Fish Poisson

Round and Flat Roundfish- swim in vertical position and have eyes on each side of their head Flatfish- swim horizontal, both eyes on one side

Cooking fish Flaking- meat separates into flakes Bones- meat will separate from the bones and the bones will no longer be pink Flesh- turns opaque from translucent

Fat Content of fish .5 to 20% Lean fish- Flounder, snapper, halibut Fat fish- Salmon, Tuna, Trout

Market Forms of Fish

Market forms Whole, Round- As Caught Drawn- viscera removed Dressed- viscera, scales, head, tail, fins removed Steaks- cross section slices Fillets- boneless sides, with or without skin

What kind of Fish is it? Red Snapper

What kind of Fish is it? Flounder

What kind of Fish is it? Salmon

What kind of Fish is it? Tilapia

Storage of Fish Maintain temperature of 30 to 34 Keep fish Moist Prevent odors being transferred to other foods Protect fish from being crushed or bruised

Fresh –VS- Frozen Problems with frozen fish Fish was frozen to prevent further spoilage Product was frozen in storage freezers Ice crystals

Frozen Now, fish are frozen within hours of being caught Advantages Fewer storage requirements Longer shelf life Less expensive

Purchasing No federal system for grading fish Plants are inspected by local health departments

Quality Factors Smell Feel Look fish should have an “ocean” smell They should not smell spoiled Feel Firm Flesh should spring back when pressed Look Gills- red, with age they turn grey Eyes- clear and round

Quality Factors Top of the catch Skin- shiny and moist Eyes- clear and not sunken Gills- bright red Odor- fresh sea Cavity- clean, lustrous Flesh- elastic

Quality factors Bottom of the catch Skin- dull and dry Eyes- opaque and sunken Gills- gray Odor- fishy, ammonia Cavity- stained, yellow Flesh- soft

Brine Solution Camouflages quality Bacteria buildup- unchanged solution Washes off soluble protein on the surface Adds weight which is lost during cooking Salt solution bad for customers health

Shelf Life Ideal conditions “room temp” Bacteria doubles every 20 minutes 8:00 a.m. – 1 bacteria 5:00 p.m.- 64,000,000 bacteria

Shelf life Storage- on crushed ice, with drip pans Change ice daily Whole or drawn fish should not be wrapped 1-2 days shelf life