KotiChef

One of the most crucial skills in fish cookery is the ability to identify fresh fish. Whether you're buying whole fish or fillets, knowing what to look for will ensure you start with the best possible ingredients.

Evaluating Whole Fish#

Selecting fresh whole fish relies on your senses, with each observation revealing the fish's true condition. Consider this your practical guide to navigating the fish counter with confidence.

Begin with the eyes—they tell the clearest story. Truly fresh fish have clear, shiny eyes that bulge slightly outward with a transparent cornea. As freshness fades, eyes become cloudy, then gray, and eventually sunken. A fish with bright, alert-looking eyes is your first indicator of quality.

Next, check the gills by gently lifting the gill cover. Fresh fish display vibrant ruby-red or bright pink gills, moist but not slimy. This rich color comes from oxygenated blood and begins fading to brick-red, then brown, and finally grayish as time passes—nature's freshness indicator.

The skin should present an almost metallic brightness, with scales that adhere firmly. Fresh fish glisten under light, showing their natural colors vividly. Run your fingertip against the grain of the scales—they should feel intact and well-attached, not loose or easily removed.

Perhaps most telling is the aroma. Contrary to common belief, fresh fish doesn't smell "fishy"—it carries a clean scent reminiscent of ocean water or fresh seaweed. This neutral, slightly briny aroma indicates freshness; any strong ammonia-like or pungent smell signals decomposition has begun.

Finally, press the flesh gently with your finger. Fresh fish feels firm and resilient, springing back completely when pressed. If your fingerprint remains or the flesh feels mushy, the fish has begun breaking down and should be avoided.

Assessing Fillets and Steaks#

When examining pre-cut fish portions, your assessment becomes even more focused on the flesh itself, as many traditional indicators (eyes, gills) are no longer available. This makes understanding the subtle cues of quality especially important.

Fresh fish fillets display a translucent sheen that suggests moisture and vitality. The flesh should appear barely moist—not dry or desiccated, but also not sitting in a pool of liquid. White fish fillets should show a pearl-like luster rather than the yellowish tinge that signals oxidation. Colored fish like salmon should display even, vibrant hue without brown edges or discolored patches.

The structure of the flesh reveals much about its condition. Quality fillets maintain their integrity—the muscle fibers remain tightly bound together rather than separating or gaping. When you gently bend a truly fresh fillet, it should flex without breaking apart at the seams between muscle segments.

Place special attention on the cut edges of fillets. These should be clean and clearly defined, not mushy or breaking down. In steaks, the bone should appear fresh with no discoloration where it meets the flesh.

The aroma test remains crucial—perhaps even more so with fillets, as processing creates more surface area exposed to air. The scent should be mild and clean, reminiscent of fresh water. Any strong smell indicates the fish has begun breaking down proteins into amines—the compounds responsible for that characteristic "fishy" odor that indicates declining freshness.

Excess liquid in packaging often signals that the fish has been previously frozen and thawed or that cellular breakdown has begun. Some moisture is natural, but pooling liquid suggests declining quality.