Best way to cook fish?

[Pie]

Can't fail to impress with a French method: en papillote.
Look for "parchment" paper at the grocery store.

Let's assume you've got a beautiful fresh fillet of fish such as flounder, sole, snapper, or salmon. Wash the fillet and pat dry.

1. Thinly slice or julienne a few aromatic vegetables. Fennel is lovely with fish and can be found in most supermarkets now. Also good are carrots, shallots/onions, snow peas, zucchini, asparagus. Just remember that everything is going to be cooking exactly the same amount of time. Slice accordingly.
2. Cut a piece of parchment (doubled over) which is large enough to encase your fillet with an inch or so margin around it. I like cutting a heart shape for the packet - remember grade-school Valentines? A rectangle works just fine, too.
3. Lightly butter or oil one-side of the heart, place a couple of lemon slices on it, top with the fillet, sprinkle fish with a little salt & pepper. (Preparing the packets on your baking sheet can eliminate any transfer problems.)
4. Add the julienne of vegetables, some herbs, perhaps a few slices of citrus (lemon or orange) on top, a splash of dry vermouth or dry white wine, a splash of olive oil or a pat of butter, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. The elements you need are: veggies, herbs, acidic liquid, seasonings, a little fat. You could also go the Asian route with soy sauce & rice wine, ginger, star anise, chilies, with napa cabbage or asparagus & shitake, sesame oil, etc. Serve with rice.
5. You are ready to crimp -- beginning at the wider part of the valentine, begin folding the paper over itself. As you move around the paper, you'll end at the pointed end of the heart, fold under. If you have trouble with the crimping, you can staple the packets shut, too.
6. Pop onto a cookie sheet (which you probably won't even have to wash) and into a 400 degree oven and about 6 - 10 minutes later you're opening your pouch!

• It can be prepped ahead of time (keep refrigerated)
• It's easy to clean up
• It's very tasty and can be made very healthy, depending on how much oil/butter & salt you choose to use
• It gets your veggies and fish in one dish -- serve with lovely crusty bread to sop up the juices

Serve each pouch piping hot from the oven on plates, and let your guest rip into it, releasing the wonderful aromatic vapors just before eating.

...And, best of all, It's French!

[Flint]

A George Foreman grill or such device cooks salmon PERFECTLY.

[xoxoxoBruce]

With enough booze, frozen fishsticks will do.

[Pie]

Originally Posted by Apollo

This girl that I'm kinda sort of in love with is coming over and I wanna become a master chef.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

With enough booze, frozen fishsticks will do.

Um, Brucie? He's trying to impress her, not just get her drunk enough to have his evil way with her...

(Right, 'pollo?)

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sorry Pie, "I wanna become a master chef" is secret guy code. :p