On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 415

1 10 Sardine Herring Mackerel Tunas Chum salmon Whiting Pollack Tilapia Shrimp Lobster Baking Oven baking is a versatile method for cooking fish Because it transfers heat to the fish mainly by hot air, which is an inefficient method (p 784), it’s relatively slow and gentle, and makes it easier to avoid overcooking This is true as long as the container remains open to the oven air, when the fish moisture evaporates and cools the surface to well below the thermostat temperature If the container is closed, water vapor builds up inside and the fish quickly steams rather than bakes The dry oven air is also useful for concentrating the fish juices and any moist flavoring ingredients — wine, or a bed of aromatic vegetables, for example — and it can also trigger aroma-producing browning reactions Low-Temperature Baking In one extreme version of baking, the oven is set for temperatures as low as 200 or 225ºF/ 95– 110ºC, and the cooking is gentle indeed Because the fish surface is simultaneously warmed by the oven air and cooled by evaporation of its moisture, the actual maximum temperature of the fish surface in such an oven may be just 120–130ºF, the internal temperature even lower, and the fish ends up with a barely cooked, almost custardlike texture The appearance of fish cooked this way is often marred by the off-white globs of solidified cell fluid, which is able to leak out of the tissue before it gets hot enough ... by the oven air and cooled by evaporation of its moisture, the actual maximum temperature of the fish surface in such an oven may be just 120–130ºF, the internal temperature even lower, and the. .. browning reactions Low-Temperature Baking In one extreme version of baking, the oven is set for temperatures as low as 200 or 225ºF/ 95– 110ºC, and the cooking is gentle indeed Because the fish surface... ends up with a barely cooked, almost custardlike texture The appearance of fish cooked this way is often marred by the off-white globs of solidified cell fluid, which is able to leak out of the tissue before it gets hot enough