How to tell when a whole roasted fish like branzino is cooked?

Question

Learn easy visual cues and touch tests to check doneness of whole roasted fish like branzino.

Answer 1

To tell when a whole roasted fish like branzino is cooked, check if its eyes are opaque, the flesh is firm and flakes easily with a fork at its thickest part, and the skin is slightly crispy.

Detailed Explanation:

Roasting a whole fish like branzino is a fantastic way to cook it evenly and retain moisture. Determining doneness without a thermometer involves a few visual and textural cues.

1. Eyes: A good indicator for whole fish is the clarity of its eyes. When raw, fish eyes are clear and bulging. As the fish cooks, they will turn opaque and often appear cloudy or sunken.
2. Flesh Opaque: Visually, the flesh should transition from translucent (raw) to opaque (cooked) throughout the entire fish. You can often see this by looking at the thicker parts near the bone.
3. Flakiness Test: This is the most reliable non-thermometer test. Gently insert a fork into the thickest part of the fish, close to the bone. If the fish is done, the flesh will easily separate and flake away along its natural lines. If it resists or looks gummy, it needs more time.
4. Firmness: Cooked fish will feel firm to the touch when gently pressed, whereas raw fish will feel soft and jelly-like.
5. Skin: The skin should be slightly crisp and golden-brown in areas where it has had direct heat contact.

Remember that carryover cooking will slightly increase the internal temperature after removal from the oven, so it's better to err on the side of slightly underdone than overdone.

Pro Tip:

For easy serving and to ensure even cooking, make a few diagonal slits on both sides of the whole fish before roasting.