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Foolproof Fish: Modern Recipes for Everyone, Everywhere
Fresh, modern flavors, 198 recipes that accommodate multiple kinds of fish, and plenty of fish facts will inspire you to dive into seafood cookery with confidence.
A look at the seafood counter reveals a number of varieties of fish, from mild in flavor and flaky in texture to rich and meaty. In Foolproof Fish, we show you how versatile they all are by providing approachable recipes, most of which you can make with more than one kind of fish. You're guaranteed a flavorful meal no matter what you bring home from the market or monger. We'll broaden your seafood scope by incorporating it into any course--vibrant appetizers like Sizzling Garlic Shrimp and Peruvian Fish Ceviche with Radishes and Orange, lots of easy weeknight meals like Moroccan Fish and Couscous Packets and Tuna Steaks with Cucumber-Peanut Salad, elegant dinner party fare like Roasted Salmon with Orange Beurre Blanc, or comforting soups like Cod in Coconut Broth with Lemon Grass and Ginger. Even bring the fish fry home with grease-free Fish and Chips and Shrimp Po' Boys. And the recipes are foolproof: no fish fillets sticking to the grill or rubbery scallops.
In addition to getting you to cook from the sea, this book offers a fish education. Master key techniques from shucking oysters for Grilled Oysters with Spicy Lemon Butter to serving up a whole fish after making Whole Roast Snapper with Citrus Vinaigrette; learn substitutions so you can work with what's available to you; and explore topics that matter to you, like nutrition and sustainability.
A look at the seafood counter reveals a number of varieties of fish, from mild in flavor and flaky in texture to rich and meaty. In Foolproof Fish, we show you how versatile they all are by providing approachable recipes, most of which you can make with more than one kind of fish. You're guaranteed a flavorful meal no matter what you bring home from the market or monger. We'll broaden your seafood scope by incorporating it into any course--vibrant appetizers like Sizzling Garlic Shrimp and Peruvian Fish Ceviche with Radishes and Orange, lots of easy weeknight meals like Moroccan Fish and Couscous Packets and Tuna Steaks with Cucumber-Peanut Salad, elegant dinner party fare like Roasted Salmon with Orange Beurre Blanc, or comforting soups like Cod in Coconut Broth with Lemon Grass and Ginger. Even bring the fish fry home with grease-free Fish and Chips and Shrimp Po' Boys. And the recipes are foolproof: no fish fillets sticking to the grill or rubbery scallops.
In addition to getting you to cook from the sea, this book offers a fish education. Master key techniques from shucking oysters for Grilled Oysters with Spicy Lemon Butter to serving up a whole fish after making Whole Roast Snapper with Citrus Vinaigrette; learn substitutions so you can work with what's available to you; and explore topics that matter to you, like nutrition and sustainability.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2020
280 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
America's Test Kitchen
256 books619 followersAmerica's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.
Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!
Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!
Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 17, 2022
This is not a cookbook. It's a textbook/ seafood bible/ ultimate reference guide for seafood that can ANYONE can use.
The first section features excellent tables where you can cross reference fish by different properties with suggestions and substitutions. Fish are grouped based on similarity in physical properties (so you have oily ocean fish in one area and thin flakey white fish like catfish and tilapia elsewhere). I started off taking notes and eventually just made a photocopy when I realized I was writing down all of it.
There are extremely detailed, clear photos of the raw meat of each type of fish showing you what it should look like. There are also very detailed directions for how to cut/ trim different types of fish. I found this helpful. (I think everyone has seen seafood for sale at some point in a market and thought "wow, I have no idea to do with that." I probably still have no idea what to do with that, but if I decide I want to try, I'm picking this book up first.)
There was an interesting part where they pan roasted 9 different types of fish and documented what worked and what didn't. Basically they ruined a bunch of fish for a picture, but it helped make the differences between the types of fish stand out a little more.
But wait, there's more! This book includes shellfish and crustaceans. The range of cooking techniques and dishes is incredible. You want to cook crawdads? Gumbo? Cod? Halibut? You can find recipes to grill, broil, bake, poach or fry.
There are a wide variety of international and American recipes. The American fare includes a cajun style blackened snapper dish, a gumbo (fish stew), California fish tacos, fried catfish, and New England chowder. International dishes come from places including Thailand, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Morocco, France, and Italy among others.
I really liked a little insert about how to tie salmon into these fancy looking little fillets. It looks amazing and it's easy.
This is definitely a good book for wedding registries and gifting in general. It's also versatile enough that it's a good book to just buy and keep in your kitchen.
The first section features excellent tables where you can cross reference fish by different properties with suggestions and substitutions. Fish are grouped based on similarity in physical properties (so you have oily ocean fish in one area and thin flakey white fish like catfish and tilapia elsewhere). I started off taking notes and eventually just made a photocopy when I realized I was writing down all of it.
There are extremely detailed, clear photos of the raw meat of each type of fish showing you what it should look like. There are also very detailed directions for how to cut/ trim different types of fish. I found this helpful. (I think everyone has seen seafood for sale at some point in a market and thought "wow, I have no idea to do with that." I probably still have no idea what to do with that, but if I decide I want to try, I'm picking this book up first.)
There was an interesting part where they pan roasted 9 different types of fish and documented what worked and what didn't. Basically they ruined a bunch of fish for a picture, but it helped make the differences between the types of fish stand out a little more.
But wait, there's more! This book includes shellfish and crustaceans. The range of cooking techniques and dishes is incredible. You want to cook crawdads? Gumbo? Cod? Halibut? You can find recipes to grill, broil, bake, poach or fry.
There are a wide variety of international and American recipes. The American fare includes a cajun style blackened snapper dish, a gumbo (fish stew), California fish tacos, fried catfish, and New England chowder. International dishes come from places including Thailand, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Morocco, France, and Italy among others.
I really liked a little insert about how to tie salmon into these fancy looking little fillets. It looks amazing and it's easy.
This is definitely a good book for wedding registries and gifting in general. It's also versatile enough that it's a good book to just buy and keep in your kitchen.
October 14, 2023
As with any cookbook I did have to adjust seasonings here and there but I love this book. It’s so fun to just flip through and see everything. And then picking parts of one recipe and putting it with another. I love it. I will never say no to an Americas test kitchen cook book.
May 4, 2021
An EXCELLENT book, I ended up photocopying over 40-pages from this, which I borrowed through Interlibrary Loan from my local public library.
I have found very few books that focus on the preparation and cookery of just fish & seafood. America's Test Kitchen has done a stellar job in illustrating the ins and outs of different fish & seafood, as well as showcasing a wide variety of recipes that not only tell you which fish they recommend, but also provide a list of 2-4 (generally) fish to substitute.
At the beginning of the book is a section entitled, "Charted Waters." Here, you will find a table with a list of fish & seafood in alphabetical order. For each item, there is a pared down list of words to describe the item's Texture, Flavor, Common Availability (i.e. Frozen, Fresh, etc.), How You Might Find It (i.e. Whole Fish, Fillets, etc.), Cooking Methods, and Substitution.
Next is a section called, "Fish Cooking Categories," which in general are the categories that fish / seafood fall into, i.e. Flaky White Fish, Oily Ocean Fish, Bivalves, Tinned Fish, etc.
From here, we have a couple of pages on Working with White Fish & Fish to Eat Whole, followed by sections on the Best Way to Cook Fish & The Educated Seafood Shopper. Finally, there is a sort of Table of Contents called, "Cooking by Fish" that lists the categories of fish & seafood (mentioned earlier) along with recipes for each and their corresponding page numbers.
For each recipe, you are given the name, the number of servings, substitutions (if any), a list of ingredients, a "Why This Recipe Works" brief narrative, instructions for cooking, and a variation, if applicable. For each recipe, there is a beautiful photograph of the finished product on the opposite page.
On pages 68-73, you will find recipes for Sauces for Fish & Shellfish. These include relishes, chutney, creamy sauces, Remoulade, herb sauces, and more! There is even a page dedicated to Compound Butters.
At the end of the book is Nutritional Information for each recipe, which includes Calories, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Total Carbs, Dietary Fiber, Total Sugars, and Protein, along with the measurements for each, i.e. grams or milligrams.
There are a couple of pages on Conversions & Equivalents and an Index.
Looking forward to trying these!
I have found very few books that focus on the preparation and cookery of just fish & seafood. America's Test Kitchen has done a stellar job in illustrating the ins and outs of different fish & seafood, as well as showcasing a wide variety of recipes that not only tell you which fish they recommend, but also provide a list of 2-4 (generally) fish to substitute.
At the beginning of the book is a section entitled, "Charted Waters." Here, you will find a table with a list of fish & seafood in alphabetical order. For each item, there is a pared down list of words to describe the item's Texture, Flavor, Common Availability (i.e. Frozen, Fresh, etc.), How You Might Find It (i.e. Whole Fish, Fillets, etc.), Cooking Methods, and Substitution.
Next is a section called, "Fish Cooking Categories," which in general are the categories that fish / seafood fall into, i.e. Flaky White Fish, Oily Ocean Fish, Bivalves, Tinned Fish, etc.
From here, we have a couple of pages on Working with White Fish & Fish to Eat Whole, followed by sections on the Best Way to Cook Fish & The Educated Seafood Shopper. Finally, there is a sort of Table of Contents called, "Cooking by Fish" that lists the categories of fish & seafood (mentioned earlier) along with recipes for each and their corresponding page numbers.
For each recipe, you are given the name, the number of servings, substitutions (if any), a list of ingredients, a "Why This Recipe Works" brief narrative, instructions for cooking, and a variation, if applicable. For each recipe, there is a beautiful photograph of the finished product on the opposite page.
On pages 68-73, you will find recipes for Sauces for Fish & Shellfish. These include relishes, chutney, creamy sauces, Remoulade, herb sauces, and more! There is even a page dedicated to Compound Butters.
At the end of the book is Nutritional Information for each recipe, which includes Calories, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Total Carbs, Dietary Fiber, Total Sugars, and Protein, along with the measurements for each, i.e. grams or milligrams.
There are a couple of pages on Conversions & Equivalents and an Index.
Looking forward to trying these!
February 5, 2023
I wanted to feel more confident with cooking fish and seafood, especially since both teens at home wanted to be pescatarian. I've made about a dozen recipes so far; they've all been good at the very least, to excellent
November 21, 2020
Checked this out from the library, and now I want a copy of my own.
September 7, 2021
I love cookbooks. I read cookbooks thanks to the public library and buy cookbooks only occasionally.
I bought this cookbook. It's fantastic.
I bought this cookbook. It's fantastic.
October 6, 2022
Amazon Review
I’m very disappointed in this book. The flavor combinations in the recipes sound good, but the authors have lost all credibility with me. They recommend cooking nearly every dish in a 12” nonstick skillet. Nonstick skillets are meant for eggs, and that’s about it. You don’t use them to sear fish. They also offer a “risotto” recipe in which 4 cups of broth are added at once, and the rice is “stirred twice” during the next 18 minutes. I read cookbooks cover to cover like a novel, and this one has lost me halfway through. I wish I’d borrowed it before purchasing.
Maura
[my likely guess is the shrimp risotto]
[shrimp - pepper - bay leaf - onion - fennel]
[rice - white wine - parmesan - chives - lemon]
[my second guess it's the paella and the chicken broth, so it would be the spanish stuff]
[another animal]
---
Green olive, almond and orange relish
slivered almond - green olives
oranges - mint cayenne
Tartar sauce
mayonnaise - shallots - capers
relish - worcestershire sauce
Sweet and sour salmon with bok choy
long grain rice - lime - sesame oil
fish sauce - red pepper flakes
baby bok choy - salmon fillets
Spanish-style brothy rice with clams and salsa verde
parsley - white wine - littleneck clams
clam juice - leek - green peppers
bomba rice - mint
capers - anchovies
Bouillabaisse [always controversial]
saffron - egg yolks - fennel
onion - garlic - thyme
red pepper flakes - white wine - clam juice
canned tomatoes - bay leaf - tarragon
halibut - scallops - mussels - shrimp
New England clam chowder
littleneck clams - bacon - onions
celery - thyme - clam juice
potatoes - bay leaf
heavy cream - parsley
Cod in coconut broth with lemon grass and ginger
leeks - garlic - ginger
carrot - lemon grass - cod fillets
coconut milk - lime - fish sauce
peanuts - cilantro - serrano chilies
Thai-style hot-and-sour soup with shrimp and rice vermicelli (seems better than chinese)
rice vermicelli noodles - chicken broth - shrimp
cremini mushrooms - tomatoes - jalapeno
cilantro - fish sauce - ginger - lime
Calamari stew
onions - celery - garlic
red pepper flakes - white wine - squid
canned tomatoes - parsley
green olives - capers
Best crab cakes (celery??)
crabmeat - milk - panko
celery - shrimp - heavy cream
hot sauce - Old Bay
Southwestern salmon cakes
panko - salmon - mayonnaise
green chiles - cilantro - green onion
lime - chipotle chile powder
Sizzling Saigon crepes/Banh xeo
thai chiles - fish sauce - lime
boston lettuce - thai basil - cilantro
white rice flour - turmeric
country-style pork ribs
red onion - shrimp
coconut milk - bean sprouts
Salmon, avocado, grapefruit, and watercress salad (weird)
salmon - red grapefruit - shallot
watercress - avocado - mint - hazelnuts
Mediterranean couscous salad with smoked trout
couscous - pepperoncinis - cherry tomatoes
parsley - green onions - hot-smoked trout
Prosciutto-wrapped cod with lemon-caper butter (never heard of fish wrapped up like that before)
cod fillets - prosciutto - butter
capers - parsley - lemon
[fish and chips wrapped in Parma ham? that's an odd one!]
Lobster fettuccine with fennel and tarragon
fennel - thyme - cayenne
sherry - heavy cream - lobster meat
fettuccine - tarragon - parmesan
I’m very disappointed in this book. The flavor combinations in the recipes sound good, but the authors have lost all credibility with me. They recommend cooking nearly every dish in a 12” nonstick skillet. Nonstick skillets are meant for eggs, and that’s about it. You don’t use them to sear fish. They also offer a “risotto” recipe in which 4 cups of broth are added at once, and the rice is “stirred twice” during the next 18 minutes. I read cookbooks cover to cover like a novel, and this one has lost me halfway through. I wish I’d borrowed it before purchasing.
Maura
[my likely guess is the shrimp risotto]
[shrimp - pepper - bay leaf - onion - fennel]
[rice - white wine - parmesan - chives - lemon]
[my second guess it's the paella and the chicken broth, so it would be the spanish stuff]
[another animal]
---
Green olive, almond and orange relish
slivered almond - green olives
oranges - mint cayenne
Tartar sauce
mayonnaise - shallots - capers
relish - worcestershire sauce
Sweet and sour salmon with bok choy
long grain rice - lime - sesame oil
fish sauce - red pepper flakes
baby bok choy - salmon fillets
Spanish-style brothy rice with clams and salsa verde
parsley - white wine - littleneck clams
clam juice - leek - green peppers
bomba rice - mint
capers - anchovies
Bouillabaisse [always controversial]
saffron - egg yolks - fennel
onion - garlic - thyme
red pepper flakes - white wine - clam juice
canned tomatoes - bay leaf - tarragon
halibut - scallops - mussels - shrimp
New England clam chowder
littleneck clams - bacon - onions
celery - thyme - clam juice
potatoes - bay leaf
heavy cream - parsley
Cod in coconut broth with lemon grass and ginger
leeks - garlic - ginger
carrot - lemon grass - cod fillets
coconut milk - lime - fish sauce
peanuts - cilantro - serrano chilies
Thai-style hot-and-sour soup with shrimp and rice vermicelli (seems better than chinese)
rice vermicelli noodles - chicken broth - shrimp
cremini mushrooms - tomatoes - jalapeno
cilantro - fish sauce - ginger - lime
Calamari stew
onions - celery - garlic
red pepper flakes - white wine - squid
canned tomatoes - parsley
green olives - capers
Best crab cakes (celery??)
crabmeat - milk - panko
celery - shrimp - heavy cream
hot sauce - Old Bay
Southwestern salmon cakes
panko - salmon - mayonnaise
green chiles - cilantro - green onion
lime - chipotle chile powder
Sizzling Saigon crepes/Banh xeo
thai chiles - fish sauce - lime
boston lettuce - thai basil - cilantro
white rice flour - turmeric
country-style pork ribs
red onion - shrimp
coconut milk - bean sprouts
Salmon, avocado, grapefruit, and watercress salad (weird)
salmon - red grapefruit - shallot
watercress - avocado - mint - hazelnuts
Mediterranean couscous salad with smoked trout
couscous - pepperoncinis - cherry tomatoes
parsley - green onions - hot-smoked trout
Prosciutto-wrapped cod with lemon-caper butter (never heard of fish wrapped up like that before)
cod fillets - prosciutto - butter
capers - parsley - lemon
[fish and chips wrapped in Parma ham? that's an odd one!]
Lobster fettuccine with fennel and tarragon
fennel - thyme - cayenne
sherry - heavy cream - lobster meat
fettuccine - tarragon - parmesan
April 11, 2023
The recipes are good and achievable without having to go to Mars or beyond for a couple of must-have ingredients. Easy, impressive use of flavorings. But what I value most are the informational sections on types of fish and their physiology, and the substitution line that accompanies every recipe--so that if you don't happen to have a spare halibut chilling in the fridge, you can use swordfish or mahi mahi, for example. This is a teaching text as well as a collection of recipes. Preparation decisions are explained throughout the book, like why you bake that swordfish for 20 minutes then remove it from the oven and tent it for 10 minutes. Or why you should choose a swordfish steak with a narrow bloodline. (Yeah, guess what we had for supper tonight.)
May 24, 2022
If you want to get more fish in your diet, this is an incredibly comprehensive book. It tells you how to purchase fish, alternate methods for cooking, gives substitutes and has fabulous sidebars. The most useful chapter for me was the everyday dinners, because it had a veg or side cooking along with the fish and generally gave you a nutritious meal in less than a half hour. There are photos for pretty much every recipe, along with several of the techniques.
This is a really great resource and if you like fish, you've got to check it out.
This is a really great resource and if you like fish, you've got to check it out.
August 17, 2024
175+ fish recipes. This is the ultimate fish cookbook (store bought fish). It’s sorted by everyday, soup, special occasion, grill, etc. It’s got basically every fish recipe you could think of. Pictures of EVERY recipe. I will never need another fish cookbook, this is it.
I just wish they put cooking times.
I just wish they put cooking times.
October 9, 2020
I would buy this book if I had room on my shelf. A lot of great new ways to cook fish and expert advice to do it right. Can’t ask for much more. Loved the section on sauces to pair with fish. Only critique, there was a disproportionate amount of salmon recipes.
November 30, 2020
If you're afraid to cook fish and seafood at home or just need some ideas for new ways to prepare it, this is the cookbook you need. Recipes that I tried include Baked Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes and Chickpeas, and Baked Shrimp and Orzo with Feta and Tomatoes.
January 12, 2021
Another beautifully designed cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. The cookbook is a wonderful introduction to choosing, buying and cooking fish and features a good selection of recipes and photographs.
September 17, 2023
Deep dive into fish and seafood with almost 200 recipes and lots of in-depth information about preparation. I saved about over ten recipes, which is pretty good for a library checkout, and made two of them already, both of which were great. Includes a lot of seafood recipes, too, not just fish.
June 28, 2020
Great encyclopedic collection with everything you need to know about cooking seafood and some great recipes.
September 21, 2020
Awesome book! Great recipes that are really foolproof.
November 14, 2020
Want to master fish? This is your bible.
December 20, 2021
Tasty and inviting recipes.
March 23, 2024
A very interesting cookbook filled with delicious sounding recipes!
May 28, 2024
Exactly what I needed to help me feel confident preparing fish dishes.
April 12, 2021
Great recipes, I cannot wait for my husband to cook them all. Of the ones we tried, Tuscan shrimp and beans and Baked crab dip, they were fantastic, went straight to our favorites.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews