Learning to cook with fish

Fish is crucial to any diet. As an Army chef you will learn all about the fish species that are served on the plate as fish is used regularly on the hotplate and in healthy recipes. Fish can be classified into three groups, white fish (oil is concentrated in the liver in white fish), oily fish (oil is concentrated throughout the body flesh in oily fish) and shell fish.

These can then be categorised further by their fish group:

• White/Round: cod, haddock, whiting, pollack, coley, monk sh, mullet, hake

• White/Flat: plaice, sole, turbot, skate, halibut, dad, ounder

• Oily/Round: mackerel, herring, anchovy, sardine, pilchard, tuna

• Shell fish: prawn, lobster, mussel, squid, scallop, cockles, scampi

and by the cuts taken from the fish:

• Delice: a folded fillet taken from white round fish, such as sole and plaice.

• Goujon: taken from fish such as cod and plaice

• Fillet: two fillets can be taken from round fish, such as sole and plaice

• Darne: a slice of round fish on the bone, taken from fish such as salmon

• Supreme: a slanted cut from a large fillet, taken from fish such as salmon

Quality Points of Fresh Fish

• The eyes should be full, bright and not sunken

• The gills should be more red than brown

• The scales (if any) should be plentiful

• The flesh should be firm

• There should be no smell, only a faint fish odour

• There should be plenty of sea slime

Quality Points of Frozen Fish

For economical reasons, frozen fish is normally filleted and shell fish shelled. However, some people prefer to buy fish complete with shell and bone. Both options must adhere to the same standards.

• Ensure packaging is undamaged

• There should be no evidence of freezer burn (dry, leathery patches)

• There should be no evidence that the fish has not been partially, or fully, defrosted and then refrozen (evident from water having collected in corners and then been refrozen)

• The fish should be allowed to defrost naturally in a fridge

• Processed fish products (breadcrumbed, battered etc.) should not be stuck together

When storing fish, always ensure the following;

• That wet, fresh fish be used as soon as they are purchased. • That chilled fish should be stored in drainers, plastic boxes or trays. • That iced storage for wet fish should maintain a temperature of 0°C. There should also be ice surrounding the sh at all times. • That fish be stored at the bottom of the fridge, wrapped to prevent dripage. • That frozen fish be stored at -18°C.