How should I best thaw a large piece of fish... for tonight? URGENT?

If it is packaged, try running it under warm water in the sink.
Microwaving it would have to be done very carefully in short increments so you don’t accidently start cooking it.

Put it in a pan big enough to hold it & let it sit in cold water. Cold water thaws faster. It sounds weird, but that’s true. That’s how to safely thaw a turkey or any meat. Warm or hot water just turns cold anyway.

Just run it under water. DO NOT. Microwave.

Chaz is right. No microwave…no hot water.

Out of interest, why not microwave?

Thanks for the responses so far!

I just read that I could perhaps just cook it as is and allow longer for the fish to cook, what do you flutherites say to that?

@ModernEpicurian Because the microwave will start to cook it. You don’t want that. I don’t agree with cooking it frozen. You’re going to be trying to cook all the water that’s in the fish. The best bet is to thaw it out & blot it good with paper towels to get the excess moisture out. You want to cook fish, not a watery mess.

@jbfletcherfan – kinda like the opposite of the Mpemba Effect…

Exactly what @jbfletcherfan and @jbfletcherfan said.

Instead of frying, may I suggest some seasoned breadcrumbs and olive oil on the top and bake it.

For the love of God, GRILL IT!

Enclose the fish in foil. But before you do.

Some salt, pepper, couple slices of onion, celery, butter. Even some garlic.

Then you can bake, or grill it.

So, um…we’ll all be over at 8PM?

I’ll bring the box of wine, or as my brother calls it: “the bladder of Bordeaux”

I have a great recipe for cod! A tiny bit more work, but really delicious and worth the effort.

Preheat oven to 450.

Thinly slice some red potatoes as if for chips. Chop one bunch of flat-leaf parsley, and mince one head of garlic. Combine the parsley and garlic and add ½ cup of EVOO.

Add ½ the parsley-garlic-oil mixture to the potatoes and stir with your hands until they are coated, spread them neatly in an enamelware baking pan, salt and pepper the top, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes sizzle and start to brown. The parsley and garlic will start making the house smell wonderful.

If the potatoes aren’t browning, let them bake a little longer. Then remove pan from oven, and lay cod filets atop the potatoes. Salt and pepper, then spread the remaining parsley-garlic-oil over the fish. Return to the oven for an additional 20–25 minutes. Oh, Yummity™.

You’ve trademarked “Yummity”?

Damned right.

For fish or any meat, set it in a skillet or heavy metal pot/pan and it will thaw. I keep love cast iron because it not only thaws quickly (must be super porous absorbing or something) but it will bring meats to room temp really fast in order to pan sear or oven broil without overcooking the outside just to get the inside where you want it.

First of all, don’t run warm water over it or using the microwave to defrost.. you’ll end up cooking the outsides slightly, which will ruin the final product. Cold water is the way to go. You can run cold water over it, or sit it in a container (like a pan, bowl, or bucket) filled with cold water. Change the water out periodically and you’ll be surprised at how quickly it defrosts.

Fish is absolutely the most sensitive protein and easiest to ruin with too high a temperature.

Unless you are a fan of fish with the texture of rubber never thaw in a microwave or even warm water.

You really have to treat fish gently in order to have a final product that’s edible. Take everybody’s advice. Cold water only.

Pd’s recipe sounds fantastic, btw. Lurve.

Cold water that covers it in a bowl. Change the water every thirty minutes for best results.

Haha I just caught my unintentional Engrish in there.. I love it.

don’t run warm water over it or using the microwave to defrost

@Buttonstc Thanks, it’s an adaptation of a Genoese fish recipe from Marcella Hazan.

@pdworkin: What’s the EVOO? I’d like to give this recipe a go tonight :D

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sorry.

Enjoy!! I’m sure it’s done by now.

@pdworkin: Thank you! It’s on the menu now.

@pdworkin Food & computers. You’re a well-rounded guy, aren’t you?

@pdworkin: Clearly a Rachel Ray fan.

“on Rachael Ray’s talk show, Erin McKean, editor of Oxford American Dictionaries, showed up to present Ray with a framed certificate of recognition. As she explained to Ray, “Because of you, we are putting EVOO in the next edition of the Oxford American College Dictionary.” The entry will read: “EVOO: abbr. extra-virgin olive oil.”

McKean told Ray how hard it is to actually get a word into the dictionary: “We look at thousands of words every year, and very, very few of them get in. It’s easier to win the lottery, frankly.” McKean also wants people to know that this newest entry in the Oxford American College Dictionary isn’t just because Ray is more talked about than God: “In order for a word to go in the dictionary, it has to be useful to people. It’s not just enough to be a fabulous celebrity to get your word in the dictionary; you have to make a word that people like to use.” During their exhaustive research, McKean claimed when she and her dictionary cronies saw people using “EVOO,” Ray’s name appeared in more than half the examples.”

Sorry, I despise her.

I find her annoying, but I gotta respect someone who catapulted themselves to massive success using smart marketing.

Hitler on your list of folks to respect?

I kid, I kid.

I see the similarities, but propaganda is different than marketing. ;)

“propaganda is different than marketing”

Ok that was humor right? Because we know it is not different. :-)

The difference in my eyes is marketing is for financial gain, propaganda is for political gain.

Political gain is for financial gain.

You must love Paris Hilton.

Ugh, please. But we’re way off topic now, so…

Erm… yeh. Topic is about two miles behind you ;-) But still!

It went well! (my friend is right, I’m addicted to Fluther if I’m popping back to update you on a date :-P)
I used the ‘Cold water’ method and it worked a charm! The fish was cooked beautifully and simply with pasta and a certain special sauce of my making ;-)

Thankyou everyone. I haven’t been a member here long, but I love it more than you could imagine. Thanks guys!

Glad it worked out.

Soak in room temp water. Better too cool then too warm. Fish defrosts quickly. DO NOT microwave it.

Oh, I just noticed the problem has already been solved. Should have read above first. Glad it worked.

Well that’s great. I’m glad it all…WHOA!! – “Special Sauce”!?!?!?