Let Your Fish/Shellfish Stand For 2 Minutes

[SLegacy99]

Fish continues to cook even after you take it off the heat. That is why it is easy to over cook it. I steam lobsters everyday at work and I generally temp them at 150 degrees when they first come out. Several minutes later they are 10-15 degrees higher.

 

I write this because I had a customer yesterday question the instructions as to the baking of Crab Stuffed Salmon. I explained to him that fish continues to cook after you take it off the heat. He very rudely told me that I was full of BS and that the chain I work for (which has 70 some odd stores) is deliberately trying to mislead people. Therefore, I wanted to post a reccomendation to you fish lovers out there to let your fish stand before cutting and serving.

 

If you find that your temperature has gone well above what it should after you have let is rest, pop it in the refrigerator for a few minutes (not too long) to stop it from overcooking itself.

[-TT-]

[Bbc84]

thats why you eat it raw.

[TPLGT]

Fish continues to cook even after you take it off the heat. That is why it is easy to over cook it. I steam lobsters everyday at work and I generally temp them at 150 degrees when they first come out. Several minutes later they are 10-15 degrees higher.

 

I write this because I had a customer yesterday question the instructions as to the baking of Crab Stuffed Salmon. I explained to him that fish continues to cook after you take it off the heat. He very rudely told me that I was full of BS and that the chain I work for (which has 70 some odd stores) is deliberately trying to mislead people. Therefore, I wanted to post a reccomendation to you fish lovers out there to let your fish stand before cutting and serving.

 

If you find that your temperature has gone well above what it should after you have let is rest, pop it in the refrigerator for a few minutes (not too long) to stop it from overcooking itself.

 

That 'customer' is misinformed/retarded.....it's the same with most meat as well...anyone who cooks a lot....lets the meat stand.

[Brady]

Fish continues to cook even after you take it off the heat. That is why it is easy to over cook it. I steam lobsters everyday at work and I generally temp them at 150 degrees when they first come out. Several minutes later they are 10-15 degrees higher.

 

FAIL

 

You seem to imply that the temperature of the lobster actually increases after removing from the steamer. That is not true. What you see is a quick increase of indicated heat on the thermometer and a gradual adjustment of the thermometer to the final "accurate" temperature.

 

As for the rest of what you say, the same is true for any meat really. If you get it hot enough, it will continue to cook, which is why any time you cook a thick steak, going a little bit rarer is preferable.

[robinlsb]

FAIL

 

You seem to imply that the temperature of the lobster actually increases after removing from the steamer. That is not true. What you see is a quick increase of indicated heat on the thermometer and a gradual adjustment of the thermometer to the final "accurate" temperature.

 

As for the rest of what you say, the same is true for any meat really. If you get it hot enough, it will continue to cook, which is why any time you cook a thick steak, going a little bit rarer is preferable.

 

Either you always cook with a microwave or you flunked physics.

[trademark]

I second the raw fish statement.

[Brady]

Either you always cook with a microwave or you flunked physics.

 

Once removing the item from heat, how does the temperature continue to increase?

[SLegacy99]

Once removing the item from heat, how does the temperature continue to increase?

 

That's exactly why I posted this thread. Fish continues to cook after you take it off the heat. Google that exact phrase and you will get many hits.

 

 

 

http://whatscookingamerica.net/fishselect.htm

 

 

 

The second key to grilling fish is to watch it carefully (since it is very vulnerable to drying out). Remember most fish on the grill only takes a few minutes per side. Flip the fillets over the second you cut into the fish and it is cooked half way through. Continue to watch the fish closely and take the fish off the grill as soon as it is cooked throughout or preferably slightly before because the fish will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat.

 

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-great-fish-cookout

 

 

It occured to me that I can explain this better. I am a licensed food handler so I know what I mean, but perhaps others don't. When I say "temp" I mean take an internal temperature. And when I say "continues to cook" I mean that the center of the meat continues to recieve heat from the outside, thus raising the internal temperature.

 

So in my Lobster example. Let's look at this in 3 layers: External, middle, and internal. You want the internal temp to be 150 (pierce the tail) when you take it off the heat. The external layer is no longer recieving heat, it is cooling. However, the middle layer is still hot. The cool air has not yet gotten to it from the external layer. Therefore it continues to conduct heat to the internal layer for several minutes until it finally cools. So to answer your question Brady that is how the internal temperature can increase, despite taking the lobster off of the heat.

[Brady]

Right, my point though is that if the fish is 160 degrees, until it cools down to less than say 120 degrees or so, it will continue to cook. Basically speaking, if you threw the fish in the oven and the oven is set to 160 degrees, it will eventually cook, but it will take a LONG ass time. But yes, it will eventually get to 160 degrees and be right, and you can even over cook it by leaving it in at 160 degrees even longer.

 

My point is that just because you stick the thermometer in and it says 150 degrees right away, that doesn't mean it is actually 150 degrees. One of the steps in calibrating a thermometer is to stick it in a pitcher of ice water for at least 2 minutes. Why 2 minutes? Because it takes 2 minutes for the thermometer to completely acclimate to the temperature and display correctly. And since water is a better conductor of heat than say sea flesh, or beef flesh, it takes still a little longer for the thermometer to read accurately. Put the same thermometer in a cake, and it will take longer still (which is why they have special thermometers for baking also).

 

I understand your example of the three layers of the lobster, but that really has minimal impact of your reading since your thermometer doesn't exactly isolate the "layers".

[SLegacy99]

Like I said, I am a licensed food handler. Which is mostly about temping and refigerating mayonaise. Do an experiment. You'll find that your average thermometer reads from the tip.

[LieutenantDan]

thermometer thermometer thermometer thermometer thermometer thermometers thermometer

 

This has nothing to do with said thermometers......When cooking any meat, the trick is to under cook it 10-15 degrees below what you want your final temperature to be. When taken off the heat, "heat soak" occurs from the outside in. Thermometers are merely a gauge, and when calibrated correctly they pretty much read instantly and accurately. Just because my speedometer says 65, I may be traveling faster or slower than that reading. It's just an approximation. Until you've worked in food service professionally, you have no say in the world of thermometers

[ultimakf7]

Just because the internal temperature is 150, doesn't mean the external temperature is at 150 as well. You'll find that the external temperature is hotter than the internal, right off the grill.