Do you buy fish for Easter? Tips to know which one to choose on the market and how to clean it at home

Summer invites us to spend days on the beach and enjoy seafood. A cebichito or a tiradito sound tempting. Fish becomes one of the favorite ingredients when putting together the shopping list and it is even more so in this season when, in addition to the heat, we are at Easter; but it is important to know how to identify if it is fresh and in good condition before taking it home. To do this, we ask specialists for recommendations to identify the physical characteristics that the fish should have as well as the particularities to take into account at the sales stand.

Fish is a food with a high percentage of water so it is susceptible to decomposition. Therefore, during its display at the sales stand, it must be placed on a bed of ice to guarantee its good condition, explains Mabel Vila Arce, nutrition specialist within the National Eat Fish Program of the Ministry of Production.

“The table where the fish are displayed must be refrigerated or, at least, place ice on the edges to maintain the temperature. Sellers must always keep the product refrigerated (with ice) from the catch until it reaches the terminal. In this way, the freshness of the input is guaranteed,” adds Roger Arakaki, lead professor of the Haute Cuisine program at the Columbia Institute.

To ensure its preservation in good condition, also check that it is not exposed to sunlight.

Make sure that the board where the fish is gutted is acrylic or plastic because traces of blood or guts generally remain on wooden boards.

Years ago it was customary to wrap fish in newspaper, but this is not a good practice since paper has contaminating components (ink). For this reason, nutritionist Vila Arce advises that they place it in a transparent bag, to which Arakaki adds: “in a bag and additionally with a little ice so that the day’s catch stays well.”

Finally, make sure the seller has appropriate clothing: with an apron and cap, short nails, and clean clothing.

For the specialist of the National Eat Fish Program, there are five basic characteristics to ensure that this marine input is in good condition before taking it home:

1. Have firm and strong muscle. The test is to place your fingertips and press lightly. If the muscle returns to its initial state, it is fine.

2. Present bright, transparent and bulging eyes. Not pale.

3. The gills should be red and shiny.

4. Also, the skin should be shiny, not dull.

5. The fish should have a fresh, typical sea smell.

We get our fish with bright eyes and firm muscles, what do we do when we get home? First: clean it. Although the seller has generally already cut and gutted it, it is recommended that the surface be washed again to remove any last loose scales or traces of blood.

Second, we are presented with different scenarios: do we want to refrigerate it for immediate food or freeze it for the next few days? In both cases, it is important to maintain the cold chain, but in different ways.

For the Columbia Institute Haute Cuisine teacher, when you get home it is advisable to advance with any other preparation before starting with the fish and always keep it cold. “If we work with other foods first, we should put the fish in the refrigerator and then take it out to work with it,” he suggests. It is recommended to refrigerate between 0° to 4° (temperature that the refrigerator will have) so that the input lasts a maximum of 2 days.

For her part, nutritionist Mabel Vila Arce explains that fish, frozen at a temperature below -18°, can be kept in good condition for a maximum of two months. First cut the fish as you plan to use (into pieces, fillets, etc.), separate each one in a plastic bag and then place them in a container. Finally, put it in the freezer.

When you are ready to cook, place them in the freezer as thawing at room temperature is not recommended. Also remember that after defrosting the fish you cannot refreeze it.

Another option, for Arakaki, is to vacuum pack and then freeze it. “It is recommended because there is no internal oxygen, which prevents the product from oxidizing and spoiling,” he points out.