I’ve cooked every species of WAC fish, in practically every possible shape and size I can imagine. Perfectly uniform center cuts of Pacific halibut. Slim tail cuts of salmon, gleaming with a generous swatch of ready-to-be-crisped skin. Chunky cuts of Pacific cod that serve as optimal vessels for seasoning and sauce. So, I can safely say that no matter the cooking method, the shape and size of these fillets is a key factor in their cook time.
With this kind of experience under my belt, I feel pretty comfortable knowing when a particular fillet will be done. A quick flake check — that moment where you sacrifice a corner of a cooked portion to the downward stroke of a fork — is enough for me to determine whether the fish needs another minute of cook time or if it’s ready to eat.
Of course, developing this sixth sense for seafood doneness required some trial and error in the kitchen, but it is helped along by an instant-read thermometer. An instant-read thermometer is one of our team’s top tools for cooking fish because, in literally an instant, it can give you an accurate temperature read. This read is something that can help you really dial in the doneness of your fish.
Although I don’t use an instant-read thermometer every time I cook fish anymore, it’s always close at hand. Some of my favorite ways to use an instant-read thermometer:
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To reliably measure the internal temperature of fish when using a cooking method that I’m less comfortable with, or that is new to me.
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When deep-frying something battered or breaded, to see if the oil is at the right temperature for a crispy, golden crust.
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In the winter, just to amuse myself, to see how cold it is right outside our back door in Homer.
For a deeper dive into the efficacy of instant read thermometers, we’ve put together a cheat sheet on our blog for internal cook temperatures that correspond to each species of fish that we regularly offer. This blog post contains our subjective cook temp recommendations, per species, and a little context as to why we think it’s the optimal temperature.
It’s important to mention that the FDA has determined that cooking any species to a well-done 145F significantly reduces your risk of food-borne illness and certain at-risk populations should be especially careful. Like other proteins, everyone has their own comfort level of doneness with fish ranging from rare to well-done. And while you’re getting a feel for the flake, the instant read thermometer is a great way to make sure you don’t commit the ultimate fish-mishap: overcooking.
I hope this resource is something that will help you to refine the doneness of your next fillet, whether you’re throwing together a casual weeknight meal for one, or preparing a special holiday feast.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: A pan-fried sockeye fillet in a moment of flaky glory.
