MUSSELS

Make sure the mussels are alive when you buy them, by making sure all the shells are closed tightly. If the mussels are exposed to slightly warmer temperatures, ( when you are bringing them home for example) then pinch them together several times and they should close. Never use any that are open or won t close. Wash the mussels thoroughly even if they have been cleaned previously.

 

SQUID

Try to get fresh if possible and of a medium size. To small and the flesh is to thin and hard to prepare, to big and the flesh can be chewy for this style of cooking.

Preparing squid can be a messy job, plastic gloves are a good move as the black ink inside the squid can stain your hands for a short while, or ask your fishmonger to clean the squid for you.

 

QUEEN SCALLOPS

Try your fishmonger first for these sweet little morsels. Buying these in the shell could be quite a hard task, but give it a go. They will need 'shucking' from the shells, cleaned and then rinsed thoroughly. Failing this fresh should be available but try to avoid the 'soaked' type as these are soaked in a water solution and seem almost cooked before you start to use them and therefore tough when the dish is finished.

Fresh Fish

Knowing how to choose fresh fish or seafood is a vital skill for a seafood cook. Unless you caught the fish yourself, you really have no way of knowing exactly how fresh it is. But buying fresh fish is easy if you know what to look for. Here are tips on choosing fresh fish.

 

WHOLE FISH & FILLETS

• Look for bright, clear eyes. The eyes are the window to a truly fresh fish, for they fade quickly into gray dullness. Dull-eyed fish may be safe to eat, but they are past their prime.

• Next look at the fish. Does it shine? Does it look metallic and clean? Or has it dulled or has discolored patches on it? If so, it is marginal.

• Smell it. A fresh fish should smell like clean water, or a touch briny. Under no circumstances should you buy a nasty smelling fish. Cooking won't improve it.

• Look at the gills. They should be a rich red. If the fish is old, they will turn the colour of faded brick.F

• Look for vibrant flesh. All fish fade as they age. If the fillet still has skin, that skin should look as pristine as the skin on an equally good whole fish – shiny and metallic.

• Smell it. The smell test is especially important with fillets. They should have no pungent aromas.