Keeping Fish Fresh

Filed in archive Tricks & Techniques on July 8, 2006

I had friends over for lunch last weekend. Since they specifically requested a light lunch, we just had a salad and fish. One of my visitors remarked that the fish were so fresh he thought I had gone to the market very early that morning. He couldn't believe his ears when I said they came straight out of my freezer. Well, of course they were frozen fresh.

The trick to keep fish fresh in the freezer are these few simple steps:

• Make sure you only buy fresh fish, live if possible.


• Keep the fish alive en route home or keep them in a cool place if no longer alive.


• Gut the fish and wash thoroughly.


• Salt them lightly, inserting a pinch or so into the cavity.


• Freeze them immediately.


• Rinse the fish as soon as you take them out of the freezer.


• Cook the fish as soon as possible.

Salting helps preserve the fish. Freezing them immediately makes sure not too much salt is absorbed and will make them too salty and will leave them tasting not too fresh after cooking. It is this same reason why they should also be washed immediately after taking them out of the freezer. Do not wait for them to thaw.

Cooking the fish immediately helps lock in the freshness. I am known to cook small fish straight from the freezer as long as they're not rock hard, no thawing needed. Larger fish, I thaw but only partially. The secret to cooking them is to initially apply high fire (30 seconds to a minute) to sear the outside then lower the heat to ensure thorough cooking.