Signs of High-Quality Fresh Fish and Shellfish
Signs of High-Quality Fresh Fish and Shellfish Introduction The first time I bought bad fish, I didn’t realise it until I was halfway through cooking. The texture was off — soft in a way that fish shouldn’t be — and the smell coming off the pan was sharp enough to make me genuinely reconsider the whole meal. I’d looked at it in the store and thought it seemed fine. I was wrong. What I didn’t know then, and what took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out, is that reading a fish for freshness is actually a learnable skill. It’s not complicated. It doesn’t require any special tools or insider knowledge. It’s mostly just knowing what to look for — and once you do, you stop second-guessing yourself at the counter. This guide covers the real signs of quality fresh fish and shellfish. Not a textbook version — just the practical stuff that actually helps when you’re standing there trying to decide whether something is worth buying. Start With the Smell. Always the Smell. Before yo...