Buzz
My single fitness goal for 2022 is simple: Get seriously strong. This naturally involves consuming plenty of protein, and seafood is an excellent protein source. For most of my life, fish meant being coated in cornmeal and deep fried. If I had to pick a fish to eat forever, it would be catfish, prepared this way. However, it's not exactly a convenient or “healthy” method, and ensuring a steady, convenient protein intake every day is key for this journey.
Even if you’re not focused on major muscle gains, learning how to cook fish and shellfish is incredibly useful if you enjoy eating them. But aside from frying, cooking seafood can be intimidating for those with little experience. These items tend to be pricey and are easy to overcook, which can lead to some understandable stress.
Here’s where olive oil poaching comes in—a gentle, forgiving, and indulgent method for cooking all types of seafood. It’s straightforward: immerse your seafood in olive oil, add your preferred aromatics, and cook at a low temperature—either on the stove or in the oven—allowing the oil to slowly and tenderly prepare your fish, shrimp, or any other seafood you crave. This low-temperature technique reduces anxiety, as it takes several minutes to go from ‘perfectly flaky’ to ‘overcooked and unpleasant.’
You can poach seafood in olive oil in two ways—either in the oven or on the stove. I prefer to cook fish in the oven and shellfish on the stove, as the latter cooks quickly, and I enjoy pulling it out as soon as it's done. For the oil, choose something of moderate quality; you will taste the oil, but since you'll be using a fair amount of it, you don't need to go overboard. With both methods, feel free to adjust the aromatics to your liking. The more aromatics you add, the more robust the flavor will be, so keep it minimal if you want the natural flavor of the seafood to stand out.
How to poach fish in olive oil in the oven
For every fish I prepare, I start with a quick sugar-and-salt cure to firm up the texture and infuse the fillet with flavor (fillets are ideal for oil poaching). This also simplifies the seasoning process: instead of figuring out how much salt to add to the poaching oil, you simply brine, rinse, and proceed.
When the fish begins to flake, carefully lift it from the oil with a slotted spatula (a fish spatula works best), and place it on a bed of rice, a heap of fresh greens, or a tangle of pasta. Drizzle the flavorful oil over the whole dish and finish with fresh lemon juice or zest to balance the richness. (For an extra touch, poach a few small tomatoes in the oil alongside the fish; they’re amazing when gently mashed into the rice.) To make olive oil-poached fish, you will need:
Fish filets
Salt
Sugar
Olive oil
Aromatics or flavorings that you enjoy (I prefer thyme, lemon slices, bay leaves, and tomatoes.)
Preheat your oven to 225℉. Prepare a dry brine by mixing two parts salt with one part sugar by volume. For a pound of fish, use about 1/4 cup salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Coat the fish filets generously with the brine—they should sparkle—and let them rest on a plate, uncovered, at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Rinse the cure off the fish with cold water, pat it dry with paper towels, and arrange the filets in a baking dish that’s just big enough to fit them without overlap. (The larger the pan, the more oil you’ll need.) Add your chosen aromatics and enough olive oil to cover the fish by 1/8th inch, then place the pan in the oven.
Bake the fish until it flakes easily with a fork (around 135℉-140℉), which will take about 20-30 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the filets. (Start checking after 15 minutes.) Remember that the fish will continue to cook in the oil after it’s out of the oven, so remove it once you’re happy with the texture, or take the pan out just before it’s done and let the residual heat finish the job. Serve immediately.
How to poach shellfish on the stove
Shellfish like shrimp and scallops cook faster than their finned counterparts, so I prefer to keep them on the stove where I can monitor them closely. The steps are largely the same, except we skip the brining stage, as shellfish already have natural saltiness, but you can add a pinch of salt to the oil if you prefer more seasoning. (If you're short on time, you can poach frozen shellfish directly from the bag.) To make olive oil poached shellfish, you will need:
Your preferred shellfish (I find shrimp to be the best choice here, though lobster is also a fantastic option. Olive-oil poached scallops are fine, but I miss the crisp texture that comes from searing them.)
Olive oil
Aromatics and flavorings (Toss in some crushed garlic and a chili pepper for a spicy shrimp dish!)
Arrange your fresh or frozen shellfish in a single layer in the smallest saucepan you can find. Add your chosen aromatics and flavorings, along with enough olive oil to cover the seafood by 1/8th inch. Cook over low heat—there should be a few tiny bubbles, but avoid bringing it to a boil—until the shellfish starts to shrink and the center turns opaque. (If needed, test one shrimp or scallop.) For bivalves, cook them until they open up. Serve immediately.
