9 handy tips for preparing and cooking fish and seafood

Fish and seafood can be tricky to prepare if you don't eat it very often. Here are some tips to help you turn this healthy food into a delicious part of your next meal.

1. Before preparing fresh fish, cut a lemon in half and rub both of your hands with the cut ends to help keep your hands from absorbing the fishy odour. If frying is your cooking method of choice, after cooking, wash the pan you used and pour in one centimetre (1/2 inch) of white vinegar.  The acetic acid should banish any lingering fish smell.

2. To make scaling a fish less of a chore, rub white vinegar on the scales and let sit for about 10 minutes. This will make the scales come off easily, but it may make more of a mess than usual, so put the fish in a plastic bag before you start. Scale the fish in the bag with one hand while holding the fish by the tail with the other.

3. When poaching fish, squeeze fresh lemon juice into the poaching liquid to help the fish cook evenly. For each pound of fish, use the juice of half a lemon.

4. Low-fat fish like bass, flounder, grouper, halibut and red snapper can easily dry out as it bakes. To seal in the moisture, wrap each fillet or whole fish in aluminum foil before putting it into the oven.

5. If you like the taste of anchovies but wish they weren't so salty, soak them in ice water for 10–15 minutes. Drain them well before adding them in a Caesar salad or on top of a pizza.

6. When you bring home more fish from the lake than you can eat, here's a smart way to freeze your catch. Take an empty milk carton large enough to hold the fish, place them inside and fill the carton with water. Seal the opening with tape and place the carton in the freezer. When it comes time to thaw the fish, you won't have to worry about scraping off ice crystals or pulling off some of the flesh with the wrapping.

7. To ensure tender, well-textured meat, place shrimp in the freezer for 10–15 minutes before you cooking. Be sure not to overcook them; they don't need time to warm up in the boiling water.

8. Soaking oysters in club soda for 5–10 minutes makes it easier to open the shells.

9. When cracking and twisting the legs and claws off a whole lobster, guard against the occasional squirt by putting a napkin between the crustacean and your hand. Any squirts will hit the napkin, not the sleeve of your silk blouse or starched white cuff (or dinner companion's sweater).

These handy tips to help you prepare and cook this healthy alternative to meat will make you a fish expert in no time at all.

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