Ask a foodie if fresh or frozen fish is best and you’ll probably get the standard answer: fresh. And I agree that the idea of catching a fish fresh from the sea and cooking it within hours is a fabulous idea. It works if you live near the water, or are super dedicated to buying ‘only the freshest ingredients’.
But what if you live in an area locked by land? Or what if you don’t have a fish market nearby? What if you’re too busy to make an extra trip to a specialty store to buy your fish? This is the reality for most people and there’s no reason to exclude fish from your diet just because you aren’t able to acquire truly fresh fish on a regular basis. At the grocery store, what’s the best choice? Fresh or frozen?
What is Fresh?
The fish you see behind the glass at your grocer may not be frozen, but that doesn’t necesarily mean it’s fresh. Even if it’s labeled as fresh, it might not be. Joseph George at Chef Talk says that the term “fresh” often means that the fish has never been frozen. It doesn’t mean it’s actually been recently removed from the sea. We’ve come a long way from the original idea of fresh fish.
A few years ago I read a story in a culinary magazine by an author who was trying to trace the origin of a fish he purchased at his local supermarket. He inquired with the clerk at the counter and was referred to the store manager. The manager couldn’t help him entirely, but was able to give him the name and phone number of their wholesale supplier. Using the purchase order he was able to trace the fish from the supplier to the fish company that operates fishing trawlers, and ultimately he was able to establish the actual vessel and date on which his fish was caught.
It turns out that after the fish was caught it was held aboard ship for 3 days while at sea, then another couple of days at the fish company, then the supplier, and then the supermarket. All in all, by the time the fish had been purchased by the writer, the fish had passed through 4 or 5 hands, and was out of the water for more than 10 days. Yet it was still labeled as fresh.
Selecting Fresh Fish
The good news is you don’t need to go to such extremes to find out how fresh your fish really is. When shopping, keep the following in mind:
- There shouldn’t be any off-putting odor. The fresher it is, the more is will smell like the sea.
- Fish should be stored on a bed of ice to keep it cold. Even though it’s in a cooler, the opening and closing by store employees can result in higher temperatures, which degrade the fish.
- Ask to see you fish up close and personal before you buy it.
- Check again for smell, and also for moist, shiny flesh - free from spots or dried areas.
Make It Easy on Yourself: Buy Frozen
Call me lazy. I’d rather buy frozen. It’s just easier that day. Not only do I not have to worry about how long it’s been sitting around the store, it’s also not a big deal if I don’t cook it when I’d planned. It waits in my freezer until it’s convenient for me to cook! George agrees that frozen fish can be an ‘acceptable option’ to truly fresh fish. That’s because fish that are processed on modern fishing boats may actually be cleaned and quick-frozen right on the ship. Stored properly at sub-zero temperature, they retain a quality almost as good as fresh fish.
I find buying frozen fish is easier than buying fresh. Here’s all you need to do:
- Ensure that the package seal is intact
- Check for ice crystals or discoloration on the fish.
- Thaw fish slowly - in a refrigerator overnight or submerged in cold water for a couple of hours. Thawing fish this way will cut down on liquid loss that can occur when fish is thawed too quickly in the microwave or at room temperature.
Because thawed (or fresh) fish is to cooked the day or day after it is purchased, frozen fish just makes more sense for busy families. And of course, for mild flavor, simplicity of cooking, and easy price point, I like frozen tilapia best!
Image Credit: walknboston, Flickr
Tags: fresh fish, fresh vs frozen fish, frozen fish, frozen tilapia
