The Absolute Best Time To Order A Filet-O-Fish So It's Fresh, According To Valerie Bertinelli

Valerie Bertinelli is a big fan of the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. In her cookbook "Indulge: Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share," the actor and television host includes a recipe for a Crispy Cod Sandwich, which pays homage to her go-to drive-thru order. However, in a recent interview with Mashed, Bertinelli cautioned, "You've got to catch them between 11:00 and 11:30 in the morning when they're fresh ... Otherwise, you have to wait until a second run because not a lot of people get Filet-O-Fishes. If it's been sitting under the heater for too long, it's not good anymore."

Bertinelli's logic makes sense: McDonald's restaurants stop serving breakfast and start serving the main daytime menu between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. local time. Bertinelli's recommended ordering window is timed right after the menu switch, and since the Filet-O-Fish isn't on the breakfast menu, you can be sure it's been made relatively fresh. However, if you're craving one at a different time, don't despair: You can get a Filet-O-Fish made fresh every time, no matter the time, by asking for it to be "cooked to order" or "made fresh."

Like many McDonald's items, to serve customers quickly and handle unexpected busy periods without delays, Filet-O-Fish patties are sometimes batch-fried in advance, then kept hot in warming trays, ready for quick assembly once an order is placed. Unfortunately, this can have some negative impacts on a customer's eating experience. In contrast to the strong muscle fibers in meat, the flesh of fish is very delicate, and heat causes it to dry out rapidly. To avoid overcooking fish, it's recommended to remove it from the heat before it's finished cooking. This is because the residual heat alone is enough to complete the job.

At McDonald's, main menu items like the Filet-O-Fish patties are kept at 199 degrees Fahrenheit within the warming trays of their Universal Holding Cabinets (UHCs).  This is easily warm enough for the fish to continue losing moisture after cooking, leading to the fish's interior steadily drying out over time. While a Filet-O-Fish that has been sitting in a warming tray for a while is unlikely to taste nearly as good as a freshly made one, you can at least be reassured that the downsides are limited to taste. UHCs are designed to hold hot, freshly cooked food above the temperature "danger zone" for reheating food.

Since the temperature never drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, nor does it rise above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria are unable to multiply rapidly. So, while a not-so-fresh Filet-O-Fish patty might come out dry, at least it's unlikely to make you ill. Still, it's worth ordering at Valerie Bertinelli's recommended prime time or requesting it be "cooked to order."

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and Mashed.