Whether you’re a seasoned seafood enthusiast or just starting to explore the world of fish, buying and storing fresh fish can be a bit of a challenge. With the right tips, however, it’s easier than you might think. In this post, I’ll share my top 10 tips for selecting the freshest fish at the market and ensuring it stays perfectly preserved at home.

How to Tell if Fish is Fresh

In my cooking classes, I am often asked for advice on handling fish. So, I thought I would share here my 10 tips on buying and storing fresh fish:

1. Pick the right market. Choose a fish market with knowledgeable sales people and high turnover. Makes your job a lot easier if they know what they are doing; and high turnover means fresher fish.

2. Look at the eyes. They should be clear and bright/shiny, not cloudy.

3. Check the scales. You want them to be shiny and firm, not dry and flaky.

4. Examine the consistency. It should be firm (spring back when touched). If the fish is skinned, it shouldn’t have cracks, and it should look damp but not be sticky.

5. Look at the color. You want the flesh to not be discolored or brown, and white fish should be fairly translucent. Tuna should be pink to dark red but not brown.

6. Smell it. You want fish with a mild scent that is fresh – like the ocean, not fishy or sour smelling.

7. If wrapped in plastic, make sure there is little to no liquid in the bottom of the packaging.

Once you get your fish home:

8. Eat it the same day – or up to one day after purchasing.
9. Store it in the refrigerator, on top of a ziptop baggie of ice – or one of those frozen ice blocks you put in a cooler.
10. Keep it refrigerated until just before cooking, especially if grilling.

Quick and Easy Fish Recipes To Try

Now that you know how to correctly select and store fresh fish, here are a few of my favorite quick and easy fish recipes to try:

Roasted-cod-feta-lemon-dill-on-spinach-recipe-seasonedkitchen.com

Oven Baked Cod with Lemon and Dill on Spinach

This quick & healthy dish is bursting with flavor! Feta, lemon and dill top flaky cod nestled on garlicky spinach, creating a vibrant and delicious dinner in under 30 minutes!

Easy White Fish Piccata with Artichokes

Delicious, light and healthy, Easy Fish Piccata with Artichokes is quick enough for every day, elegant enough for entertaining. Mild fish filets (think cod or halibut) are sautéed, then served with a piccata-inspired sauce. To the standard piccata sauce base of lemon, butter and capers, I add chopped shallots, green onion, white wine, chicken broth and marinated artichoke hearts. The resulting dish is fresh, light, piquant and pretty on the plate!

overhead view of salmon and vegetables baked in foil, with foil cut open to show inside

Oven Baked Salmon in Foil with Vegetables

This fresh and healthy recipe for Salmon and Vegetables en Papillote is the perfect dinner option for those busy days when you’re looking for a quick, easy and nutritious dish. Salmon fillets are paired with a flavorful combination of julienne vegetables and marinated in a deeply flavored blend of hoisin sauce, garlic, and orange juice. These ingredients are then all bundled up in foil (or parchment paper) to create a convenient, mess-free package that can be baked or grilled to perfection.

A single serving of Pistachio Crusted Fish, sitting on a light green plate that's on a cutting board.

Easy Baked Pistachio Crusted Fish Recipe

Flavorful, moist and flaky, Pistachio Crusted Fish comes together quickly (less than 20 minutes) with just 5 ingredients. Brown sugar and chopped pistachios form a luscious crunchy topping, dill adds a warm, slightly grassy tone, and lemon juice provides tangy added moisture. Altogether, this delectable, no-breadcrumb topping provides the ideal texture and flavor pairing for a mild, slightly sweet fish like sea bass.

plate holding one Roasted Salmon Steak, with broccoli on the side

Roasted Salmon Steaks with Lemon Butter Sauce

Indulge in the delightful simplicity of our Roasted Salmon Steaks with Lemon Butter Sauce – a dish that effortlessly combines speed and elegance, while showcasing the rich, natural flavor of salmon. Inspired by a recipe my mom crafted during a memorable family camping trip in Alaska, this culinary gem requires just seven ingredients and a mere five minutes of preparation. The result? Tender, flaky, and consistently moist salmon that brings a taste of gourmet to your table in no time.

black and gold plate with Grilled Tuna with Puttanesca Sauce

Grilled Tuna Steak Recipe

Fresh Grilled Tuna Steak topped with salty, sweet while still tangy, and a bit spicy mixture of tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, red pepper flakes and oregano. That’s all it takes to prepare this quick and easy Grilled Tuna Recipe with Puttanesca Sauce!

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Comments

  1. Love the salmon recipe. I really enjoyed all the comments of how terrific my salmon was. Thank you greatly for the delicious recipes. Looking forward to many more gatherings. Well with you and your recipes
    I believe all will be successful.
    Respectfully,
    Kellie

3 different kinds of whole fish on ice at a fish market

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About the author

Hi, I'm Lee.

I am inspired by my mother, Sally’s, love of cooking and entertaining to gather friends and family together over great meals and conversation. In fact, I held my first dinner party at the age of 16. Throughout the years, I’ve provided recipes, menu advice and cooking tips to friends seeking uncomplicated and delicious ideas for home entertaining.


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