Fish is a cinch!

Fish fillets are the ultimate convenience food. They take little time to cook and prepare. In addition, fish is light and keeps the heat out of the kitchen during the long, hot days of summer.

My philosophy with fish is to give it some sort of protection to keep it from drying out. A crust, a coating and moist vegetables protect the delicate fish and ensure a perfect, moist meal — every time.

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Louie Favorite, lfavorite@ajc.com/AJC

Virginia Willis

At a glance
DINNER DARE: Celebrity chefs take on the challenge of making dinner in less than 30 minutes.
• The chef: Virginia Willis, award-winning chef and author of 'Bon Appetit, Y'all' (Ten Speed Press, $32.50)
• The challenge: Fish fillets
• Photo gallery: Fish fillets step by step | Video
• Message board: Ask the chef
• On the web: www.virginiawillis.com

How to make this 30-minute Fish Dinner

The menu for this delicious and easy meal is Herb-Crusted Fish Fillets, Sauteed Summer Squash and Classic Rice Pilaf. The fish is 338 calories per serving, so it’s easy on the waistline, too. See the recipe below for full nutrition details.

THE RECIPE and INGREDIENTS: Herb-Crusted Fish Fillets

STEP by STEP: See just how easy this recipe is to make. Fish fillets step by step in photos and a short video


TWO SIDES: Get the recipes and ingredients for Sauteed Summer Squash and Classic Rice Pilaf

Ask the chef

Ask a question or leave a comment for Virginia Willis. She will answer as many questions as possible through Thursday Aug. 21.

NEXT DINNER DARE: Sept. 18. Watch for details | Do you like this? Suggest a chef or tell us how to make Dinner Dare more useful to you

Virginia’s advice about fish

These simple tricks will help you have delicious fish in a flash

• Ask when the fish arrived at the store. Very often fresh fish comes into markets on Wednesday and Friday.

• Sniff the fish if possible. There should be no strong odor. Fresh fish smells sweet and clean.

• Look for a moist surface and firm flesh. Splits or cracks in fillets are signs of drying. The fish should be moist, but there is a difference between moist and slimy.

• Press the fish gently. The indentation should spring back. If it doesn’t, that means the flesh is starting to break down; don’t buy it.

• Buy a whole fish. Look for ones with clear eyes, not clouded or sunken. It should have for reddish or slightly reddish-brown gills. Brown gills indicate the fish is old.

• Keep fish as fresh as possible by burying it in ice. Cover the bottom of a shallow container with crushed ice or ice cubes. Place the fish on the bed of ice and cover with more ice. Cook within a day of purchase.