Cooking fish properly is essential to ensure it's safe to eat and to achieve the desired taste and texture. When using a cast iron skillet on an electric stove top, you can follow these steps to determine if your fish is cooked through:
Visual cues: The most straightforward way to check if your fish is cooked is by observing its appearance. Look for these signs:
- The fish should be opaque and have a consistent color throughout. Raw fish is translucent, while cooked fish turns opaque.
- The edges of the fish should start to brown slightly, indicating that it's cooking evenly.
Flakiness: Use a fork to gently press into the thickest part of the fish fillet. Cooked fish should be flaky and easily break apart. If it still appears raw and doesn't separate into flakes, it needs more time to cook.
Internal temperature: For precise results, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the fish. The FDA recommends that fish should reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) to be considered safe to eat.
Texture: Overcooking fish can lead to a dry and rubbery texture. As soon as the fish is cooked through, remove it from the heat to avoid overcooking.
Time: Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish fillet. As a general guideline, fish typically cooks relatively quickly, around 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. However, always rely on the visual cues and flakiness as mentioned earlier rather than just the time.
Keep in mind that the residual heat in the cast iron skillet will continue to cook the fish slightly even after you remove it from the stove, so it's okay to take it off the heat when it's almost cooked to your desired level.
If you're cooking fish with the skin on, start cooking it with the skin side down to crisp it up, and then flip it to finish cooking on the other side. The skin should be golden and crispy when the fish is done.
Practicing and gaining experience with cooking fish will help you get a better sense of when it's perfectly cooked to your liking. Remember that it's better to slightly undercook fish and let it rest for a moment to finish cooking than to overcook it, as it can become dry and less enjoyable to eat.