Instructions: First a story - when we were first vacationing at little fishing village turned resort in southern Spain, we were cautioned by a native never to eat fish on Monday. Why? Because the fishermen dont go out on Sunday, and if you eat fish on Monday youd be eating Saturdays fish! Moral: Fish more than a couple of days old loses a lot.

PS: Fish thats been frozen loses a lot more. So, while perhaps the best way to cook fresh fish is very simply (baked or broiled) - with a little butter, lemon - almost always lemon , a few breadcrumbs, some spices), fish thats not right out of the water (which, I expect in St.

Louis might be the case) needs a little help. Chopped tomatoes, onions or peppers, wine, soy sauce, are good additions.

Couple more fish cooking tips: The worst danger is overcooking. Fish doesnt take long to cook. It should be cooked just until the flesh is

"firm but bouncy" like the tip of your nose. Insert a knife or fork in the thickest part. The flesh should be opaque all the way through - thats it - enough.

All fish are not equal. Though many can be used interchangeably, there are differences (firm vs flaky; strong flavor vs mild, fat vs lean, etc.) Try to use the type of fish the recipe calls for if not the same fish. Dana asked for suggestions for firm, mild fish. The way I think of fish, these two are sort of contradictory. The mild fish like flounder, cod, scrod, trout or sole are flaky. The firm-fleshed fish like mackerel, salmon, redfish, dolphinfish (dorado in the Caribbean, mahi-mahi in the Pacific), tuna, halibut, shark, salmon, swordfish are more strongly flavored. Some that my fish cookbook Fish, The Basics, by Shirley King, classifies as are mild and firm are grouper (and other sea bass), lingcod, monkfish, sea robin, sturgeon, tilapia. It also classifies shark and swordfish as mild, but I disagree. Probably my favorite, readily available saltwater fish is red snapper.

Flavorings: Generally, for oily, strong-tasting fish use stronger-tasting herbs like thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano and savory along with zestier spices such as allspice, ginger, chili peppers, paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic and mustard. For light, lean-fleshed fish use dill, tarragon, basil, parsley, chervil and lemon juice.

Blackened fish - this started by Paul Prudhomme as a way to make redfish

(which is not such a great fish) tasty. Now that so much of the redfish stock is gone, cooks have commenced blackening everything in sight. Just MHO, its sort of a crime to use that much seasoning on something as tasty as red snapper.

Basic instructions for broiling a fish:
Turn the boiler to its fullest heat and preheat for 5-10 minutes. Place the seafood on a metal pan about 3 to 6 inches away from the heat. The heat will reach the metal pan and the flesh will cook from the bottom upward as well as from above, so there is no need to turn the seafood over. Heres a tip: To get the seafood close to the broiler, lay another pan upside down underneath the pan you are using, or use something else to elevate the seafood. Pour wine or water in the pan to a depth of 1/8" to ensure that the seafood does not stick to the pan and will easily lift out, and also to keep the seafood moist. Lightly brush the seafood with oil or melted butter (just a little bit) and flavor it with your choice or herbs and seasonings, adding them toward the end of the cooking time so that they do not burn. Serve the seafood with a simple squeeze of lemon juice and/or the juices from the pan. Time 2 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.