Selecting High Quality Seafood
The quality of your dish is locked in at the fish counter. Buying well requires you to trust your senses over the marketing copy on the display case.
Senses are your only tool
Do not be afraid to lean in and inspect. If the counter staff hesitates when you ask to see the fish up close, move on to another market.
- insulated cooler bag
- ice packs
Testing for cellular integrity
Press your finger firmly into the thickest part of the fish. If the flesh leaves a deep indentation like memory foam, it has started to break down; it should snap back to its original shape instantly.
The method.
Examine the eyes
On a whole fish, the eyes must be convex and clear. If they appear cloudy, sunken, or grey, the fish has been sitting too long.
Check the gills
Lift the gill cover. You want to see bright red or deep crimson. Avoid anything that looks brown, slimy, or greyish.
Inspect the texture
For fillets, look for sharp, clean edges. If the layers are pulling apart (gaping), the fish is old or was handled roughly during processing.
Smell for freshness
High-quality seafood has almost no odor. A sharp, ammonia-like scent is the definitive sign of spoilage.
Observe the storage
Fish should be resting on a thick, clean bed of ice, not sitting in meltwater. Water ruins the texture and invites bacteria.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always carry a cooler bag with ice packs in your car to ensure the fish stays at temperature on the way home.
Ask the fishmonger when the shipment arrived; they should know the exact day and time.
Buy whole fish whenever possible, as it is much easier to assess freshness than once the fish has been filleted.
The ones that keep coming up.
Is frozen fish lower quality than fresh?
Not necessarily. Fish flash-frozen at sea is often superior to 'fresh' fish that has spent days in transit on a truck.
Why does my fish smell fishy?
Fish should smell like saltwater or seaweed. If it smells like a 'fish market,' it is past its prime.
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