Almost Foolproof Fish

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

If you're a little leery about cooking fish, worried that it might turn out dry, here's a good recipe to try. It just requires marinating salmon steaks in citrus juices to give the fish added flavor, and then simply baking them in the oven.

The only caution is to keep from overcooking the fish. The rule of thumb is to cook fish about 7 to 8 minutes per inch thickness. At that point, remove the fish and use the tip of a knife inserted in the center of the fish and peek around the cut. The flesh should be opaque and no longer translucent, but still moist.

If you overcook the fish and it becomes dry, the marinade and sauce will compensate, making this recipe fairly forgiving. If you're not so sure about raisins with fish, you’ll find that the golden raisins are tangy and sweet, and actually provide a nice flavor counterpoint to the richness of the salmon.

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Citrus Raisin Salmon
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
Salt, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup California golden or natural raisins
2 small salmon steaks (about 4 ounces each)

1. In a medium bowl mix orange, lemon and lime juices, onion, honey, ginger, peels, salt and cayenne pepper. Put salmon in a heavy-duty, zip-top bag and pour 1/2 of the citrus mixture over salmon. Seal bag shut, removing excess air as you seal. Chill 30 minutes, turning bag over a few times to disperse the marinade.
2. When fish is marinated, drain and discard used marinade. Transfer fish to buttered baking dish and season with salt. Bake in 425°F oven, allowing about 7 to 8 minutes per inch thickness of salmon. Test for doneness by piercing flesh with the tip of a knife; flesh should be opaque and no longer translucent, but still moist.
3. While fish is cooking, add raisins to remaining 1/2 of marinade and simmer in a skillet to reduce by half. Season with salt to taste. Spoon over cooked salmon and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Recipe adapted from California Raisins

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