Citrus fruits are often used in cooking to “brighten” flavors and work well to counter many of the briny flavors present in seafood. This is why lemon and fish can go so well together. The salt and the acid balance each other while doing a little flavor dance on the palate.
The modern answer is the acidity of the lemon reacts with the oil in the fish and reduces its fish taste. With prime salmon such as MacKnights, there is really no need to use it but in olden days, when fish might be less than fresh, it made it more palatable.
Reducing Flavor Intensity
Diners who enjoy seafood but do not always appreciate strong, fishy flavors prefer to use lemon to reduce the intensity of the taste.
The acid of citrus offers a great counterbalance to the “briny” flavor of seafood, creating the perfect combination with every bite. In fact, lemon is even thought to neutralize some unpleasant fishy smells. It's also why a citrusy white wine is often recommended when you order seafood in a restaurant.
The acid in the citrus forms an extremely low pH condition to denature the fish protein networks, much the same as heating would. This results in the seafood becoming opaque and more firm in texture. as one of his favourite dishes. "It's cooked in lime juice.
Citric acid adds a sour taste to dishes and has a slightly tart, refreshing flavor, which balances the sweetness in sodas, teas, juices, and other drinks.
Check out the ingredients list on many processed foods and you'll find that citric acid is a common additive. But outside of food manufacturing, chefs are just beginning to discover that citric acid is a powerhouse ingredient and a valuable cooking staple.
The British began storing citrus fruits on board all of its ships. The British Navy gave its sailors limes or lemon juice rations to ward off scurvy – earning them the nickname of "Limeys" among the American sailors who didn't know about or believe in the preventative treatment.
But, how does lemon juice remove the fishy odor? The citric acid from lemons neutralizes the amines from fish by converting them into perfectly healthy salts that will not be airborne like the amines.
Also, you can marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar, and water for 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the fishy taste. Cooking the fish using a cooking method that will not allow the fishy flavor to become pronounced, such as grilling, baking, or steaming can help as well.
This is why lemon and fish can go so well together. The salt and the acid balance each other while doing a little flavor dance on the palate. When we squeeze citrus onto our fish platters, you are setting up a reaction that neutralizes the fishiness, thus greatly improving the taste of the fish.
Ever wondered when fish was first served with lemon and what food never goes off, then wonder no more .... Fish has been served with a slice of lemon since the middle ages, when people believed that the lemon juice would dissolve accidentally swallowed bones.
The simplest fix is to reach for acid. At the very least, a cooked fish fillet will always benefit from a spritz of lemon or lime. If you briefly marinate that fillet in lemon or lime juice before cooking it, it becomes much more flavorful without tasting acidic.
Then, one should move the fork above the fish while squeezing the lemon wedge against it with the opposite hand's fingers, thus releasing the juices onto the fish, and only on the fish. The wedge is then discarded to one side of the plate, never directly on the table or on the bread dish.
All fish smell "fishy" because they contain unpleasant-smelling substances called amines (which are bases). When lemon juice (an acid) is squeezed on to the fish, this smell disappears.
Yes you can substitute lime for lemon, it is better with fish like Salmon, Tuna, Bass, Mackerel and Herring. If using with White fish use less.
The acid of the juice will soften the connective tissues of the fish so that a shorter cooking time is necessary and will also keep it a nice color.
When cooking savory dishes, lime juice and orange juice make a good substitute for lemon juice. Replace the lemon juice with lime juice in equal amounts (e.g. 1 teaspoon for 1 teaspoon). Or, you could substitute the lemon juice with half as much white wine or white vinegar.
Pirates often suffered from scurvy, a medical condition resulting from a lack of vitamin C in their diets. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production and iron absorption.
Sailors got the nickname "limey" from this practice. Today, it is known that the sailors' scurvy was caused by vitamin C deficiency. Because fresh fruits and vegetables could not be stored on board, lime juice provided the vitamin C the sailors needed.
In 1804, for example, the Navy Board had to source 50,000 gallons of lemon juice, which typically came from Spanish fruit—and Britain was at war with Spain at the time. As a result, the board switched to lime juice, which could be obtained from British possessions in the Caribbean.
“Citric acid and vinegar are both acids, but citric acid is also a mild reducing agent, meaning it can do chemistry that acetic acid (vinegar) cannot,” said Beckman. “Reducing agents like citric acid can actually 'denature,' or unravel, proteins—including proteins that make viruses function.”
Per the Food and Drug Administration, citric acid is "generally recognized as safe when used in accordance with good manufacturing or feeding practice," and is "used in food with no limitations other than current good manufacturing practice." But when using it, stick to small quantities, and don't ingest it straight-up ...
This is because vinegar is highly acidic, with a pH of around 2 to 3. Unfortunately, this also means that vinegar cannot be used on certain surfaces, including marble and wood, as it poses a risk of damage. In comparison, citric acid falls somewhere between pH 3 and 6, making it a much milder cleaning solution.