How long do you cook a fish in the oven?

We would benefit from following the example of Mediterranean or Japanese diet which are both abundant in fish and other seafood. However, there is a common preconception that fish is difficult to prepare at home and so people tend to choose the not-so-healthy, greasy takeaway fish and chips. Yet there is a quick, easy and healthy way to prepare fish at home: oven baking.

If you are a beginner cook, you can try to prepare a foil-baked fish. It’s an almost foolproof way of preparing any fish. By wrapping foil packets, you lock in moisture, aroma and flavour. Usually, it’s enough to season your fish with salt, freshly ground pepper, lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil or butter before sealing the foil. After you’ve prepared your packets this way, the only step ahead of you is baking. As a general rule, you need to bake fish for 15 minutes per 1 inch of thickness. The internal temperature should exceed 63^oC by the end of cooking time.

Did you know?

There is just one health concern about fish: their potential contamination with heavy metals. As a rule, the bigger the fish, the higher the concentration of toxic substances. Content of heavy metals also depends on the environment in which a fish grew. Fish, which are generally low in heavy metals include: anchovies, catfish, sardines, tilapia etc. When it comes to fish such as mackerel, salmon, tuna, cod or halibut, they should be eaten occasionally to avoid toxin build-up in your body.

How often do you eat fish? Where do you usually buy seafood? Are you worried about potential contamination of fish?