A Recipe for Rescuing Frozen Fish: Blackened Tilapia (or Catfish) (2024)

FAQs

How to make frozen fish taste better? ›

Let It Marinate

Fish has a great flavor on its own, but the right marinade can bring it to a whole new level. The infused oils and citrus base of most marinades can easily cut through any lingering frozen flavors, and best of all, fish absorbs marinade quickly – usually within 15 minutes if the fish is thawed.

Brush both sides of frozen fish with olive, canola, peanut or grapeseed oil. Place fish in heated pan and cook, uncovered, about 3 minutes, until browned. Turn fish over, season with spices, and cover the skillet tightly. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 6 to 8 minutes more until opaque throughout.

The best side dishes to serve with blackened redfish are garlic mashed potatoes, coleslaw, grilled asparagus, hush puppies, crispy green beans, french fries, carrots and potatoes, fried rice, corn on the cob, sautéed spinach with garlic, creole rice, and cucumber salad.

To bake frozen tilapia, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the frozen fillets on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and your preferred herbs and spices.

A way to add additional flavorings to your fish is to sprinkle spices directly onto your fillets after the brining process – this can be done when the fillets are first placed on your smokehouse grills; for example, you can coat your fish with liquid brown sugar and sprinkle with your favorite spices, which might ...

Do you have to thaw frozen fish before grilling? If you are grilling thin fish fillets, you do not have to thaw them, but you will need to adjust the cooking time. However, the quality will be better if they are thawed first.

Baking, poaching or steaming are the best methods for cooking fish if you're skipping the thawing process. Avoid pan-frying as the fish may release too much water or the flesh won't be evenly cooked. If you're following a recipe, you may add a few minutes to make sure the frozen fish is fully cooked.

Information. Fresh catfish can be cooked from the frozen state in the oven or on the stove. The cooking time may be about 50% longer than for fresh or thawed catfish. Some catfish products, such as frozen breaded catfish, should not be thawed before cooking.

Try Blackened Catfish for a quick, healthy, and flavor-packed weeknight dinner. Catfish is coated with butter and Cajun spices, then pan-seared until charred and flaky. You won't believe how easy it is to make this restaurant-quality dish at home.

Although both tasted delicious, I give butter the slight edge here. It came off of the cast iron skillet easier and helped the fish stay more intact. However, if you have allergies, are watching your cholesterol, or prefer healthier fats, then using olive oil is a fine choice and tasted very similar to butter.

Is blackened a seasoning or way of cooking? ›

Food that is blackened isn't burnt; it's simply coated in a special spice blend that takes on a very dark brown, almost black color when cooked in a skillet, on a grill or in an oven. Blackened food almost always means blackened meat, chicken or seafood, including fish and shellfish like shrimp.

It's true, you don't! You can skip the thawing process altogether and cook frozen fish straight from the freezer. You'll have to add a few minutes to the cook time in your recipe to account for the lack of thawing, but you can poach, steam, bake, broil, or grill fish straight from the freezer!

Give your frozen fish a quick rinse and thorough drying

This will remove the thin layer of ice crystals on the outside of the filet that would otherwise prevent the outside from browning. Once you rinse them, make sure to thoroughly dry them with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.

A good rule of thumb is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees. Try the 10-minute rule, which says you should measure the fish at its thickest point, and cook it for 10 minutes per inch, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Use milk or buttermilk to thaw Frozen fish. It takes away the ``fishy'' taste and acts as a tenderizer.

White pepper, being slightly milder, is the ideal choice for most fish dishes. Lemon juice is the final touch that accentuates the exquisite taste of the fish meat. It can be lightly sprinkled on the raw fish or added just before serving the cooked dish.

We've found an easy way to eliminate the smell: Soak the fish or the shellfish meat in milk for 20 minutes and then drain and pat dry. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes the culprit that causes fishy odor with it. The result is seafood that's sweet smelling and clean-flavored.