How long should you cook pollock for a child?

Why pollock is useful

Pollock contains a lot of phosphorus, vitamin PP, A (good for the skin), iodine, sulfur and potassium. Omega-6 and 3 acids present in this fish help improve metabolism, reduce cholesterol in our blood, and increase brain activity. Pollock is a good antioxidant and rich in protein (15.9 g), so it is recommended for children from 8 months. It is also useful for pregnant women, lactating women and the elderly. If you are losing weight, then it is worth including this fish in your diet, since it contains only 72 calories and 0.9 fat.

Pollock cooking time

So how long should you cook pollock fish to preserve all its beneficial properties? The cooking time for different dishes will be very different, and the way you cook the fish also matters.

If you are preparing a dish from whole fish, then you need to cut off the fins, peel off the scales and remove the entrails, wash and cut into pieces. The larger the pieces, the longer the pollock will take to cook. Conventionally, there are three cooking methods, which determine how long to cook pollock:

Cook pollock in salted boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. If the meat separates well from the bones and its color is white, then the fish is ready.
In a multicooker on the “stew” mode, pollock is cooked for one hour
In a steamer, the fish will be ready in half an hour

The benefits of fish dishes for children

If the child is not allergic, fish dishes should be introduced into the diet starting from 8 to 9 months, since this protein is absorbed much better than meat. Compare: 96 – 98% to 87 – 89%, that is, proteins obtained from fish not only enter the baby’s body, but do so in the most “targeted” way.

With its help, it will be easier for a child to build bones, muscles, and form tooth enamel. Fish has everything necessary for this: fluorine, phosphorus, iron, amino acids, B vitamins, which are no less than in beef. And, most importantly, if we are talking about marine, we will find iodine, necessary for mental development, and polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, which improve concentration and memory.

If the child is allergic

So, the question of the benefits of fish and its need for children’s diets is no longer relevant, is it? But what to do if your child is allergic?

It is enough to postpone its introduction into complementary foods until 12–18 months and prepare only white varieties, avoiding any red types of meat. Of course, we are talking about boiled and stewed dishes; Baked, and even more so fried fish can be offered to children only from the age of 2.

It is best to introduce sea fish into complementary foods: cod, pollock, hake, blue whiting. These varieties are the least allergenic, easily digestible and do not contain harmful impurities that may be present in river varieties. And there are many times fewer bones in sea fish fillets.

As for any pickles and smoked foods, like any delicacy, they are a delicacy, but nothing more. Not a single nutritionist would recommend making smoked eel or salted red fish a regular part of the children's menu.

100 g per week of freshly prepared fish will fully satisfy the needs of the child’s body for essential animal proteins, minerals and trace elements.

In this article we have selected the most interesting, quick and delicious fish dishes that will inspire not only children, but also their parents!

How long to cook pollock for a child

Fish complementary feeding should begin with low-fat varieties of fish and only after the child has become accustomed to meat. These are, for example, saury, hake, pike perch and, of course, pollock. Complementary foods should be introduced in small portions (5 – 10 grams). The maximum dose for a one-year-old child is 70 grams. Fish cooked in a double boiler retains all its beneficial properties. It must be well cooked to exclude the possibility of parasites that may end up in the fish. Therefore, the duration of cooking pollock for a child should be 12-15 minutes after boiling the water if the pieces are small and from 20-25 minutes if you are cooking the whole fish.

Pediatricians advise giving pollock every week. Since it has a neutral taste and is slightly harsh, it is recommended to cook it in milk sauce. For the first feeding, fish pollock puree soup is perfect. It is worth giving it in the first half of the day so that the appearance of allergies can be monitored.

As we can see, how long to cook pollock depends mainly on the method. This is a cheap and yet incredibly healthy fish. Easy and quick to prepare. Nutritionists and pediatricians recommend including this fish in your diet. Bon appetit!

Pollock belongs to the fish from the cod family. Housewives love it for its low price, lack of small bones, tender, nutritious and healthy fillet. Pollock is subjected to various types of heat treatment. And often it is boiled for dietary nutrition. Let's find out how long to cook pollock until it's done?

How long to cook pollock until done?

As already mentioned, pollock fish is one of the few marine representatives that, at a low cost, has amazing taste. Along with frying, stewing and baking, this fish is boiled. How long to cook pollock in water until done? The duration of its heat treatment can vary from 5 to 15 minutes.

It all depends on the size of the pieces. As practice shows, such carcasses are not boiled whole, but cut into steaks or small pieces in advance. The formula is simple - the smaller the size of the pieces, the faster they will cook.

Most often, pollock is sold frozen; there is an ice layer on the fish. Before heat treatment, it must be defrosted by natural thawing at room temperature. Next, the scales are removed from the pollock. If we are talking about a whole fish, then it is necessary to cut off the fins, remove the head, tail and entrails.

Advice! When cutting pollock, carefully remove the gall bladder. If liquid leaks out of it, the fillet will acquire a bitter taste, which is almost impossible to get rid of.

So, after cutting, the pollock fillet is cut into portions and transferred to a pan. Fill with filtered water. There is no need to add too much water. It is enough that the liquid only slightly covers the fish fillet.

Over moderate heat, bring the water to a boil. We measure the cooking time from the moment the water boils. Be sure to add salt and a few bay leaves for flavor. You can also use allspice, cloves and other spices of your choice.

Often boiled pollock fillets are included in children's diets. How long should you cook pollock before it’s ready for a child? Boil the fish for 20-25 minutes. If you want to preserve the nutritional properties of pollock to the maximum, then it is better to steam it. You can use a slow cooker or a double boiler.

Advice! To make steamed pollock fillet aromatic, you can add bay leaf, a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice, dried cloves and rosemary to the water.

I would like to draw attention to the features of defrosting fish. There is no need to speed up the defrosting process by using hot water or a microwave. This will only worsen the taste of pollock and deprive it of its juiciness.

Preparing for cooking: how to cook pollock?

To begin with, the fish carcass is worth preparing for the cooking process. When cooking pollock, it is worth considering some nuances. It is able to absorb all foreign aromas and tastes. Therefore, as a rule, this type of seafood is only salted, without adding various spices. This will preserve the original taste of pollock.

Before cooking, the ment carcass is washed, cut, and washed again. The head, tail, and fins are separated from the carcass. Also, we get rid of the entrails and scales. If the fish is frozen, it must be defrosted before cooking. Frozen pollock is never placed in hot water. Otherwise, the skin of the carcass will crack, the meat will be tasteless and not aromatic.

Also, frozen pollock in hot water will instantly boil. When cutting fish, you should be extremely careful not to damage the gallbladder. As for the amount of water required for cooking, it should be the maximum amount. The water should completely cover the seafood. Pollock is placed in already boiling water, salted. How and how much to cook pollock depends on the chosen kitchen equipment. You can cook fish in a simple saucepan, double boiler, pressure cooker, or multicooker.

How to cook pollock in a pan?

In the case of using the traditional method of boiling fish, the first priority is exactly how long to cook the pollock to the desired state. Before work, the component must be cleaned of scales and entrails. We also cut off the head, tail and fins. It is better to separate the fillet from the frame, but you can simply cut the fish into several portions.

To make it delicious, do the following:

Place the pieces of fish in any container and fill with water, completely covering the workpiece. We check what volume of liquid was used and pour the same amount of fresh water into the cooking pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.
Dissolve the salt in the water, add a few bay leaves, and reduce the heat to medium. When the mixture boils again, put the fish in it, which we cook for exactly 10 minutes.
We take the product out of the pan, put it on a plate and use it for its intended purpose. If the pieces are large, you can keep them in a dry, warm bowl with a lid for a while so that they are definitely cooked.

Pollock, boiled in broth, has a dense but pleasant texture and a clean taste. If desired, it can be subjected to additional processing: stewing with vegetables, baking with sauce, frying in aromatic dressing.

How to cook pollock deliciously in a double boiler?

To cook fish truly tasty, you have to try a little. It works best in a double boiler, although this approach takes more time. To save it, you should not use pieces of the product, but fillets that have been cleared of all unnecessary fillets.

For 700 g of pollock we need lemon, 3 bay leaves, 3 allspice or black peppercorns, a couple of onions, 0.5 teaspoon of salt and several sprigs of dill. Dill can be replaced with parsley, then the aroma of the greens will be more pronounced. Wash the fish, clean it, cut off all excess.
Work is carried out with clean fillets or portioned pieces. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. We chop the greens or at least tear them off the branches.
Wash the lemon and cut it together with the peel into very thin slices, removing the seeds. Place the onion, pepper and bay leaf in an even, continuous layer in the steamer bowl. Next comes a layer of fish, which we add. Place lemon on top and sprinkle with herbs.
We start the steamer for 30-40 minutes, depending on its power and heating speed. Don't worry about the product being overexposed; it won't make it any worse.

To make the dish not only tasty, but also fully consistent with individual preferences, you can try adding your own ingredients or replacing existing ones with them. The main thing is not to use too fragrant herbs and spicy seasonings, they can interrupt the natural aroma and taste of the fish.

How to properly cook pollock in milk?

A very special result is obtained by boiling fish in milk. This approach does not require much time to implement, and in the end everything turns out very tasty and unusual. For a couple of fish we will need a glass of water and medium-fat milk, a head of onion, a couple of carrots, salt and spices to taste.

We don’t just clean the pollock, we separate the fillet and cut it into small cubes with edges no larger than 1.5 cm. Fry the workpiece in a frying pan without using oil or with a minimal amount of it. Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater. Peel the onion and finely chop it. We take a pan with a thick bottom and do not grease it with anything. Place the fish in it in an even layer and add salt.

Next, add the carrots and add some salt too. At the end there is a layer of onion, and again a little salt. Spices can be added after each layer, but it is better to sprinkle the entire workpiece with them. Mix milk with water. Pour the resulting mixture into the contents of the pan so that it does not mix. We put it all on medium heat and wait until the liquid boils.

Then cover the container with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture for about 20 minutes. The finished dish is served with sauce, sprinkled with chopped herbs. It should be hot, the taste of the ingredients will begin to deteriorate with each passing minute.

You can also use a slow cooker to cook pollock, but in this case it is better to stew the component in sauce or spices rather than boil it in the traditional way. But such fish is rarely cooked in the microwave. The process is quite simple, but the result may be the most unexpected. No secrets guarantee with this approach that the desired taste of the product will be obtained. And its texture can suffer greatly, losing all its juiciness and tenderness.

Adding variety to your everyday menu

Not everyone likes boiled pollock. Still, the fish turns out to be fresh, but healthy. You can use a little trick by preparing stewed pollock in tomato sauce. The taste will be different, but the fillet will be soft and tender, like after boiling.

Ingredients:

fresh frozen pollock – 1 kg;
seasonings for preparing fish dishes;
salt, ground allspice;
fresh tomato - two pieces;
carrots - two root vegetables;
tomato paste - three tablespoons. spoons;
refined vegetable oil;
onion - two heads;
filtered water - one glass;
premium wheat flour - three tablespoons. spoons.

Preparation:

First of all, we defrost the fish until it is completely thawed.
Next, we wash and cut up the pollock carcasses. Dry with paper towels and cut into portions about 4 cm thick.
Rub the pollock with salt, add ground allspice and universal seasonings for preparing fish dishes. Leave for a quarter of an hour to soak.
Heat refined vegetable oil in a frying pan.
Bread each piece of pollock in sifted flour.
Fry until golden brown evenly on all sides.
Peel the carrots, wash them and cut them into slices.
Chop the onion into quarters of rings.
Cut fresh tomatoes into slices. You need to remove the stalk and peel off the skin if desired.
Transfer the vegetables to the frying pan. Sauté in refined vegetable oil for 10 minutes.
Add a little salt to the vegetables.
After 10 minutes, add tomato paste and mix everything well.
Next, pour in one glass of warm filtered water. Simmer the vegetables for a few more minutes.
Add pieces of fried pollock to the vegetable dressing.
Mix carefully and simmer over low heat for a few more minutes.
This fish can be served as a separate dish or with a side dish.

Advice! The fish will turn out much more flavorful if it is lightly marinated in spices and dried herbs before cooking.

How to cook fish fillet in batter for children

Well, when our plans include preparing a delicious fish dish not only for the child, but for the whole family, let's fry the fillet in batter. Just let’s make it not from the usual combination of milk, eggs and flour, but from zucchini. This option is suitable for those who have children over 3 years old.

We take approximately equal parts of zucchini (zucchini) and hake or tilapia fillet, 200 g in total.
Cut the fish into small pieces, peel the vegetable, remove the seeds and grate it on a coarse grater and squeeze it well or let it drain.
Add the egg, salt and 1 tbsp flour to the grated zucchini and mix. If desired, chop a bunch of fresh herbs into the batter mixture. The mass should not be too liquid so as not to drain from the fish during frying.
Now we put the pieces of fillet into the raw batter, stir again and, before the juicy tilapia gives juice, immediately spoon each piece into a hot frying pan.
Fry in oil for 3-5 minutes on both sides over low heat. There is no need for an extra crust, and the fish should cook well.

This batter will make any fish fillet even more flavorful! Enjoy with or without a side dish.

Defrosting fish

Try to defrost the product naturally at room temperature - this way you will retain more nutrients. Please note that freshly frozen pollock does not tolerate boiling water - its skin will crack, and the fish itself will lose its taste. And it will be extremely difficult to cook such fish later - it will quickly boil over. After defrosting fish, it is important to rinse the carcass before cutting. Remove the head, tail and entrails of the fish, but be careful not to touch the gall bladder, otherwise there is a possibility of ruining the taste of the pollock. Rinse the cut fish again and start cooking.

How to make fish dishes as healthy as possible for children

But, before you start cooking, let’s remember some subtleties that can make the dish not only more tasty, but also healthy!

Incomplete defrosting

If we have a ready-made fillet in front of us, we shouldn’t completely defrost it, as this will reduce the content of nutrients.

Storage no more than a day

Under no circumstances should you keep a prepared dish in the refrigerator for more than one day. Ideally, the fish should be prepared for each specific meal.

For ease of preparation, you can immediately divide a large piece of fillet into several small pieces of 40-50 g and freeze.

Do not use fish broth

How and how much to cook

The cooking time for pollock will depend on how you cook it. There are many of these methods, but we will consider the most used by Russian housewives. These are traditional pots and pans, as well as a multicooker that has become so popular in recent years.

If you decide to cook fish in a pan, it will take no more than 15 minutes (longer - it will break down into small fibers). Pour enough water into the pan to cover all the fish, bring to a boil and carefully lower into the water. Reduce heat, add salt, a few bay leaves and cook for 10–15 minutes. Do not forget that the fish absorbs the broth well - to preserve the taste of the pollock, try not to add a lot of spices.

If you decide to cook fish in a double boiler, then you will need 30 minutes. This method is good because it is the most gentle compared to others and preserves the maximum possible amount of useful components. Please note that this is the method of preparing fish that is recommended by doctors if you are starting to feed your child complementary foods, as well as by nutritionists if you have problems with excess weight.

Cooking pollock in a multicooker is even easier than in a regular saucepan: place the fish carcass on the multicooker rack (usually they come included), pour water into the bowl and cook for 30 minutes. Use the “Stew”, “Baking” or “Steam” mode. After the fish has been cooked for 15 minutes, open the multicooker lid and add spices, then cook for another 15 minutes. But there is another way - to salt the water right away, so that later there is no need to open the lid. This way you do not release the steam needed for cooking from the multicooker and are not distracted from other matters.

When cooked, pollock often turns out dry. To avoid this, you need to fry it first. Carefully place pieces of pollock on a hot frying pan, having first rolled them in flour. If you don’t want to use flour, you can replace it with oatmeal or fiber. It turns out no less tasty.

Some cooking features

Despite the fact that pollock is considered an easy fish to prepare, some peculiarities still exist. Be sure to remember.

When cooking, it is important to bring the water to a boil over high heat, but after adding the fish to the pan, the heat must be reduced by at least half (you eliminate the possibility of getting an overcooked product).
Never put pollock in cold water - only in boiling water. But many people neglect this rule, and in vain, they end up with a boiled product.
If you still decide to give the fish an aromatic taste, then feel free to add seasonings such as dill, parsley, pepper, lemon juice, or onions. They go well with any white fish. The main rule is not to overdo it; pollock quickly absorbs foreign odors.
If you add additional ingredients to the container where pollock is cooked, the cooking time for the fish increases. Focus on products with a long cooking time.
If the pieces of pollock are small, then 5 minutes will be enough to cook them. But this does not apply to the multicooker. If you decide to cook in it, then regardless of the size of the pieces, it is not recommended to cook pollock for less than 15–20 minutes.
Checking the readiness of the fish is very simple: if the meat is white and it becomes easy to separate from the bones, then the pollock is ready.

Pollock recipes for children

Fish soufflé

Pollock – 100 grams;
Milk – 50 grams;
Flour – 20 grams;
Egg – ½ piece;
Butter 10 grams.

Cook pollock separately and grind in a meat grinder. Add flour to milk, bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes to form a thick sauce. Add the yolk and melted butter to the minced fish. Beat the egg whites separately and add to the mixture along with the milk sauce. Mix the ingredients, put the mixture in a container and bake in the oven for about twenty minutes at medium temperature.

Fish pate

Pollock liver – 200 grams;
White beans – 200 grams;
Lemon juice – 1 table. spoon;
Olive oil – 1 table. spoon.

Soak a glass of beans in cool water and leave for four hours. Then cook until tender in a large volume of water. Grind the finished beans to a puree consistency. Mash the pollock liver with a fork and mix with beans, pour in lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. If desired, you can add a tablespoon of chopped herbs. Mix the mass thoroughly. This pate is perfect for making sandwiches for a child for a snack or breakfast.

Potato casserole

Potatoes – 0.5 kg;
Pollock fillet – 0.5 kg;
Cherry tomatoes – 8 pieces;
Onions – 2 pieces;
Eggs – 2 pieces;
Cream 10% – 150 ml;
Vegetable oil - 1 table. spoons;
Hard cheese – 100 grams;
Fresh greens to taste.

Boil the potatoes separately in their skins, peel and let cool. Then grate coarsely, salt and pepper. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into halves, and the fillets into pieces. Place potatoes in a baking container, place chopped onions on top, then fish.

Place the cherry halves on top, skin side up, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Separately, beat the eggs with cream and pour into a dish. Bake for about forty minutes at 180 degrees. Sprinkle the finished casserole with chopped herbs. It turns out beautiful, appetizing and tasty. The prepared casserole goes well with fresh vegetables or vegetable salad.

Baked pollock with vegetables in sour cream

Pollock fillet – 200 grams;
Potatoes – 8 pieces;
Green beans – 100 grams;
Hard cheese – 100 grams;
Sour cream – 0.5 cups.
Butter – 50 grams.

Boil the potatoes separately in their skins, peel and cut into cubes. Soak green beans in cold water for ten minutes. Then add fresh water and bring to a boil. The finished pods can be cut if desired. Wash the fillet and cut into small pieces.

Place the potatoes in a baking container and brush with butter. Place fish pieces on top, then beans. Salt and pepper to taste, pour in sour cream and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes at medium temperature.

Soup with fish meatballs

Pollock – 100 grams;
White bread – 30 grams;
Egg – ½ piece;
Potatoes – 100 grams;
Carrots – 50 grams;
Onions – 50 grams.

Boil the fish separately until cooked, grind through a meat grinder. Soak the bread in milk, mix with minced fish and mince again. Add the egg and salt to taste, mix. From the resulting mass we make small fish cutlets, meatballs or meatballs. They should be tight and not fall apart.

We clean and cut the vegetables, add potatoes to boiling water. Twenty minutes before readiness, add onions, carrots, and meatballs. Sprinkle the finished pollock fish soup with chopped fresh herbs.

Stewed fish with vegetables

Pollock – 0.5 kg;
Turnip – 1 piece;
Carrots – 1 piece;
Onion – 1 piece;
Chicken or vegetable broth - 2.5 cups.

Peel clean vegetables, chop onions, grate carrots and lightly fry together in olive oil. Cut the turnips into large cubes, add to the vegetables and fry for another four minutes. Cut the prepared pollock and put it with the vegetables, pour in the broth and simmer under the lid until cooked.

Baked fish with pumpkin

Pumpkin pulp – 0.5 kg;
Pollock fillet – 0.3 kg;
Kefir – 2.5% – 0.5 l;
Eggs – 3 pcs.;
Dill or parsley to taste.

Cut the pumpkin, place half in a baking dish and lightly salt. Cut the fillet and place on top, then lay out the remaining pumpkin and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Separately mix kefir with eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture into the dish and bake for forty minutes at a temperature of two hundred degrees.

Fish cutlets

Pollock – 0.5 kg;
Egg – 1 pc.;
Loaf – 170 grams;
Milk – 70 grams;
Onion – 30 grams;
Homemade breadcrumbs – 120 grams.

Soak the bread in milk. Peel and cut the onion, divide the fish into pieces. Combine pollock, onion, soaked bread and egg. Mix the mixture, add salt and pepper to taste. Grind everything in a blender until smooth. From the resulting minced meat we form fish cutlets and roll in breadcrumbs.

Next, bake the pieces in the oven at 180 degrees for about twenty minutes. Serve ready-made pollock cutlets for children with boiled potatoes, rice, pasta or vegetable puree. Even more recipes for fish cutlets for children can be found at https://vskormi.ru/children/ribnie-kotleti-dlya-detei/.

How to cook pollock for children?

Pollock is very popular for use in baby food (both for young children and older ones) - primarily because of its benefits and minimal bones. As a rule, fish is cooked for children. But not all children love the real exquisite taste of pollock, so if the child refuses to eat it in this form, then cook pollock with sauce. This will also allow you to get a juicy fillet (pollock is a fish that often comes out a little dry). And on the Internet you can find many examples of how interesting and unusual it is to decorate pollock when serving it on the table, which for little gourmets is a very important condition for eating without unnecessary whims.

With milk sauce

After boiling the fish, strain the broth obtained during its preparation, and then begin sautéing the flour in butter. Then mix all the ingredients of our sauce. This is tomato paste, curry, a pinch of salt and broth (one tablespoon). Place the resulting mixture on the fire and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the prepared sauce over the fish pieces and add fresh herbs.

How to cook pollock

When pollock becomes part of the baby’s usual diet, you can give other dishes from this fish. For a one-year-old child, you can prepare souffles and casseroles, stewed fish and pollock in the oven. It is already permissible to add a little salt and pepper to dishes. After six months we prepare fish cutlets and meatballs, light pollock fillet soup in vegetable broth.

We do not give fried dishes and pollock soup in fish broth, liver, tongue and other offal to children under three years of age. Such food takes a long time and is difficult to digest, which causes intestinal and stool disorders, pain and discomfort in the stomach. In addition, fish broths contain extractive substances that are dangerous for children’s immature digestion and can cause severe poisoning.

How and with what side dish to serve

Finished fish must be served immediately on the table - this can be done either as a separate dish or with a side dish. Pollock goes well with cereals (rice, buckwheat are the best choice), which can be boiled. Potatoes will also work (choose boiled or mashed). Pasta is considered an unsuitable side dish for pollock - but this is a matter of taste and personal preferences of each individual person. For example, in many countries they like to eat white fish with spaghetti in tomato sauce.

Pollock goes well with vegetables. In addition to the fact that they best highlight the taste of the dish, such a side dish will be considered complex, which you will certainly be able to surprise your loved ones or guests. It’s also difficult to make a wrong choice here – everyone eats vegetables. They can be used in any form - fresh, stewed, baked or boiled. Let's look at what types of vegetables are best suited for this type of fish.