What causes steamed fish to become mushy?

What causes steamed fish to become mushy? - A Delicious Steamed Fish with Red Chilies and Slices of Lime

I went to a Chinese seafood restaurant for dinner and ordered steamed grouper. I repeatedly confirmed that the fish must be live "swimming fish".

The fish came out and the flesh was mushy.

Guests who are experienced (self-proclaimed) insisted the fish was dead for quite some time already, hence the protein became mushy, instead of having a succulent texture. However, the manager insisted the fish was live the whole day, until they cooked it for us.

If the manager was not lying, what could have caused the mushy texture?

fishsteaming


Best Answer

Assuming that the fish is fresh to begin with...the answer is quite simple, overcooking! Fish cooks far faster than beef, chicken or pork. A great way to steam your fish is to wrap it in parchment paper cut and paste the following web address to see how EASY it is to get perfectly steamed fish every time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52wYn99cL2I



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What causes steamed fish to become mushy? - Steamed Fish with Mushrooms
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How do you keep fish from getting mushy?

Here's how to fix mushy fish.
  • Pat your fish dry before cooking. Excess moisture will cause the fish to steam rather than sear. ...
  • Cook it at a higher temp. Stainless steel or cast iron cookware is best for cooking fish on the stovetop. ...
  • Use the right type of fish for the dish.


    • Can you overcook steamed fish?

    Good salt helps, too. But there really is no better or easier preparation. This technique works beautifully not only with cod but with red snapper, grouper, striped bass, sea bass, halibut and even mackerel. Steaming is such a fast technique that thin fillets inevitably overcook and fall apart.

    Is it okay to eat mushy fish?

    As long as the flesh is still firm and the skin is shiny rather than slimy, the fish is still fine to cook and eat. If your seafood smells overpoweringly of ammonia, or is mushy, slimy or otherwise questionable, discard it. It is better to be safe than sorry.

    How do you know if fish is overcooked?

    This Is How You Can Tell If You've Overcooked Your Fish
  • 1 The skin is crispy. If you cooked the fish skin on, you probably also cooked it skin-side down first so it would crisp up. ...
  • 2 The flesh oozes white. If you take a look at the fish as it cooks, you'll notice that the flesh will become opaque. ...
  • 3 The fish is hard.



    • Gordon Ramsay's Guide To Fish



    More answers regarding what causes steamed fish to become mushy?

    Answer 2

    Grouper is one of my favorite fish. It already has a mushy texture, as do lots of other fish. But with this fish, it tend to become very mushy if you add too much water. It has to be slow cooked.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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