Optimum Internal Temperature Established by Sensory Evaluation for Fish Prepared in Conventional and Microwave Ovens

Rainbow trout and cod were baked in conventional and microwave ovens to final internal temperatures of 55°C, 65°C, and 75°C, and then subjected to sensory evaluation. Cooking loss and lipid content in accumulated liquid were measured. For both species of fish in both ovens, an increase in temperature meant a decrease in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor as well as in surface moistness. The internal temperature of the fish had a greater effect on the eating quality than did the method of heating. Cod had a greater weight loss when microwave cooked than when cooked in the conventional oven. The rainbow trout had similar total weight loss in both ovens but lost more lipid when microwave cooked. When the fish cooked in those ovens were compared at 55°C, no difference between ovens was found in the sensory characteristics.