Photos of seafood shot with extreme art and published in magazines and newspapers may incite much temptation within you. But picking up things on a random basis from a retail outlet in your local area may not turn out to be as fruitful as you want it to be! If you have a recipe in your mind, then only you can build up a list. And this is not enough! You also need to know how to pick up the freshest fish or seafood. The smell of seafood repels many people and the smell of rotten seafood may produce the same effect on you if you fail to choose wisely.
Here are the tips to choose the freshest seafood:
1. Whole Fresh Fish
To buy the best whole fresh fish, look for:
- Firm Flesh: Fresh fish is firm, not soggy. Sogginess indicates that the fish or seafood in question has been processed and this is typical for fish that is not of a high quality.
- Bright Colored Flesh: Brighter colored fish are the freshest. Fresh fishes have vibrantly colored flesh.
- Bright Eyes: The eyes are the window to an internal freshness. The eyes may fade quickly into gray dullness. Dull-eyed fish may be safe to eat, but they are past their prime quality. Cloudy, milky or runny eyes on the other hand, let you know that the fish has been on the shelf for a couple of days.
- Smell: This is the most important bit. If it smells fishy, don't buy it. It should smell like a day at the sea - a little briny or even like cucumbers, but without that gag-reflex inducing stench. Cooking won't improve it.
- Gills: The gills should have a rich red color. If the fish is old, the color will resemble that of a faded brick.
- Texture: A fish should 'spring back' when you touch it. If you poke it, it should regain its original shape after a second.
2. Fish Fillet and Steaks
Things that you should consider include:
- Buy fish fillets or steaks that have bright/glossy, semi-transparent-looking flesh. Don't buy fillets or steaks if the flesh looks plasticine-like and sticky. Very soft or mushy fish is stale.
- The smell test is especially important with fillets. They should have no pungent aroma.
- Milky liquid on a fillet is the first stage of rot.
- If the fishmonger lets you press the meat with your finger, then you can get to know about the state. Your indentation should disappear if the flesh is elastic. Elasticity is a sign of freshness. If your fingerprint remains, move on.
- Ask your fishmonger to help you find fillets or steaks of similar size and thickness. This will allow you to get the fillets at your cooking table at the right time.
3. Frozen Fish and Shellfish
Fish that is commercially frozen at sea is arguably the freshest fish of all. That's because it's converted into the frozen form within three hours of being caught. These are the signs which you should look for:
- The quality checks will be the same as in case of fish. It should look fresh, it should not have a fishy smell and there shouldn't be any blemish on the skin.
- It should be well packaged and the meat should not bear dehydrated patches on the fish flesh.
- The fish should be frozen solid and should not show signs of thawing on any parts of it.
- Fillets and steaks should have good coloring. If they have an opaque look, it is a sign of freezer burn.
- The wrapping and seals on the pack should not be damaged.
- The product should be solidly frozen but without a lot of ice in its package.
- Shellfish are whole, not damaged or broken.
4. Live Shellfish
These are the signs of freshness:
- Only buy live shellfish with closed shells or the ones which close quickly when tapped. Don't choose the ones that are cracked or broken.
- Live Greenshell mussels usually slit a little when they're on display under spray. That's okay. Just tap the mussels and only buy the ones that close tightly.
5. Crabs and Rock Lobster (Crayfish)
If you're shopping for live crabs or rock lobsters choose the energetic ones that flap vigorously when you pick them up. These are the signs that you should look for:
- Rock lobsters' tails should be tucked firmly up against the underside of their bodies. When you straighten out the tail, it should snap back into place.
- Crabs' legs and claws should 'spring back' when you straighten them.
- Lobsters and crabs starve themselves in tanks and often can be almost empty inside when you crack open one that's been imprisoned in a tank for weeks. The best way is to wait for the new shipments.
6. Scallops
Buy frozen, vacuum-sealed scallops rather than an inferior wet-packed scallop.
7. Shrimp
Buy them whole and frozen. Whole - because the shell protects them from the rigors of being frozen without losing too much moisture, and frozen - because shrimps get cooked and become rotten very rapidly.
8. Squid
These are almost always sold to the wholesaler pre-frozen, so you should buy them frozen. You should look first at their eyes, which should be clean and bright.
Enjoying hearty meals with fish and seafood is really a good idea. Salads prepared with seafood not only look good at the buffet table of a restaurant, but they can also add some "stars" to your dinner menu. Choosing the freshest fish and seafood is very important on your part because you really cannot afford to add loads of spices to hide that rotten smell just like your favorite restaurant!
