Fresh Fish: How To Choose It
Remember to purchase seafood last and keep it cold during the trip home.
To be sure the safety of seafood is being properly preserved, only buy fish that is refrigerated or properly iced. Fish should be displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice that is not melting, and preferably in a case or under some type of cover.
• Fish should smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour, or ammonia-like.
• A fish’s eyes should be clear and bulge a little.
• Whole fish and fillets should have firm, shiny flesh and deep red or pink gills free from slime. Dull flesh could mean the fish is old. Whole fish should have a shiny surface with tightly adhering scales and a clean shiny belly cavity with no cuts or protruding bones. Note: Fish fillets that have been previously frozen may have lost some of their shine, but they are fine to eat.
• The flesh should spring back when pressed.
• Fish fillets should have a translucent look, and display no darkening or drying around the edges. They should have no green or yellowish discoloration, and should not appear dry or mushy in any areas.
Why Freshness Counts
Healthwise, it is important to look for freshness when choosing seafood. In some species, if the catch has been left out in the sun too long — or the fish haven’t been transported under proper refrigeration — toxins known as scombrotoxin, or histamine, can develop.
Eating spoiled fish that have high levels of these toxins can cause illness.
Frozen Fish:
Know What To Look For
Today, fresh catches can be processed and frozen immediately to very low temperatures;
frequently, this takes place right on the fishing vessel. However, frozen seafood can spoil if the fish thaws during transport and is left at warm temperatures for too long.
To help ensure that the frozen fish you’re buying is safe, follow these guidelines:
• Don’t buy frozen seafood if its package is open, torn or crushed on the edges.
• Avoid packages that are positioned above the “frost line” or top of the freezer case in the store’s freezer.
• If the package cover is transparent, look for signs of frost or ice crystals. These could
mean the fish has been stored a long time or thawed and refrozen — in which case, choose another package.
Selecting Shellfish:
Some Special Guidelines
The Food and Drug Administration requires shellfish harvesters and processors of oysters, clams, and mussels to put a tag on sacks or containers of live shellfish (in the shell), and a label on containers or packages of shucked shellfish.
• Tags and labels contain specific information about the product, including a certification number for the processor, which means that the shellfish were harvested and processed in accordance with national shellfish safety controls.
• Ask to see the tag or check the label when purchasing shellfish. In addition, follow these general guidelines:
1. Discard Cracked/Broken Ones: Throw away clams, oysters, and mussels if their shells are cracked or broken.
2. Do a “Tap Test”: Live clams, oysters, and mussels will close up when the shell is tapped. If they don’t close when tapped, do not select them.
3. Check for Leg Movement: Live crabs and lobsters should show some leg movement.
They spoil rapidly after death, so only live crabs and lobsters should be selected and prepared.
Keep It Safe Until You Eat It
Put seafood on ice or in the refrigerator or freezer soon after buying it, using these guidelines for safe storage:
• If seafood will be used within two days after purchase, store it in the refrigerator.
• If seafood won’t be used within two days after purchase, wrap it tightly in moisture-proof freezer paper or foil to protect it from air leaks, and store it in the freezer.
When You Catch Your Own:
Tips for Staying Safe
Before:
• Always check local advisories and sign postings for information about the safety of fish and shellfish in your area.
During:
• Be sure to keep fish and shellfish well iced while fishing and while transporting the
seafood home.
After:
• Fish caught in some lakes and streams may have harmful levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls or PCBs, which can cause a variety of health problems.*
• Since PCBs accumulate in fat, trim the fat and skin from fish before cooking. This can lessen the risk of exposure to these contaminants.
• Broil, grill, or bake the trimmed, skinned fish on a rack so the fat drips away.
* Harmful levels of PCBs have not been found in fish that are sold in the commercial marketplace, including farm-raised species.
Cook It Properly
Keep raw and cooked seafood separate to prevent bacterial cross-contamination.
After handling raw seafood thoroughly wash knives, cutting surfaces, sponges and your hands with hot soapy water.
Always marinate seafood in the refrigerator. Discard marinade; it contains raw juices which may harbor bacteria. When marinade is needed for basting reserve a portion before adding raw seafood.
Most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 ºF. But if you don’t have a food thermometer, there are other ways to determine whether seafood is done.
• Fish: Slip the point of a sharp knife into the flesh and pull it aside. The flesh should be
opaque and separate easily. If you cooked the fish in the microwave, check it in more than one spot to help ensure doneness.
• Shrimp and Lobster: The flesh becomes pearly-opaque.
• Scallops: The flesh turns milky white or opaque and firm.
• Clams, Mussels, and Oysters: Watch for the point at which their shells open, which means they’re done. Throw out the ones that don’t open.
The general rule is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, at the thickest part of the fillet or steak, at 400-450 degrees F. If fish is cooked in parchment, foil or a sauce, add 5 minutes to the total cooking time.
Fillets less than 1/2 inch thick do not need to be turned during cooking.
Fish cooks quickly. Do not overcook.
Poaching, steaming, baking, broiling, sautéing, and microwaving are excellent low-fat cooking methods, if you do not add high fat ingredients.
Marinate in your favorite salad dressing prior to cooking.
Broil, bake, steam or microwave, then cube and add to pasta or salad greens for a delicious salad.
Broil or grill with lime-butter and seasoned salt.
Oil the grill to prevent fish from sticking.
Bake whole fish with a crab or shrimp stuffing.
Add leftover fish in broken pieces to salads, soups or sauces.