Fish Cookery

Introduction :

A fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal i.e., covered with scales and has a set
of paired fins and several unpaired fins. Most fish are cold blooded allowing their
body temperatures to vary as ambient temperatures change. Fish are abundant
most bodies of water. They are found in nearly all aquatic environments. At 31,900
spaces fish exhibit greater spaces diversity than any other class of vertebrate.

5 (a) Classification of Fish

Fish and shellfish were once plentiful and inexpensive but nowadays the
demand has become to outstrip the supply. There are 2 main categories of fish
that are found: flat fish and round fish. Those that live near or on the seabed are
known as dermersal fish. These are white fish whose nutritious oil is concentrated
in the liver. Oily fish tend to swim in the shoals near the surface of the sea. They
are known as pelagic fish. In oily fish the nutritious oil is dispersed throughout
the flesh. That fish spend more of time lying on the seabed and due very little
swimming. Flat fish starts life with an eye each side of their head like a round fish
and they swim upright like round fish too. As they matured they start to swim on
one side only and one eye moves over the head on to the dark skinned side of the
body. Because they do not have to chase their food, their flesh is always delicate
and while without too much muscle fiber. They have simple bone structure. Eg:
Dover sole, turbot and halibut rank the finest fish.


11

Round fish usually oily fish are always popular because they are nutritious
an owing to their health giving properties. They contain protein, vitamin A, B & D
and omega 3 fatty acid, which helps to reduce the risk of clogged arteries, blood
clots, strokes and even cancer. Oily fish live near the surface of the sea congregated
in shoals. The largest family of oily fish is the eg: herrings, mackerel, sardines and
pilchards, salmon (known as the king of the fish).

Shellfish –

Shellfish may be divided into 3 distinct categories:

(a) Crustacean - crab, crawfish, crayfish, lobsters, prawns and shrimps.
(b) Molluscs – cockles, mussels, oysters, and scallops
(c) Cephalopods – octopus, squids, cutlet fish
Molluscs are univalves, bivalves and cephalopods. Univalves are conch, snail,
winkles and periwinkles. Bivalves are scallops, oysters, and mussel. Cephalopods
are squid, octopus and cutet fish.

The characteristics of flat fish include the following one pigmented and one
non pigmented sides.

5 (b) Cuts of Fish

Fish is generally separated into 2 categories i.e., lean and fatty. Lean fish
contains 1-5% fat whereas fatty fish contains 5-35% fat which makes it darker, richer
and stronger tasting than lean fish.

1. Steaks
Thick slices of fish on or off the bone.

Steaks of round fish (salmon, cod) may be called darnes.

Steaks of flat fish on the bone (turbot, halibut) may be called troncons.

2. Fillets
Cuts of fish free from bone: Around fish yields two fillets; a flat fish four
fillets.

3. Supremes
Prime cuts of fish without bone and skin (pieces cut from fillets of salmon,
turbot, brill, etc.

4. Goujons
Fillet fish cut into strips approximately 8×0.5 cm (3×1/4inch).

12

CUTS OF FISH



Fillet 2 from a round fish
Fillet 4 from a flat fish
Delice A trimmed folded fillet
(lightly flattens the fillet
and fold as indicated)
Paupiettes A small rolled-up fillet
(often stuffed)
Strips (goujons) Thin strips of fish fillet
(often bread-crumbed)
Darne A steak cut from
a round fish
Steak A steak cut from a flat
fish (or half the
prepared fish)
Supreme of
Escalope
A slanted cut-from
a large fillet

13

5.
Paupiettes
Fillets of fish (sole, place, whiting) spread with a stuffing and rolled.

6.
Plaited
Also known as en tresse; e.g. sole fillets cut into three even pieces length wise
to within 1cm (1/2 inch) of the top and neatly plated.

5 (c) Selection of fish and skill fish

When buying whole fish the following points should be looked for to ensure
freshness:

1.
EYES: bright, full and not sunken, no slime or cloudiness.
2.
GILLS: bright red in color, no bacterial slime.
3.
FLESH: firm, translucent and resilient so that when pressed the
impression goes quickly, the fish must not be limp.
4.
SCALES: flat, moist and plentiful.
5.
SKIN: should be covered with a fresh sea slime, or be smooth and moist,
with a good sheen and no abrasions or bruising, there should be no
discoloration.
6.
SMELL: pleasant, with no smell of ammonia or sourness.
7.
Fish should be purchased daily, if possible, direct from the market or
supplier.
8.
The fish should be well iced so that it arrives in good condition.
9.
Fish may be bought on the bone or filleted. (The approximate loss from
boning and waste is 50% for flat fish and 60% for round fish.)
10.
Medium- sized fish are usually better than large fish, which may be
coarse, small fish often lack flavor.
Round fish should be scaled & gutted, and fins removed


14

1.
Make a deep cut just behind the gills (about halfway through the
thickness of the fish).
2.
Cut a slit a few inches in length along the top of the fish (the dorsal side).
3.
Using the tip of the knife, separate the flesh from the bones, as illustrated.
The fish should open up just like a book.
4.
When completely open, finish cutting away the fillet by moving the knife
along the “spine of the book.”
Removing the skin from the fish fillets

Hold the tail end of the fillet firmly with the tip of your finger.
Firmly hold the knife still and at a fixed angle and make a deep cut.
Wriggle the skin from side to side while pulling backwards on the exposed bit of


fish skin.
Continue this motion through the fillet.
Use a filet knife in separating the fish skin from the flesh



SELECTION FACTOR OF SHELLFISH

Crustaceans – This family of shellfish is truly enormous and includes crab, lobster,
Cray fish, prawn and shrimps. They can be in any shape or size, their distinguishing
feature being that their skeleton is on the outside concealing a soft and delicious
flesh.

Molluscs – This family of shellfish is normally divided into two main groups i.e.,
gastropods which include whelk and winkle and bivalves which include clam
and mussels. This group of molluscs have attached hinged external cell that has
lose soft, delicate flesh inside and includes clam, mussels and oysters.


15

COOKING OF FISH

Most fish are edible and the world of fish represents an enormous source of
good food. The most nourishing fishes come from river, eg. eels, salmon, trout,
mackerel, fresh herrings, turbot. All fishes consist of nearly 75% of water and also
the albumenoid (egg whites) consistency varies little from fish to fish (about 18%).
Fish flesh does not vary much from that of land animals. Proportions of fat, minerals
and albumenoid are very much the same. Fish has phosphorated compounds and
leaner fish fishes are much easily digestible and are excellent food for the sedentary
workers and the sicks.

The edible flesh of fish and sea food like that of meat and poultry consist of
water, protein, fat and small amount of minerals, vitamins and trace elements. The
most important factor is that fish has very little connective tissues. It is this lack of
connective tissues that make the fish:

1. Cook very quickly even at low heat.
2. Fish is naturally tender.
3. Cooked fish should be handled carefully or it will fall apart.
Fish being an aquatie vertebiate is the most seat after food due to its high
proein content and easy is digest factor. They can he cooked in different ways
applying all the cooking methode. State fish are not arly unappetizing hit they can
also be the cause of digestve disorders or even poisoning.