How to Thaw Frozen Fish in Milk

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Things You'll Need

  • Frozen fish fillets

  • Paper towels

  • Metal or glass baking dish

  • Milk, either whole or 2 percent

  • Plastic wrap

Thawing frozen fish in milk is a good way to take away any fishy flavor the meat may carry. The milk soaks up any nasty flavors and tenderizes the fillets, leaving behind a fresh-tasting, tender fish to fry, grill, bake or broil. It also adds a mild sweetness to the fish, giving any recipe a nice touch. This defrosting method works best if performed overnight, so make sure to plan ahead.

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Step 1

Take the fish fillets out of the freezer. If they are in a container or plastic bag, hold the container or bag under hot running water until you can slide the fillets out of the packaging. If the fish is frozen in a block of ice, hold the fish under the water until the majority of the ice is melted.

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Step 2

Rinse the frozen fish and pat it dry with a paper towel. Lay the fillets flat in a baking dish and pour milk over them until they are submerged. It is important to use milk with some fat in it because the fat absorbs fishy flavors and tenderizes the fish.

Step 3

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least eight hours. The fish needs to thaw completely in the milk.

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Step 4

Remove the fish from the milk, blot it with a paper towel and proceed with the recipe. Do not rinse the milk off the fish.

Step 5

Pour the milk down the drain. It's not suitable to be used in another recipe or consumed.

Tip

Add fresh chopped herbs to the milk to marinate the fish.

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