Unlike in days past, there is no such thing as fresh fish, unless you live on a small island in the Mediterranean. In the islands, fishermen go out for the day and return with the fish they have netted the same day.
With commercial fishing, trawlers fish in deeper waters and may be out for weeks at a time. The fish is kept in a hold on ice until they return.
Due to the natural death process, these fish are often not filleted for days. I will explain this in depth. Then, by the time it reaches the grocery store or fish market, it is far from fresh.
Whole Fish
When buying a whole fish at the market, these are the criteria to determine freshness:
Sheen – A fresh fish should be shiny and sparkling, any film on the fish should be transparent and glistening.
Stiffness - The fish should be limp and not rigid.
Firmness – Fresh fish should be firm to the touch. If your finger pressed gently into its side leaves an impression, it’s a no!
Odor – Fish should have only the odor of the sea or freshwater pond it comes from. It should never have a “Fishy” smell.
Scales – The scales should be adhered tightly to each other. Loose scales are a sign of being old or mishandled.
Gills – Gills should be cherry red with no white.
Eyes – Look for clear and protruding eyes.
Choosing Fillets
Sheen – A fillet should have a moist look with no film or slime layer.
Color – The coloring on white or pale fish should be red or cherry red and not brown. On thicker steaks like Swordfish too much red coloring may indicate it was mishandled when caught.
Translucent – Fillets and steaks should appear slightly translucent. Fish that looks opaque are older and possibly mishandled.
Opalescence - Fillets or steaks that have an opalescence appearance or “Rainbow” coloring. Avoid buying.
Grain – Don’t buy fish with gaps or separation in the grain. The fish should be dense in appearance.
Packaging – Fish in the grocery store is usually in cellophane packages. Make sure there is no additional moisture or liquid in the package.
Fish are generally graded by fat content from Lean and Soft to Firm and Fat.
Examples of Soft and lean fishes:
American Sole
Freshwater Trout
Flounder
Freshwater Bass
Moderately Firm and Lean:
Cod
Halibut
Monkfish
Orange Roughy
Striped Bass
Yellow Perch
Firm with more Fat:
Yellow Fin
Catfish
Shark
Swordfish
Methods for cooking fish
Baking
Braising
Grilling or Broiling
Poaching
Pan Frying
Steaming and Curing
Generally, leaner less firm fish are best when steamed (en Papillote), pan fried, poached or broiled.
More firm and fattier fish do well grilled, broiled, baked or braised.
Salmon and tuna do well being cured.
