Guidelines to Purchase Quality Seafood
As a chef the quality of our products reflects directly upon our own restaurant, as well as upon our own name and reputation. Purchasing quality seafood is therefore extremely important to both the success of our business as well as to the upward progression of our career. As Chef Perry Mascitti says, “I would rather be fired for having a high food cost with quality product, than be fired for serving low quality food to maintain a great food cost.” It’s a matter of personal pride in one’s work.
Quality Seafood – What to Look For
There are a number of factors which the chef needs to evaluate to determine the quality of seafood we purchase. Below are general guidelines; however some fish will have other specific indicators so check-out the profile of the species you are interested in for special details. For instance, the guidelines for loins from larger fish are somewhat different so see the specific species profiles for fish such as Swordfish or Yellowfin Tuna.
General Guidelines for Purchasing Fresh Whole Fish
If possible, purchase whole Head-On fish. This will give you the most clues to evaluate the quality of the fish.
- Look for eyes which are clear, shiny and appropriately colored for the specific fish species. Cloudy eyes means the fish is probably at least 5 days old. They should not be sunken into the eye socket which would indicate old fish, moisture loss or improper refrigeration.
- The appearance of the skin (scales) should be bright, have a metallic sheen and not be dull. The scales should be firmly attached and should not come off easily.
- Run your finger down the side of the fish from gills to tail, pressing lightly. The flesh should be firm and bounce back so that the impression your finger leaves disappears quickly. If the indentation doesn’t bounce back quickly then the fish is either old or previously frozen.
- The skin may be slippery, but should not be slimy or sticky.
- Fresh seafood should not stink; it should have a light scent of the sea. If it smells “fishy” or sour then shop somewhere else.
- The cavity where the guts were removed should be bright and clean.
- The gills should be red, not brown.
- The tail should be moist, not dry or with curled edges at the ends.
General Guidelines for Purchasing Fresh Fish Fillets
If you are buying fillets then try to purchase Skin-On fillets. This will first allow you to verify that the fish is what they are telling you it is. And second, it will give another aspect of the fish to check for quality.
- The appearance of the skin (scales) should be bright, have a metallic sheen and not be dull. The scales should be firmly attached and should not come off easily.
- Fresh seafood should not stink; it should have the scent of the sea or no scent at all.
- The flesh should be a uniform color with no discolored looking areas and should have a translucent sheen to it, not opaque. There should be no dark brown or brick-red spots which may indicate bruising or mishandling. Previously frozen fish fillets may have yellowish or brown edges if it is freezer-burned... reject it.
- Run your finger down the side of the fish from where the head was to the tail, pressing lightly. The flesh should be firm and bounce back so that the impression your finger leaves disappears immediately. If a trough is left where you ran your finger then the fish is either old or previously frozen. If water appears during this test then the fish was frozen.
- The color of the flesh should be a uniform color with no discolored looking areas.
- The pin-bones should be firmly attached and difficult to remove.
- The fillet should be one solid piece with no gaps or tears between the flakes.
Did you find the information about
Guidelines to Purchase Quality Seafood useful? Or did you notice something which is missing on this page?
If so, please leave a comment.
Leave a Comment [ Add a Comment ]