How to Choose Your Seafood

I had a request from a friend to put up tips on how to choose fish. So, here goes:

a) When buying whole fish, check that the skin is not damaged, all the scales are intact and the colour is bright and shiny. The eyes should be clear with bright black pupils. Sunken, cloudy eyes are a sure sign that the fish is unfresh. The gills should be bright red and ‘frilly’ looking. Really fresh fish is firm when pressed with your fingers.

b) When buying fillets, they should be neat, firm and have a translucent white colour.

c) When buying smoked fish, enure that it has a glossy appearance and a fresh smoky aroma.

Here's another tip in choosing seafood, other than fish:

d) Choose shellfish with tightly closed shells – discard any that have gaps or cracks.

e) When selecting crabs or lobsters, pick them up and examine them – they should feel heavy for their size and should not show signs of any damage. All fresh seafood should have a pleasant, sharp smell like seaweed or fresh cut grass. If it smells sour or overwhelmingly ‘fishy’, then don't buy them.

f) For fresh prawns, check that they have a firm head and shell, no black head, with a pleasant sea smell. The shell, should be translucent and not opaque. If you can touch the prawn, check that it is firm and not limp. Also, it should feel "slippery" and not dry due to its fresh slime coat.

Happy marketing!