He's the Head Chef of two-hatted restaurant Iki-jime Seafood by Vue, so it's fair to say that our Culinary Powerhouse and all-around legend James Cornwall knows a thing or two about a fish or two. We had a quick chat with James about what to look for, and how to cook the perfect piece of fish for those 'off' nights when you can't make the trip down to 430 Little Collins. 

Choosing the Perfect Fish
At Iki-jime, we're lucky to be able to work with Mark Eather Seafood, who employs sensitive, sustainable hand-caught fishing methodologies.  When selecting fish from your local market or Fishmonger, make sure you ask important questions like where was this fish caught? How was it caught? Is it farmed? 
When looking for the perfect piece of fish, consider these things:

• Skin: "Skin should be bright in colour and undamaged, preferably still with natural slime that helps preserve the fish (though this is only relevant when selecting a whole fish). When selecting fillets, the flesh shouldn't look dull, soft or floppy. The flesh should almost look glassy and bright."
• Eyes: "Eyes should be clear, bright and plump; not dark, cloudy or damaged."
• Gills: "It often slips people's minds, but checking the gills is absolutely a vital part of choosing your fish. Gills should be bright red and clean - as the fish gets older, the gills will darken."
• Smell: "The smell of a fish should not be strong or 'fishy' in any way.  A slight smell of the ocean is really all that you should be able to detect, but fresh fish really has very little odor to it."

Cooking the Perfect Fish
Once you've selected your fish fillet, there are a few steps to keep in mind and follow. 

• Bring the fish to room temperature: "This is ideal because you want to gently cook the fish and bring it up to temperature so the less time in the pan or oven the better."
• Should the fish be marinated? "I prefer to eat my fish un marinated to enjoy its natural flavours. Generally, with white fish, it’s best to use sea salt and a little white pepper, the flavours are more delicate so require less. Oily fish such as mackerel and salmon etc go well miso glaze or a spiced marinated, the natural oils work well with a more robust marinade."
• Cooking it on a girl/pan: "How to cook it simply on the grill (3 mins skin down etc.). Skin side down to get a nice crispy and golden skin then flip it over just to seal the other side and it will help to cook it evenly through."
• Common Mistakes: "The number one mistake I see and hear of is people cooking fish for too long and making it dry. Fish will continue to cook after you remove it from the pan or oven, so it's best to slightly undercook it and take it out of the pan/oven to rest. In return, this will give it time to gently finish cooking through and help keep in all the natural juices and flavours."