Filleting the fish, removing the skin and internal organs, and trimming the fat along the back, side, and belly of the fish helps reduce the contaminants in fish. While cooking does not destroy contaminants, heat from cooking melts some of the fat in fish and allows some of the contaminated fat to drain away. Broil, grill, or bake the trimmed, skinned fish on a rack so that the fat drips away. Deep-fat frying removes some of the contaminants, but you should discard the oil after you cook the fish. Pan frying does not remove much of the contaminants.
Fish are nutritious and good to eat.
When properly prepared, fish provide numerous health benefits. The American Heart Association recommends eating two to three fish meals each week. For example, both catfish and ground beef are about 18 percent protein. But for an eight-ounce meal, the catfish has about 232 calories while the ground beef has about 640 calories. Fish are low in sodium and are a good source of potassium, vitamins and other minerals.