Brining all Fish

Brining all Fish

I know you think I am kidding by the title right? Well I am not. As those that know me know I am a big fan of brining Pork and Chicken. Now I can add Fish to the list too. I wish I could take credit for this but alas I can not. This was from a person named Barton Seaver I believe.I have been trying the brining on a number of types of fish and have really been enjoying the results so I wanted to pass it on to those that are interested.

“It’s one of the simplest ways to ensure that you get the best-tasting, most succulent fish you can possibly cook,” he says. “I brine almost every piece of fish I serve because it not only seasons the fish throughout, thus accentuating the natural flavors, but it also gives you a lot of flexibility in the cooking time.”

A brine can be flavored with sugar, molasses or honey; a little sweetness tempers the saltiness. A brine can be simmered with herbs or a spice, but it has to be cold when the fish fillets go in. Unless you have health concerns about your sodium intake, don’t worry too much about the salt imparted by a brine, the chef says. But be careful not to add too much salt to the brine itself or the salt will cure the fish rather than flavor it. (For 20 to 24 ounces of fish, try a basic brine of 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar.)

Here’s his short list of fish and their brining times:
* Amberjack: about 1 hour
* Arctic char/salmon: 35 minutes
* Mahi-mahi/wahoo: 35 minutes
* Catfish (for frying): 35 minutes
* Halibut/sablefish: 25 minutes
* Rockfish/bluefish: 25 minutes
* Cod/hake: 20 minutes
* Tilapia: 20 minutes
* Mackerel/sardines: 12 to 15 minutes
* Plaice/sole/flounder: 5 to 10 minutes
* Rainbow trout: 7 minutes (NOTE: The chef says rainbow trout is always a fun one to brine because the slime on the skin turns the water murky and viscous. “Strange, I know,” he says. “This is a fish to mess around with different brine flavors, as trout is particularly amenable to many strong flavors.”)