A day begins with a few thoughts about why my fish failed. As a chef du amateur I quiver to cook fish in Japan. In Europe the fish is different and the tolerance for a mistake seems different. Japan is the most advanced fishing nation and of course the main buyer of fresh and frozen fish globally. Spring beings all kinds of fish we hardly see as much throughout the winter and the migration and spawning of fish in seasons makes for varying sizes.

Take a fish and insert a probe into the spinal cord flesh, not the bone, flesh beside the bone. You need to work with 160-180ºC temperatures and no low temperatures with fish or risk a skin mistake, as the skin should be crispy-ish. The high heat will ultimately cook the fish’s skin and the dry heat isn’t the best but given the turbot is relatively thin, it penetrates and you will have a difference in texture at the top and center.

Surprisingly, when eating fish our memories remind us a fish should be crispy outside and tender inside right? If you use low temperatures you risk under cooking the fish and why? That is a good question: fish meat proteins and the fish is a very efficient deliverer of protein when compared to meat. Because the muscles of animals and humans share the same components, eating animal tissue is an easy way to get this necessary nutrient. Essentially proteins are made up of amino acids, and amino acids determine the structure and function of proteins.

Fish live and breath under water so their amino acids help build cells and repair tissue, form antibodies, and carry oxygen throughout the body. Back to the question of fish and cooking temperatures; so fish is lean and has little fat so it flakes, something meat doesn’t do, and you need to employ a certain intensity of heat to get fish cooking right. Oc course cooking scallops sous vides or low temperatures is different. And when you make fish don’t forget the potatoes, fish needs something to soak your appetite, so be prepared.