Fish question

[Hawkmoon]

I tried making stuffed filet of sole. Came out with the fish a bit dried out and almost crusty. I baked uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Any secrets to ensuring that everything is cooked thoroughly, without overcooking the outside of the filets? Would covering or wrappin in aluminum foil help? Does that change the cooking time?

[Brad Johnson]

Did you go 30 minutes due to use of raw or uncooked meats in your stuffing? I would think that's way too long for fish, at least a thin filet of sole or other light meat fish. Higher heat and a shorter cooking time is better. It's been a long time since I made stuffed anything-fish, but I don't recall cooking times being more than fifteen or twenty minutes, tops.

If your stuffing consists of things already cooked and/or serve-ready, all you really need to worry about is getting the sole properly cooked. The stuffing only needs warmed to a palatable eating temp.

Brad

[K Frame]

Covering with aluminum foil will definitely help as it will hold moisture in the baking dish and will prevent the dry air from sitting directly on the surface of the fish.

Depending on what you're stuffing with, you may need to partially, or fully, cook the stuffing before hand.

[zxcvbob]

I cook fish on the stovetop in a heavy nonstick pan.  Grease the bottom well and cook covered over medium-low heat until the bottom (skin side for salmon) looks done and the top is warm.  Flip it over and cook for a few minutes more.  Something like that should work for stuffed fish too, especially if the stuffing was precooked and already hot or at least warm.

[K Frame]

"Something like that should work for stuffed fish too, especially if the stuffing was precooked and already hot or at least warm."

I've had pretty dismal experiences with trying to flip over stuff fish in a pan. Invariably it will end up tearing apart, even when using a wide fish spatula.

[Hawkmoon]

Did you go 30 minutes due to use of raw or uncooked meats in your stuffing? I would think that's way too long for fish, at least a thin filet of sole or other light meat fish. Higher heat and a shorter cooking time is better. It's been a long time since I made stuffed anything-fish, but I don't recall cooking times being more than fifteen or twenty minutes, tops.

If your stuffing consists of things already cooked and/or serve-ready, all you really need to worry about is getting the sole properly cooked. The stuffing only needs warmed to a palatable eating temp.

Brad

Several recipes I found on the Internet called for 30 minutes, with temperatures ranging from 350 (one recipe) to 375 (one recipe) to 400 (several recipes).