Fish Cooked in Milk—It's Not Gross, It's Magic

Out of all of the "odd couple" food pairings you could imagine, this has got to be one of the outright weirdest.

Fish and... milk.

Sorry, what?! I didn't sign up for being grossed out today, but according to Andy Baraghani of Bon Appétit, cooking fish in milk is the ticket to creamy, delicious flesh—and not some kind of sick joke on your taste buds.

There is method to the madness. When cooking fish in milk, the key is to poach the fish. Because milk contains fat (unlike water or broth), it absorbs the flavors added to the fish better—herbs, garlic, or anything else you may dream up.

Smabs Sputzer/Flickr

Just be sure to use the right kind of fish: think of sturdy varieties like cod, salmon, or tuna. Flakier, more delicate fish like branzino will fall apart faster than your attempts to fit in with the cool crowd. (They know you're trying too hard, man. Just be yourself.)

While whole milk is recommended, Baraghani says that you can use half and half for an even creamier, fatty consistency—and who says no to more flavorful fat, am I right?

And for those of you that are still on the fence about combining fish and milk together in a dish, just think about the amazing soup-from-the-gods known as clam chowder. I could probably drink that stuff on a daily basis... if it weren't 90% cream and 100% terrible for me... but that's neither here nor there.

Fish chowder deserves our love and respect, too. #preach.

The full article is on Bon Appétit—complete with a tasty-looking recipe for poached cod that I'm probably going to devour in the near future.

Going to give this crazy twist on poaching a try? Let us know in the comments how it turns out (or if you think the idea of fish and milk together is just too gross to attempt).

More Fine Fish Hacks:

• Cooking Fish with Foil Is Fantastically Foolproof
• How to Cook Frozen Steak & Fish Without Defrosting Them First
• How to Cook Tuna with Toilet Paper
• Cooking in Parchment Paper Is Easier & Tastier Than You Thought

Cover photo via Smabs Sputzer/Flickr