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Fin Fish

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Categorizing Fin Fish• Round or Flat• Round fish have two identical sides that produce two identical filets

when butchered• Flat fish have a top and bottom that are identical and produce four

filets.• Two filets surround the body cavity and are smaller• Two filets encompass the entire length and are larger

The butchering technique is based on the shape of the fish.Other shapes

• Large fish are usually cut into steaks or sectioned into loins• There are usually 4 loins • Tuna, sword fish, shark

• Exceptions• Eels• monkfish

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Round Fish

Flat Fish

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Lean or Oily fish

The amount of fat in a fish will help determine the best cooking methods• Lean fish• More delicate• Moist cooking• Low gentle heat

• Fatty fish• Dry heat• Grilling• Firm flesh will hold up to higher temperatures• Better for cooking rare or slightly under done

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Market Forms of Fish• Whole or round – as caught, intact• Drawn – viscera (internal organs) removed, the most common

way to purchase fish• Dressed – viscera, gills, fins and scales removed (scale on or

off) – pan dressed – tail, fins trimmed, head removed• Butterflied – pan dressed fish, boned and opened like a book

both sides remain attached by the back skin or belly skin• Fillet – the side of a fish removed intact, boneless or semi-

boneless, with or without skin• Steak – a cross-section slice, with a small section of the

backbone (darne), sually prepared from large round fish.• Wheel or center cut – used for swordfish and shark, contains 4

quadrants surrounding the backbone.

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Handling Fish• Storing whole fish• Between 30 F – 34 F ̊ ̊• Stored on ice• Use a drainage pan w/a catch pan underneath• Store the way they swim• Change ice regularly

• Storing fillet• Between 30 F – 34 F ̊ ̊• Wrap in butcher paper• Layer on ice• Use a drainage pan w/ a catch pan underneath• Change ice regularly

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Fresh vs Frozen• Fresh – the item is not and has never been frozen• Chilled – used instead to “fresh” to indicate storage at proper

refrigeration temperatures Between 30 F – 34 F ̊ ̊• Flash-frozen – quickly frozen on usually on board the ship or at

the processing plant within hours of being caught• Fresh-frozen – not as quick as flash frozen• Frozen – stored at 0 F or below ̊• Glazed – the frozen product is dipped in water to form a glaze

of ice that protects the flesh from freezer burn• Fancy – code word for previously frozen

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Purchasing Fish• Smell – like the ocean• Eyes – clear not sunken or dried• Gills – bright red• Texture – moist, firm, slime• Fins & scales – moist, not dry of falling off• Appearance – moist, glistening, firm