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Though lately quite fond of experimenting with different marinades on fish steaks (of various kinds), and briefly baking in a preheated 400F/200C oven, I'm unhappy with how wasteful it is to do this on a regular basis. It takes too much energy to preheat the oven for a few minutes of cooking.

Finding something else to bake just after is not always feasible, and one-day-old baked fish is less than palatable.

Substituting by frying in cast iron would be ideal, except for the lingering flavor in the patina, and we're no longer using Teflon-coated pans (out of health concerns) and so that is no longer an option.

What substitutes are there to high-heat baking fish?

Sam
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    I've never had a problem with flavors lingering on my cast iron. After the cook, wipe or scrape out well, then add a layer of kosher salt to the pan, heat and wipe or scrape up any remaining bits using the salt as an abrasive. Carefully wipe out the salt, maybe give it a light coat of oil....move on... – moscafj Jan 02 '23 at 01:47
  • @moscafj what you're saying makes a lot of sense, as does simply dedicating one smaller cast iron pan specifically for the purpose. The question then is whether, say, the faintest remnant of haddock flavor will be alright in shrimps. – Sam Jan 02 '23 at 02:10
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    There are no health issues with teflon pans. – FuzzyChef Jan 02 '23 at 07:00

2 Answers2

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You have a number of options:

  • find a substitute for teflon that doesn't give you health concerns. There are dozens of nonstick "titanium" "diamond" "rock" etc etc pans on the market
  • use a stainless steel pan and a little oil
  • cook your fish at the same time as something that reheats well (meatloaf, lasagna, oven-braised anything). Eat the fish right away and the other thing the next night. (These other things tend to need a long cook so it's great to start them, slip the fish in for a few minutes and eat right away, then let them keep cooking through the early evening in what is basically "free time" for you, then put them in the fridge for the next day and a very quick meal with all the benefits of slow cooking.)
  • use a countertop "air fryer" which is actually a very small convection oven
  • broil the fish, which doesn't require preheating the whole oven

This is without getting into steaming, poaching, adding to a stew or soup, or all the other non-"dry" ways to get a fish cooked.

Kate Gregory
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  • @jacob - someone once cooked salmon in the office toaster oven. The smell lasted for days. I very deliberately did not include toaster oven as an option – Kate Gregory Jan 02 '23 at 01:19
  • Many nice ideas. Thanks. I particularly like the simple second idea: stainless + oil. My issue here is that whereas fried eggs, say, are tolerant of a range of preheating temperatures, fish wants a pan preheated to a precise temperature, or else it'll glue to the pan—a layer of oil notwithstanding. – Sam Jan 02 '23 at 02:15
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    @Sam I had to smile a bit at your issue. Sure, when you use a tool, you have to learn how to use the tool. It is a bit like a post-millenial saying "I like the idea of writing with a pencil instead of typing, but my issue is that you have to be precise about the pressure. If you don't get it right, you either leave no mark, or you gouge the paper." Don't worry, it gets better with practice :) – rumtscho Jan 02 '23 at 11:15
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Use your grill. Grilling is excellent for almost all fish.

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FuzzyChef
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  • Good idea, but putting fish directly on the grill is a recipe for collecting, once grilled, little pieces one by one. And so it's necessary to use a (porous/open) container. Can you suggest one? – Sam Jan 02 '23 at 02:08
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    @Sam Brush a generous layer of olive oil on the fish and grill. If it's stuck, don't attempt to move it, just give it more time. To get rid of the remainder, use a grill brush and brush the pieces into the grill while still hot, it will be converted into charcoal. – user71659 Jan 02 '23 at 02:35
  • OR: use foil. Or grape leaves. Or fig leaves. Or grill whole, skin-on fish. – FuzzyChef Jan 02 '23 at 07:00