Fish is a source of easily absorbed protein (up to 25%), and it is superior to meat in minerals and vitamins.
Almost all fish contain from 0.2 to 35% fat, which contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, D, C, PP, E, B, which are extremely valuable for the body, and are easily digested and absorbed by the body.
Tips for processing fish:
- Scales and dorsal fins are shaved or otherwise removed, and the mucus layer is removed from boneless fish, then the fish is gutted, washed, if necessary, cut and washed a second time,
- Scales that are difficult to shave off will be easier to remove if you immerse the fish in boiling water for 25-30 seconds,
- About 15-20 percent of waste is generated when processing fish, and if you also remove the head, it will increase by about 15 percent, and when preparing fish fillets, waste is up to 60 percent,
- When preparing fillets, you should first gut the fish, then cut it lengthwise and divide it in half (one side with the backbone, the other without), remove the backbone.
Tips for cooking fish:
- It is best to fry fish with very juicy meat (cod, oily herring, sardine, eel),
- It is best to season fish with two or three spices - then they eliminate undesirable odors and enhance the taste of the fish,
- The most suitable seasonings for fish are black and white pepper, sweet paprika, basil, coriander, thyme, parsley, mild mixtures of herbs, mixtures with lemon,
- It is best to boil fish with firmer meat (catfish, cetacean, humpback, tuna), and the juiciness can be compensated for with sauces,
- Sturgeon, hake, and perch are suitable for frying and boiling,
- To preserve the fish's taste, it is best to cook it in a broth obtained by boiling fish waste,
- If the fish is prepared with the skin, it should be cut in several places before frying or cooking,
- Before cooking on skewers or grilling, the fish should be lightly marinated.
Many people make a simple mistake when cooking fish – they simply overcook it.
There are no big secrets to cooking fish well, so I will share my experience and hopefully there will be people who will find my advice useful.
1. All Fresh Fish
For fresh fish, search by:
- Firmness: Fresh fish is firm, not chewy. Chewiness indicates that the fish or seafood has been handled in a particular way and is not really of good quality.
- Light colors: The lighter the fish, the fresher it is.
- Light eyes: The eyes are the windows through which you can see and determine the freshness of the fish. The eyes can become dull, gray. Fish with such eyes are suitable for eating. However, cloudy, watery, and discharge-filled eyes will tell you that it has been sitting for at least a couple of days.
- Smell: This is the most important thing. If the smell is suspicious, don't buy it. Fresh fish should have spent a day in the sea - a little salty, maybe even like cucumbers, but it should not cause a gag reflex. You can improve the smell of such fresh fish by cooking it.
- Gills: The gills should be a rich red color. If the fish is old, the gills will be like faded bricks.
- Textures: The fish should "bounce" when you touch it. If you tap it, it will return to its original shape after a second.
2. Fish fillets and steaks
Things you should also consider:
- Buy fish fillets or steaks with a light, shiny, translucent-looking flesh. If the flesh looks like plasticine, sticky, or soft, the fish is stale.
- Smell is also an important aspect when buying fillets. It should be free of any pungent odor.
- The first sign of rot is a milky liquid in your fillet.
- If the fishmonger allows it, press the meat with your finger to determine its freshness. The indentation should disappear if the meat is elastic. Elasticity is a sign of freshness. If the sea fingerprints remain, the fish is not good and you should look further.
3. Frozen fish and shellfish
Fish that is frozen within 3 hours of being caught is undoubtedly the freshest. Here are some tips to help you look for:
- The fish must have a quality certificate. It should look fresh, have no foul odor, and be free of blemishes on the skin.
- It should be well packaged so that no blemishes appear on the body when removed from the package.
- The fish should be frozen, with no thawed parts. Beautiful, clean colors.
- The packaging should not be damaged.
- The product should freeze well, but without a lot of ice in the package.
- Only buy shellfish that are not damaged or cracked.
4. Live Molluscs and Crustaceans
Can only be purchased with closed shells that are not opened, broken or damaged.
5. Crabs and Crayfish
If you are buying live crabs or crayfish, choose the ones that are energetic and most active when you pick them up. Here are some signs that you can tell if they are good:
- The tails of the crayfish should be firmly attached to the lower part of the body. If you bend the tails, they should snap back into place.
- The claws of the crabs’ “legs and arms” should spring back when you straighten them.
- If the crayfish and crabs’ shells are almost empty when you open them, they have been starving. So you can only wait for a new shipment.
6. Shells
Buy frozen, vacuum-sealed. In poorer packaging, the shells are often wet.
7. Shrimp
Buy the whole package and frozen. Whole - because the shell protects them, and if they are pulled out and divided into parts, they quickly lose a lot of moisture. And frozen - because at normal temperatures they quickly rot.
8. Squid
Squid is almost always sold in bulk, pre-frozen. So that's exactly what you should buy, and of course make sure that the squid is clean and bright.
Enjoy fish and seafood, because it's really good. And salads prepared with seafood, not only look good at a buffet restaurant, but they can also look great on your table