Something Smells Fishy…

Growing up, we only ate fish during the summer.  My mom banned cooking fish in the house because the smell lingered for weeks, so we always grilled it on the barbeque.  When the winter came, nobody wanted to freeze their fingers off while watching the coals, which meant we went fish-less until spring.  Lately, I began wondering if there was a way to still enjoy fish without the smell contaminating the entire house.  I’m still searching for the perfect odorless cooking method, but I did find a few ways to reduce the stench…  

 

immediately throw out anything that touched fish

This seems pretty self-explanatory, but even the paper wrappings or styrofoam containers soak up the fishy smell.  It’s best to toss these in an outdoor garbage can as soon as possible, even before serving the fish!

place a bowl of vinegar on counter

I read that this reduces the smell as well.  I’m not quite sure how it works, but regardless, the smell of vinegar is a little easier on the nostrils than the fish!

light a scented candle

Not only does this add to the atmosphere, but it takes away from the fishiness too.  Just remember to blow out the candle before leaving the room so it doesn’t burn down the house!

cook fish in a packet in the oven

This reduces the smell as opposed to baking in an open dish or frying on a pan.  It doesn’t erase the fish odor completely, but combined with the other methods mentioned above, it makes for a much less offensive meal.

 

Fish Packet

serves 1

Carrots also work well in the packet, but be sure to pick a hardier veggie that won’t disintegrate when absorbing moisture from the fish and lemon juice.

1 medium fish fillet, thawed if frozen

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp pepper

dash of salt

½ tsp fresh lemon juice

½ medium zucchini, sliced into strips

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Cut a piece of tin foil large enough to fold over the fish.
3. Lay zucchini strips in the middle of the foil.  Place fish over top.
4. Drizzle olive oil over fish.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and rub into fish.  Squeeze lemon juice over fish.
5. Fold up foil into a parcel and seal.  Cook for 20-30 minutes or until fish flakes when you stab it with a fork and twist the fork.  Serve hot.