can be stuffed with all sorts of good things or simply a bunch of fresh herbs which flavour the flesh during baking.