When buying crustaceans like crabs and lobster
look for the heavier, vigorous looking pieces with a pleasant odor and
intact shells
For fresh fish, eyes should be clear, not red
shot or opaque, gills should be red (but not too red, this is a sign of fake
coloring), flesh must be firm, odor should be pleasant.
When buying fillets and steaks, make sure the
flesh is firm with no gaps in between the flakes; there should be no signs
of drying up around the sides of the steaks.
Bring a cooler in your car when going to
market to keep fish fresh while travelling home, also prevents fishy odor in
your car
Storage
Wash fish thoroughly, then wrap in waxed paper
and put in freezer bags before storing in the freezer or chiller
To ensure the best texture and minimize growth
of bacteria, defrost frozen fish in the refrigerator on a plate for
approximately 24 hours.
Preparation & Cooking
Make a small cut in the gill of fish, remove
gills, innards and blood; water should run clear after removing all the
blood.
To remove the unpleasant fishy taste of fish,
rub with flesh with grated ginger, minced leaks or calamansi juice; salt
will also do the trick.
Make sure you separate the fish from the rest
of the meats, even when preparing, this prevents cross contamination.
For steamed fish, make sure the water is in a
rolling boil, cover is airtight and does not open until fish is cooked. This
is to ensure that your steamed fish is evenly cooked.
Make sure oil is very hot before frying fish,
turn only once when one side is done. This is to prevent the skin from
sticking to the pan and getting the fish too oily.
Fish is done when it loses its translucence in
the center. Slip a knife into the flesh to check