Storing fish

[sheepish]

Got people coming for dinner in a few weeks. Want to do something swanky. But it'll be a Sunday night. I find it hard to envision a menu without at least one fish course. So my plan is to hit my fishmonger on Friday morning (I'm pretty sure nothing new comes in on Saturday morning, but I will check). Ask what's freshest, and not oily (that spoils quickly, right?), and work with that. But, anything to avoid? Anything keep particularly well? What are shellfish like? Any tips on best way to store? Freezing just seems wrong. Doesn't it?

TIA

[budrichard]

Ask your fishmonger.

He and only he knows the arrival dates of his fish, how long the fish have been in the selling chain and how long the fish will keep. Best to purchase on Saturday anyway. Many reputable fishmongers have deliveries on Saturday.-Dick

[Doodad]

Avoid skate wing. It has a shelf life of nothing. I find firm whitefish and shrimp keep the best. If it is really a problem you could go with a smoked product perhaps?

[Prawncrackers]

Freshest solution is to buy live shellfish like lobster or crab. Definitely swanky enough too. I've kept live lobsters in the fridge for up to three days with no problem.

If you're in a more fishy mood, then turbot and halibut keep well for a couple of days. Some people even say they're best after a few days out of the water.

[rlibkind]

Why not frozen? There's absolutely perfectly fine frozen Alaska halibut or chinook (king) or red (sockeye) salmon. It's frequently better than a fishmonger's "fresh" (unless you live in Alaska). I'd just try to avoid frozen that's labeled product of U.S. But processed in China.

If you still want to deal with fresh, buy on Friday and make a mousse, hold in fridge.

.

Edited August 31, 2010 by rlibkind (log)

[Eatmywords]

Yea, live is best and if the monger has seaweed, kelp or whatever that grassy stuff lobsters and crabs sit in even better.

For storing fillets like catfish, tilapia, codfish for a couple days I like to get the fish out of monger's packaging which is usually pretty wet. I do just a quick rinse of fresh cold water, pat dry with paper towels and wrap the fillets individually in plastic wrap tightly so no air escapes.

[Blether]

Your friend & mine, Jane Grigson, says in her customarily thorough Fish Book, that Dover Sole improves after a couple of days. That's not a species we get here, and it's not something I've tried first-hand. (She also acclaims it as possibly the best fish available in the UK).

Clams are better after a night in salt water in the fridge with a sprinkling of flour to eat, so they pass any sand out. Might work for two nights (rinse in between and only the use the flour on night two) ?

Other than that and what's been said above, fish keeps better over ice than in the open in a typical fridge. Or you could always cook some fresh fish right away and use it in fish cakes etc. later, or go fishing on Saturday.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Blether (log)

[Foodietopo]

Would you consider using Bacalhau (dry and salted cod fish)?

This Portuguese fish could be made into so many delicious recipes and you would not have to worry about the freshness of the fish.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Foodietopo (log)

[Luke]

What ever you do, don't buy fish fillets!

Whole fish that is going off is almost always filleted and this gets another few days of shelf life.

Try visiting your local wholesale fish market. You may be surprised what you can buy as a retailer in small quantities. Just be friendly and have a chat to the supplier.

Luke

Edited September 1, 2010 by Luke (log)