With the increasing interest in healthy eating, fish has come back into favour and with so many varieties available it makes a very welcome change from red meat. Fish is high in protein but low in fat, and the fat it does contain is higher in polyunsaturates than most other animal/protein foods. It is also a rich source of minerals and iron plus it is quick to prepare and cook.
There are three groups of fish: white fish, where the oil is found mainly in the liver leaving the flesh relatively fat-free, e.g cod, plaice and whiting; oily fish, where the oil is found mainly in the flesh, e.g salmon, mackerel and herring; and shellfish, which could be crustacea, e.g. lobster, crab and prawn, or molluscs, e.g oysters, scallops and mussels. All fish are described as round or flat.
Selecting Fish
Fresh fish should have bright eyes, shining skin and healthy pink gills. The flesh should feel firm and the tail stiff. It should not have more than a slight odour.
Storing Fish
Fish will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator but it should be wrapped loosely in foil so that other food does not absorb its smell. To keep fish frozen, the fish must be gutted and scaled first. Small fish may be left whole, but remove the heads and tails from larger fish. Skin and fillet flat fish.
How to Scale
In general, fish should only be scaled if the intent is to eat the skin. the fish should be scraped from tail to head, using the the back of a knife.
Gutting and Cleaning
All fish must be cleaned, gutted and washed in cold running water. Large fish should be cut open from the gills to halfway along the body and the contents, including the roes, removed. Wash the roes thoroughly if they are to be used. Smaller fish can be merely opened under the gills and the contents squeezed out with your fingers. Flat fish should have the gills cut off and a small hole made behind the head, through which you can remove the innards. Eels should be skinned before they are cleaned.
There are three groups of fish: white fish, where the oil is found mainly in the liver leaving the flesh relatively fat-free, e.g cod, plaice and whiting; oily fish, where the oil is found mainly in the flesh, e.g salmon, mackerel and herring; and shellfish, which could be crustacea, e.g. lobster, crab and prawn, or molluscs, e.g oysters, scallops and mussels. All fish are described as round or flat.
Selecting Fish
Fresh fish should have bright eyes, shining skin and healthy pink gills. The flesh should feel firm and the tail stiff. It should not have more than a slight odour.
Storing Fish
Fish will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator but it should be wrapped loosely in foil so that other food does not absorb its smell. To keep fish frozen, the fish must be gutted and scaled first. Small fish may be left whole, but remove the heads and tails from larger fish. Skin and fillet flat fish.
How to Scale
In general, fish should only be scaled if the intent is to eat the skin. the fish should be scraped from tail to head, using the the back of a knife.
Gutting and Cleaning
All fish must be cleaned, gutted and washed in cold running water. Large fish should be cut open from the gills to halfway along the body and the contents, including the roes, removed. Wash the roes thoroughly if they are to be used. Smaller fish can be merely opened under the gills and the contents squeezed out with your fingers. Flat fish should have the gills cut off and a small hole made behind the head, through which you can remove the innards. Eels should be skinned before they are cleaned.
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