Why does my fish look burned?

[Hyperion]

It doesn't taste burned and I only cooked the crusted side for about 30 seconds. I cooked it on a cast iron skillet. it's a crust formed with the following ingredients:

vacuum sealed tuna
imitation crab
balsamic vinegar
mayonnaise
onion
bread crumb

It tastes fine, but I don't know why it looks so dark?

 

[buckytom]

you need to mess with exposure and contrast to start with. it's too dark and the lighting is indirect but glaring in spots.

as far as the food goes, balsamic vinegar can make things look dark.

 

[GLC]

I'll venture a guess that it's the vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is not a "wine" vinegar. What that means is that the sugar isn't consumed and converted during fermentation of the grape into wine. Balsamic is made by boiling grape pressings to concentrate them. They are then treated the vinegar "mother" and aged. So they have a higher sugar content. Especially "commercial" "Balsamic," the cheaper industrial product. (Not a bad product, since cooking destroys much of what makes expensive traditional Balsamic desirable.) So, it would not be unexpected to get a more rapid caramelization with the higher than usual sugar.

A little less time on the topped side next time, perhaps.

 

[Hyperion]

This makes sense... thanks!