Cooking Fish with Anova Is a Total Game-Changer

Growing up in a Chinese family, fish has always been an important part of dinner. Whether it was at home or out at a restaurant, steamed fish was a must have on the dinner table. This was especially true during Chinese New Year as fish symbolizes abundance, wealth, and prosperity. 

But my fondness for fish doesn’t stop there though. I enjoy a variety of fish and ways of eating them, ranging from the aforementioned steamed fish to roasted to sashimi. I love fish because it offers a satisfying meal without leaving you feeling overly full.

There are so many ways to cook fish with both the Anova Precision™ Oven 2.0 and sous vide Precision® Cookers. Here are some of the ways that I like to get it done.

Steaming
The Precision™ Oven 2.0 is the perfect tool as it allows me to make Chinese steamed fish for my kids and continue with tradition. Just set it to Steam Mode at 200°F with 100% steam and, depending on the size of your fish, cook it for 15 to 20 minutes. After the fish is done, plate it and top with julienned ginger, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, and seafood soy sauce (I prefer the one from Lee Kum Kee). Finish it with a scoop of hot oil. Grab a bowl of rice to eat alongside. It’s so simple yet so delicious.

Steam-Roasting

Going to the other side of the globe, one of my bucket list vacations is going to Europe, sitting in a restaurant with a beautiful ocean view (think the Amalfi coast), and eating the branzino that I see on all these food shows. I haven’t been to the Amalfi coast yet, but I have been able to make the branzino at home. It’s easy and it takes only a few ingredients: olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. 

Place the fish in a pan and set the oven to Steam-Roast Mode at 400°F. Stuff slices of lemon inside the fish, season with salt, pepper, and drizzle on some olive oil. In about 12 to 15 minutes you should have a beautifully roasted branzino. Why steam-roast? By injecting steam you’re able to keep the meat moist while roasting the skin to get it a nice crispy texture. Don’t forget to cut a few slits on the side of the fish so the seasonings and moisture can get in.

Sous Vide
If you haven’t cooked salmon sous vide, I highly recommend it. Before working at Anova, I was mostly baking salmon, which often turns the flesh dry. I always thought it was because I needed more sauce. My wife said it was my skills. Guess what? The wife is always right. 

When you cook sous vide, moisture stays in the fish and, best of all, you can experiment with lots of different textures. My wife and I enjoy rare salmon, which means cooking it at around 105 to 109°F for a sashimi-like texture. Dip it in a little soy sauce and wasabi and you’ll ask why you haven’t done this sooner. If this is too rare for you, follow the Anova guides and play with the different temps for the variety of textures.

Also check out our new Sous Vide Tuna Guide for more tips, times and temperatures to follow!