Reel in the Benefits: Prep and Store Fish the Proper Way

Eating fish offers many health benefits: it is a good source of protein without saturated fat, helps maintain cardiovascular health and is important for prenatal and postnatal neurological development. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times a week to get enough omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While fish is important to eat, it is equally important to know how to purchase and store it.

Kerry Heffernan, avid fisherman and executive chef at South Gate Restaurant in New York City, recently conducted a seminar to teach people how to select and store fresh fish. Here are his tips to help rescue you from the sea of confusion:

Purchasing
When buying whole fish, it is important to select the freshest fish possible. Pay close attention to the general appearance of the fish, especially the eyes, as well as the smell of the fillets are very important.

Storing Fresh Fish
Once caught the fish have a maximum shelf life of 12 days, but only if the fish is iced immediately after it comes on board the fishing vessel and is kept on ice thereafter. Therefore it is important to ensure that your suppliers protect and maintain the quality of their product.

The ideal temperature for storage is approximately 34 degrees F, which will minimize the activity of enzymes and bacteria.

After 1-2 days on ice, your fish is still fresh if it meets the following criteria:

Eyes: Black pupil, translucent cornea
Skin: Covered with fresh sea slime or be smooth and moist, has a good sheen with no abrasions or bruising and no discoloration
Gills: Bright, red in color with no bacterial slime
Flesh: Firm, translucent and resilient; when you apply pressure the impression disappears quickly, the fish is not limp.
Scales: Flat, moist and plentiful
Smell: Pleasant and fresh with no hint of ammonia or sourness

3-4 days on ice:

Eyes: Pupil starting to turn grey and flatten
Skin: Body slime, loss of sheen, no longer luminous
Gills: Darker red in color, start of slime build-up
Flesh: Loss of some translucency and elasticity
Scales: Starting to dry and curl, not abundant
Smell: Pleasant and fresh with no hint of ammonia or sourness

6-7 days on ice:

Eyes: Sunken and general cloudiness of pupil
Skin: Continued loss of sheen and lateral line less distinct
Gills: Thickened slime with blood diffusing into it, briny and malty odor
Flesh: Translucency lost, soft and flaccid
Scales: Almost non existent
Smell: Intensely briny, bready and malty

Wastage from filleting is 50% for flat fish and 60% for round fish: round fish having larger head to body proportion.You should consider this when deciding whether to purchase whole fish or fillets.

The following steps are also recommended for maximum shelf life:

1. If necessary, wash fish to remove scales
2. Always gut fish before storage
3. Prepare storage container by:

a) Placing a layer of ice on the base, cover ice with a sheet of plastic,
b) Placing fish on plastic sheeting,
c) Covering with another sheet of plastic and
d) Covering with ice

4. Store in a chiller and replace ice as it melts
5. If the fish has been stored on ice for more than 2 days, wash the fillets before cooking

Follow Chef Heffernan's tips and you'll always have fresh fish on your dish.

— Written by Caroline Alexa McBride

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