Who doesn’t love fish on Friday?
But with all the recent buzz about buying farm-raised vs. wild, mercury contamination, concern about the environment and over-fishing and a recent report that nearly 40% of fish is mislabled, no wonder everyone is confused about what to buy. In my Fresh Fish Friday posts, I’m going to try to dispel some of the myths and bring you the facts on buying and cooking fresh, healthy seafood that everyone can enjoy and of course, RECIPES!
There are over 100 market varieties of fish sold in the US at any given time. Before we talk about what to buy, let’s talk about where to buy. Whether you’re headed to your local grocer, a specialty food store, or a fish market, you can apply these rules to find a reliable source to buy seafood.
- Smell. There should be no fishy smells! No pun intended. This is often overlooked. Especially if you’re buying fresh, you should be able to stick your nose right up to the fish and smell it without feeling repulsed by a fishy smell. That means it’s old!
- Lots of foot traffic. If you’re fish market stays busy, that’s a good sign that there’s lots of product coming in and out daily.
- Informative labels. Look for labels listing whether the fish is farm-raised or wild, the water of origin and whether its fresh or frozen.
- Fish and shellfish should always be kept separated.
- Does the shop cut its own fish? The more fish that comes in the door whole, the better.
Even at your local grocery, get to know your fish monger. Ask him what he would take home for the day. And if you live more than a few miles away, take a cooler with you to keep your fish on ice for the way home.
Check back next week for more fish tips and recipes!
