How to Select Fresh Fish
The eyes should be bright, clear, full and bulg¬ing; the gills, reddish-pink; the scales, bright in color with a sheen. Fresh fish does not have a "fishy" odor and the flesh is firm and elastic; it will spring back when pressed.
Amount to Buy
How much fish you buy, fresh or frozen, will de¬pend upon what form you select.
Whole fish is just as it comes from the water. You will need 1 pound per serving.
Drawn fish is whole but eviscerated, Allow 1 pound per serving.
Dressed or pan-dressed fish are eviscerated and scaled. They usually have head, tail and fins removed. The smaller fish (less than 1 pound) are called pan-dressed. Allow 1/2 pound dressed fish per serving.
Steaks are taken from large dressed fish; they are cross-section slices cut about 1/4 inch thick. Allow 1/2 pound per serving.
Fillets, the sides of the fish, are cut lengthwise away from the backbone. They are practically boneless, with little or no waste.
Butterfly fillets are double fillets held together by skin. Allow 1/4 to 1/1 pound per serving.
Sticks are uniform cuts from frozen blocks of fish fillets. They are coated with batter, breaded, partially cooked, packaged and frozen. Allow1/4 to 1/2 pound per serving.
Buying Shellfish
Shellfish are available in canned or frozen forms. Some are smoked and some are breaded. If you live in an area where fresh shellfish are plentiful, you will have no trouble buying some forms alive. The amount to buy varies considerably; consult your recipe or your dealer.
Methods of Cooking Fish and Shellfish
Whatever the method, the most important point to remember when cooking fish is: Don't over¬cook. Fish does not need cooking to tenderize it, as the Japanese or Latin Americans can testify. Fish may be steamed, poached, fried, boiled, broiled, baked or planked (literally cooked on a wooden plank). The last three methods are usually best for fat fish," while lean fish remain firm and moist when steamed or poached. Ex¬ceptions may be made if lean fish are basted. Both fat and lean fish are suitable for frying. Shellfish are usually steamed, boiled, fried, broiled or baked.
"Fat fishes include butterfish, sea herring, mackerel, salmon, shad, Spanish mackerel, catfish, lake trout and whitefish. Most other fish are lean.
