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Fish
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Buying fish
Selecting the right fish is very important. The most important thing is freshness; whether you buy fish fresh from the market or frozen from the supermarket. Select fish with bright and clear eyes, avoid the ones that have cloudy eyes. The gills shall be from bright pink to light red. Scales are bright and shiny and are not brown in color or around the edges. The flesh is firm and springs back when you press on it with your finger. Fish shall also have a mild smell. If fish are put in a container with water, fresh fish will sink at the bottom while bad fish will float on top. Also fresh fish don't let out any blood when cut. If you buy fish from the supermarket, avoid packages that are torn, have dark spots, not well frozen, or that have an off smell; it should not smell like the sea. The fish man shall clean fish from scales, cut off the fins and clean the fish belly. The kind of fish is also important since it indicates its best cooking method. In general, fish for grilling or roasting should be thick, have a lot of meat and relatively large. Fish for frying or braising, shall be less thick and relatively smaller in size. The recipe shall tell you which kind of fish is best for that recipe. |
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Cleaning fish
Fish shall be bought cleaned with all fins removed. But anyway, you shall do some more cleaning before cooking. Remove any left scales by scraping them off with a sharp knife in the direction from the tail to the head. If there are any fins left, cut them with scissors. Fins stay on the fish only in case of grilling. Clean the inside of the belly thoroughly and remove any left particles in it with a knife or spoon or with your fingers. You can cut off the head if you want. |
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Washing fish
Fish has to be cleaned before washing. Wash fish well, especially the belly and the gills, under running water. Rub each medium size fish with about ½ cup of salt concentrating also on the gills and belly. Rinse well under running water. Rub fish with flour from outside and in the gills and belly. Rinse again under running water. Soak in a bowl with cold water and ¼ cup vinegar for 10 minutes. Rinse again under running water. |
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Storing fish
Store fish in a tight package in the fridge and cover the package with ice for 1-2 days. It is generally not recommended to store fish, cook it on the same day of buying.
Tip: Keep fish in the fridge or freezer if you are not working on them, fish turn bad and smell if left for some time at room temperature. |
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Freezing and defrosting fish
In general it is not recommended to freeze whole fish, only freeze fish steaks or fillets. Put on foam plates and cover with plastic wrap or in plastic bags. Remove excess air, close well and place in freezer. Freeze up to 6 months. In case of fatty fish (salmon, trout) store up to 3 months.
To defrost, get out of the freezer and leave it in the fridge overnight. Put it in a dish or another plastic bag. You can also soak it, wrapped, in cold water (never hot water). |
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