Butterflied fillets –

LESSON 1: PREPARE SEAFOOD DISHES both sides of a fish

still joined, but with
CLASSIFICATION OF SEAFOOD bones removed
1. Fin fish – fish with fins and internal skeletons. Sticks or tranches –
cross-section slices of
Saltwater fillets
flatfish
flounder
sole Handle Fish and Seafood
2. Round fish
a. black sea bars Checking freshness of Fish
b. bluefish
c. cod Cloudy eyes = sad fish
d. grouper
B. Freshwater Fish Once the fish begins to deteriorate, the eyes dry out,
1. cat fish become cloudy, and sink in or shrivel away. This
2. eel indicates an unhealthy or improperly-handled fish.
3. tilapia

2. Shell fish – fish with external shells but no

internal bone structure. They have hard outer shells.
Two classifications of Shellfish
A. Mollusks – are soft sea animals
1. bivalves – they have a pair of hinged shells
(clams, oysters)
2. univalves – they have a single shell
(abalone)
3. cephalopods – (octopus, squid)
Check the fins
The tail and dorsal fins of the fish should be
healthy-looking, wet, and intact. A fish that's been
mishandled will have torn or ragged fins, while an
older fish's fins will be dry and brittle.
Torn and ragged fins
= mishandled fish
Torn and ragged fins probably belong to a fish that
was netted or held for too long.

Poke the flesh

B. Crustaceans – are animals with segmented shells
and jointed legs (shrimps, crabs. If the fish monger allows it, try touching the fish for
further signs of health and freshness. It should feel
cold, wet, and slippery, but not sticky.

Soft flesh = old fish

Fish that has lost its firm shape is no longer fresh.
Market Forms
Whole or round –
completely intact, as
caught

Drawn – viscera
removed
Check the gills

Dressed -- viscera,
scales, head, tail and Check the gills for vitality and color. When first
fins removed caught, a fish's gills appear bright red, and slowly
darken over time. The brighter the color, the fresher
Steaks – cross-section the fish. The gills should also feel clean and cold, not
slices, each containing slimy.
a section of backbone

Fillets – boneless side

of fish, with or Brown-red gills = old fish
without skin
After several days, a fish's gills will become dark
brown or even black in color, indicating that the
 fish's myoglobin has oxidized into metmyoglobin,
which has a brickred-brown color. Mucus will build
as time passes, too, so as the fish ages. the gills will
become slimy and sticky.

Touch the scales

Scales are designed to protect the fish from a harsh

watery environment. When a fish is fresh, the scales
will be shiny and firm, a veritable armor against the
elements. Less-fresh fish will often shed scales as
you run your hand over them, and they may appear
dry and flaky.

SHELLFISH
1. Oysters, clams, mussels in the shell must be alive and
tightly closes shells when jostled.
2. Live or shucked oysters must have a very mild, sweet
smell.
3. Discard any mussels that are very light in weight or
seem to be hollow.
4. Strong fishy odor or a brownish color is a sign of age
or spoilage.
5. Live lobsters must be alive when cooked. The meat
will be firm and the tail springs back when straightened.
6. Frozen shrimps should be solidly frozen when
received.
7. Glazed shrimps should be shiny with no freezer burn.
8. All shrimps should smell fresh and sweet. A strong
fishy or iodine smell indicates age or spoilage.
9. Live crabs should be kept alive until cooked.
10. Frozen crabmeat should be treated like any other
frozen fish.

Handling and Storage of Fish

Fresh Fish
1. Store on crushed ice. Use drip pans to allow for
drainage of melted ice. Change ice daily. Cover
container or store in separate box away from other
foods. Whole fish should be drawn because entrails
deteriorate rapidly. Cut fish should be wrapped or left in
original moisture-proof wrap.
2. In refrigerated box at 30° to 34°F (-1° to 1°C)
3. Fresh fish may be stored for 1 to 2 days. If kept
longer, wrap and freeze immediately.
4. Check store fish for freshness just before using.

Frozen Fish
1. Frozen products should be frozen, not thawed when
received.
2. Items should be well wrapped, with no freezer burn.
3. Store at 0°F (-18°C or colder)
4. Maximum storage time • Fat fish – 2 months • Lean
fish – 6 months 5. Rotate stock – first in, first out.