How to Buy Fresh Fish

Not only is fish a healthy meal choice, there are also many great varieties and several ways to prepare it. The first thing to do is to start with a top quality piece; here’s a guide to ensure you’re buying fresh fish.

 

Check the appearance. Whole fish should have shiny skin, clear, bright eyes as well as gills that are moist with a rich red colour. For fish fillets or steaks, look for ones that are moist, bright and translucent.

Get up close to it. Ask the fishmonger if you can smell and feel the fish. Under no circumstances should the smell be pungent. Rather, fresh fish smells like clean water and its flesh should feel firm, not soft, when you press it with your finger.

 

Survey the market itself. Be sure to also examine the cleanliness of the market and the way in which fish is stored. Fish should preferably be displayed under a cover, with fillets sitting on top of a thick bed of ice and whole fish buried in the ice. Never buy fish that has been left sitting in water or on melted ice.

For those who don’t live near a quality fish market, buying fish at the grocery store may be the only alternative. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since there is often a decent selection available at most major supermarkets. Just follow these general guidelines:

 

Head to the freezer section. The "fresh" fish displayed at most grocery stores are unlikely to pass fish market standards since they may have spent days in transit before arriving on the supermarket’s refrigerated shelves. On the other hand, fish in the frozen section may have been “flash-frozen” just minutes after they’re caught and, if transported properly, will be of a superior quality.

 

Examine the packaging. When buying frozen fish, verify that the package is not open or torn. If the packaging is transparent, look for frost or ice crystals, which may indicate that the fish has been stored for a long period or has been thawed and frozen again.

Avoid oily fish. Also keep in mind that not all types of fish freeze well. Oily fish, such as yellowtail tuna or swordfish, are generally not well suited for freezing. Instead, opt for non-oily types such as cod, tilapia, halibut, snapper, and sole.