BRINING
We brine most (non-oily) fish at my restaurant, Trinity. It removes moisture, increases flavour, imparts seasoning from the inside out and alters the texture (in a good way), firming up the flesh. Brining doesn’t take long, either – just 10 minutes is all it needs.
I wouldn’t brine a fish if it’s going to end up flaked into a salad, but if I were creating a fish wellington, cooking it en croûte or confiting it, I certainly would. If I’m looking for firmness, especially using whole fillets, brining makes a huge difference.
CONFITING
In this recipe, once the fish is brined, we confit it. This is a method usually used with duck legs in duck fat or with pork belly, for when you want long, slow, moisture-retentive cooking. Here,…
