Being a fragile and very perishable commodity, the fish develops an unpleasant smell and taste if it is not fresh. Some details and tips can help you buy quality fresh fish:
- Eyes: bright and clear;
- Scales: shiny and adherent to the skin;
- The smell: non ammonia, fresh and reminiscent of the tide;
- Gills: shiny, of a uniform red or pink color, dark burgundy for herring and mackerel.
- A firm texture.
Once purchased, the fish should be cleaned carefully with a sharp knife if you prefer to eat it later or if it should be cooked in a sauce or soup and not grilled. Start by scratching it in the opposite direction to the scales, cut the fins and empty the fish: make an abdominal incision along the length of the fish from the tail. Extract the bowels without tearing the gall bladder that could make the fish bitter; then wash with plenty of water.
Fish threading is a delicate operation that requires special scissors called "fillet knives".
Place the fish, with back facing you, on a work table. Insert the knife diagonally at the back of the gills until you reach the backbone. Turn the blade towards the tail, press it on the ridge and split the fish up to the caudal fin. This gives a first fillet. Turn the fish and proceed in the same way for the second net. Equalize the profile of the two nets and remove, with a pair of pliers, the edges remaining in the flesh. It only remains to remove the skin. Arrange the fillets on the board, skin side. Introduce the blade on the tail side between flesh and skin. With one hand, hold the skin securely. Using the knife as a saw, run the blade, slightly inclined, keeping it in contact with the skin until it is fully detached.
After purchase, the fresh fish must be consumed quickly or kept emptied at the top of the refrigerator (24h to 48h maximum depending on the species).
If you buy fresh fish to freeze it, make sure to gut it and rinse with cold water before putting it on a plate and then in freezer pans.
Frozen fish is as good and nutritious as the fresh one, provided to follow certain rules to maintain its texture, flavor and vitamins:
- Since the purchase of frozen fish and seafood, put it in your freezer to avoid any deterioration;
- Divide the products into small amounts suitable for a meal so as not to thaw a large quantity;
- Put the divided proportions in plastic food bags or in airtight containers by expelling the air and indicating the species name, grammage and freezing date.
The shelf life of seafood depends on one species to another:
- Oily fish : 3 months ;
- Skinny fish : 5 months ;
- Shellfish : 3 months ;
- Oysters : from 4 to 6 months ;
- Other shells : from 3 to 4 months.
LITLLE TIPS
- To make a whole fish broth: note that, unlike fish in pieces, the cooking of a whole fish must start cold so that the skin does not become damaged by contact with boiling water;
- If you plan to remove the skin from this fish, it is best to do so as long as it is still warm;
- To steam a fish, it is placed on salad leaves so that it does not spoil when cooked.
