Oh, fish — how you do perplex us.

Once you get the important questions answered — What’s fresh? What’s sustainably caught? — the next logical question is — How do I cook it? That query leaves some home cooks baffled.

There are so many options: You can bake, saute, pan fry or broil, bake in parchment paper (a.k.a. “en papillote”), roast, grill, microwave (please — never do this), steam, poach … or even deep fry. Hence the real problem: With an even wider variety of fish, matching your fish with the appropriate cooking method can also be mind boggling. Tender, delicate fish — like cod, haddock or tilapia — are best broiled, fried or sauteed. Halibut and tuna (firmer fish) can stand up to braising and roasting, or you can use them in stew or stir fry. Then there’s medium-firm, pink and dark oil-rich options.

Ready to put away the potholders and order take-out yet?

Here’s the thing — fish really isn’t that hard. You just have to be ready to experiment a little. So that’s exactly what we’re doing this week by employing some pretty unique cooking methods in the kitchen.

The way we look at it, if we can cook great fish in a rice cooker — or a dishwasher — you shouldn’t be afraid to throw some in a pan!