There are many ways to cook fish but for best tasting results do not overcook the fish.
Baking the product, allow 10 - 20 minutes at 450 degrees F for the 1st inch of thickness. Add about 10 minutes per additional inch.
Barbecuing the product, cook about 4 inches from the coals for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.
Poaching the product, boil for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
Pan frying, until golden brown on one side, turn and brown the other side. The complete cooking time should be approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
*These are just general cooking guidelines, always use your own personal judgement.*
Handling & Storage of Seafood
Cutting fish & seafood:
How to Prepare:
When cutting seafood for fillets, steak or portions one has to be delicate with the product to avoid any breakage.
This is especially true for softer fish like Whitefish or Arctic Char.
Portion Control: The more accurate the cut, the less food waste, the less expensive the portion!
Fresh fish & seafood shelf life:
Fish and Seafood Shelf Life:
Normal shelf life is 5 days when the product is received, some products last longer but must be kept fully covered in ice.
You should never buy more than 3-4 days supply and use a First-In First-Out inventory policy.
Steaks and fillets must be in a closed bag with ice on top.
Rinsing the fresh fish helps maintain it better.
If ice melting occurs – drain the water and re-ice the product.
Storage of fish & seafood:
How to Store:
Fresh Seafood should be stored between the temperatures of 0 to 4 C.
Ice should be kept directly on top of all fresh fish, seafood and shellfish with the exception of coloured seafood such as Salmon, Tuna, Swordfish & etc. For coloured seafood, ice should be kept in a plastic bag on top of the fish to avoid discolouration.
Frozen Seafood should be stored between the temperatures of -15 to -21 C.
Frozen product should be kept packaged at all times while in the freezer to avoid freezer burn.
Thawing out frozen fish & seafood:
How to Thaw:
Frozen Seafood should be thawed out in the cooler overnight or 1-2 hours at room temperature before the product is required.
It's always recommended and preferred that the product should be thawed out under refrigerated conditions.
If required, cold water can be used to speed up the thawing process.
Seafood abbreviation list:
A list of common abbreviations used in the seafood industry:
ASC = Aquaculture Stewardship Council B.L.O. = Blood Line Out B/IN – Bone-in B/OUT = Bone-out BT = Black Tiger BTFY = Butterfly C/C = Centre-Cut C&K = Claw & Knuckle CKD = Cooked CPTOFF = Cooked Tail Off CPTON = Cooked Tail On CT = Count EC = East Coast EZDC = Easy Peel Deep Cut EZP or EP = Easy Peel FAS = Frozen at Sea FC = Final Count FIL = Fillets GGS = Gilled, Gutted & Scaled GT = Green Tiger GW = Gross Weight H&G = Headless & Gutted H-ON = Head-on IPB = Individually Poly Bagged IPW = Individually Poly Wrapped IQF = Individually Quick Frozen IVP = Individually Vacuum Packed MSC = Marine Stewardship Council NW = Net Weight PBI = Pin Bone In PBO = Pin Bone Out P&D = Peeled & Deveined PDTOFF = Peeled, Deveined, Tail Off PDTON = Peeled, Deveined, Tail On PF = Previously Frozen PRTN = Portions QP = Quick Peel (Easy Peel) S&G = Scaled & Gutted SKLS = Skinless Sk-off = Skin-off Sk-on = Skin-on SO = Shell-On SOEP = Shell-On Easy Peel S/P = Shatter pack (Layer pack) T-OFF = Tail-off T-ON = Tail-on TW = Take Weight VP = Vacuum Packed WC = West Coast
* As always, please use your own judgement when cooking, handling or storing fish & seafood. These are intended as general guidelines to help you out.
