Buying, storing & cooking (Tips)....

Quality

To assess the quality of fresh fish and seafood, there are a
few simple things to look for:

Fresh whole fish should have bright, clear eyes; skin should be shiny, firm and elastic to the touch, gills should be red not brown, and if gutted, the cavity should be clean.

Fresh bi-valve molluscs should be tightly closed or close on tapping, with no cracks in the shells.

Live crustaceans should react to being touched, and the tail should fold under the body of live Lobsters, Langoustines and Crayfish.

Smoked fish should be glossy, with no gaping or discolouration, and should smell fresh and smoky.

Storage

All our fresh fish is packed in food safe waxed boxes, topped with
ice and delivered in temperature controlled vehicles; ensuring
customers receive the freshest fish.

Once received, store whole fish on a tray in a refrigerator covered with cling film at between 0 and 2°C. The gut cavity should be clean, and the fish should be dry, not sitting in a pool of water - if possible, place the fish on a rack in a tray. Fillets and portions should be stored the same way.

Molluscs and live crustaceans should be covered with a damp cloth, newspaper or seaweed, and a lid kept on the box to avoid dehydration - this helps to keep the chill off. The ideal temperature is 6-8°C, and never put directly in front of fans blowing chilled air. Always pick up live crustaceans by the body, not the claws or tail, and treat them carefully - dropping, throwing or skidding the boxes across the floor will stress the fish and weaken them. Oysters should be stored cup side down to retain their moisture.

Your local branch will be able to advise you on how long your fresh fish will keep, as it can vary by species.

Store smoked fish separately from raw fish in the refrigerator and don’t forget that hot smoked fish is a ‘high risk’ product and should be stored accordingly.

Frozen fish should be defrosted overnight in a refrigerator or cooked from frozen, but never in-between.

Cooking tips

This is what all Chefs strive for when cooking fish so here
a few tips and techniques to enable you to achieve this...

• Have confidence with your fish

• Oily fish work well on barbecues and grills

• White fish works best with gentle cooking such as poaching or steaming

• Oily fish works well with citrus and strong flavours such as garlic, ginger and chilli

• White fish works well with light cream sauce, a gentle butter sauce and the fragrance of just chopped herbs

Simplicity is key – make it today