The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 461

wares even in front of the customer, chances are
you’renotgettinggoodsworthpayingfor.
• Look at the fish. Does it look fresh?
Wholefishshouldhaveshinyscales,perfectlyclear
eyes,andbrightredgills.Bloodshotorcloudyeyes
are an early sign of spoilage. Fillets and steaks
shouldlookshiny,fresh,andmoist.
• Smellthefish.Freshfishshouldnothavea
“fishy” aroma, it should just smell faintly briny.
Anyhintofammoniaisabadsign.
• Poke the fish. If they’ll let you, that is.
Fresh fish has resilient flesh that springs back
when you gently poke it. If the flesh is mushy or
your finger leaves an indentation, leave the fish
behind.


Storing
Aswithasparagusorcorn,thebestwaytostorefish
is not to. You should plan on buying it just before
you’re going to take it home, put it in the fridge as
soon as you get there, and cook it within a few
hours.
Ifyoumustbuyyourfishthedaybeforeoreven2
days before, keep it as cold as possible. With very
clean hands, rinse the fish thoroughly under cold
running water to wash away any surface bacteria,
thencarefullypatitdrywithpapertowels.Transfer