The most important rule for cooking fish is simple. If you abide by it, you practically can't go wrong. ``Do Not Over Cook Your Fish" That is it. I told you it was simple but it is by far the most common mistake. When it is done it is done, anything beyond done is damage! Remember when it comes to cooking any kind of fish, less is better.

It is very easy to tell when fish is done. All you have to do is break a piece in half and see if it has cooked all the way through. You can tell by the color change. Fish is the easiest of all meats to tell when it is done because of this. If you have thick pieces, you can watch the color change on the side travel to the middle.  Flip and watch the fish cook through the opposite side. You are done when it reaches the middle and it is the same color all the way through. Do not give it an extra minute or two for good measure.

If you batter the fish before cooking, you will have to sacrifice a piece to test by breaking it in half to check it. Time it so you will know how long to cook the rest. This won't take long. Fish cooks very fast and high heat is fine. I usually use the test piece, as an appetizer for myself because I just can't wait. This way when you serve it on a platter every piece is perfect. Presentation scores high for any meal or so I've been told!

In many fine restaurants the fish will be prepared under cooked or even raw in the middle like a rare steak. Tuna steaks are exceptionally tasty this way. It won't hurt you to eat raw fish as long as it is fresh. In most parts of America, Sushi has become a craze.  Meals of raw fish can cost upwards of $100.00 a plate. I happen to be one of the many who think it is worth every penny, but you can prepare it at home for less money.

If you plan on grilling your fish on the barbecue, it may have a tendency to dry out a little. Since fish secretes moisture as it cooks, butter and coatings often get washed off when grilled. There are a couple ways to overcome this. One thing you can do is marinate your fish prior to grilling. Use whatever marinade you like, but add some oil to it. Use vegetable oil, olive oil, or whatever, this will help seal the moisture into the fish during the grilling process. I sometimes use real Italian dressing with oil, not the fat free varieties, for my marinade. Teriyaki marinade is also very tasty on fish, give it a try.

Another option is to make a tray out of tin foil and place the fish in it on the grill. Now the butter or whatever you put on will run into the tray you just made and sauté itself right back into the fish. I like to use beer and butter for this. It winds up tasting like beer battered fish without the batter. Just remember, what ever you do, never OVER COOK your fish.

MMMMM, this is my favorite. White fish of all types are wonderful when pan-fried. I usually use one of the other methods for nonwhite fish such as Tuna, Swordfish, Mahi Mahi, etc. But when it comes to white fish, I head right for my frying pan.

The simplest way to make an excellent pan-fried fish meal is to start with Bisquick or any pancake mix. Use it for a batter. Using a sealable container, put in enough dry mixture to cover the amount of fish you wish to prepare.  Add whatever seasonings you like to it. Throw the fish into the container and seal it up.  Now tumble it around until the fish is completely covered with the powder.  I often use a zip lock bag for my container. When I am done, I throw it out and have one less thing to wash.

Heat your pan and add butter or oil, which ever you prefer. I like the taste of butter myself. When your pan is good and hot go ahead and place the fish in the pan. Don't over fill the pan, leave room enough to flip your fish. After a minute or two roll a piece up on end to look under it, if it is golden brown it is time to flip them. When they are on the second side check to see if they are done by breaking one in half. Remove when done and place on some paper towels to soak up any excess oils and serve hot. Make plenty because most people will return for seconds.

Use mayonnaise to hold in the moisture and bacon to flavor it.  This is my favorite broiling technique for fish.  It may sound ludicrous but it will turn out great, trust me on this one.It is especially great for Mahi Mahi, Marlin, Swordfish, and Halibut.

Take your pieces of fish and coat then completely with a thick layer of mayonnaise. Next wrap them with a layer of bacon. I usually cut my pieces of fish so a piece of bacon will go all the way around the outside of the fish. You don't have to completely cover the fish with bacon although you can. Season with your favorites spices and place in the broiler.

This will be done as soon as the bacon browns. You won't be able to see the fish under the coating but it will be ready by the time the bacon is ready. It may even cook the fish a little longer than I generally like to but the oil from the mayo and the bacon grease will keep it very moist.

Above are tips to use as starting points to make your own recipes. If you are interested in actual recipes that illustrate a step by step format, see the list below. There is everything from appetizers to gourmet meals. 

101 - Tuna Egg Roll: A simply delicious appetizer
102 - Fish Nuggets
103 - Salsa Maguro Dynamite style
104 - Salsa Hamachi
105 - Maguro Salad
106 - New England Chowder...the easy way!

201 - Tunacado
202 - Tunalantro
203 - Tijuana Tuna caliente
204 - Homemade Tartar Sauce
205 - Mexican Style Tartar Sauce
206 - Japanese Style Tartar Sauce

401 - Teriyaki Tuna
402 - Lobster Ecstasy
403 - Bacon Wrapped Mahi Mahi
404 - Broiled Swordfish Continental
405 - Shrimp Catalina Over Pasta

501 - Tunamato
502 - Low Fat Fish & Chips
503 - Baked Santa Barbara: Cod Over Wild Rice
504 - Baked Californian:

601 - Ensenada Beer Buttered Fish
602 - Cabo Grilled Swordfish
603 - Flambé
604 - Bacon Style Tuna
605 - Barbecue Smoked Fish

701 - Golden Fried Alaska: Halibut
702 - Baja Fish Tacos
703 - Cajun Fish Sticks
704 - Big Ragu Style Italian Breaded Fish
705 - Tuna Melt Cortez