Recipe(tried): Fresh Fish Shopping and Cooking Tips for Debbie

Dear Debbie,

Being a Californian, I am a fish-eater and I have lots of good advice for you.

- First off, smell the fish before you buy it. Don't buy it wrapped in cellophane because you can't smell it that way. Buy it from a store that has it in the case. White fish should be shiny and translucent. If it's brownish, grayish or dull, leave it. Next, ask the fishmonger to let you smell it before he/she wraps it up. Take a good long sniff as close as you can without touching the fish. It should have no smell. I am serious. Raw fish has no smell. If there is an odor to it, don't buy it.

- Keep it cold until you get home to put it in the refrigerator. If you plan on buying fish, take a couple of frozen blue ice packs with you to the store and keep the fish cold on it. If you get it home and unwrap it and detect an odor, all is not lost. Simply soak the fish in milk for about 1/2 hour (refrigerated of course) before you drain it and cook it.

- If you buy fish with skin on, do skin the fish before cooking. A good, sharp fillet knife will do the trick. There is a layer of oily flesh next to fish skin and that part has the strongest taste, especially on salmon. Here in California a lot of restaurants leave the skin on salmon and I simply can't eat it that way.

- Finally, cook your fish gently. I have found that high heat, such as broiling and barbecuing, cause the oils to permeate the flesh and make it taste fishy. I prefer pan-frying, sauteeing, poaching and baking for fish.

I have lots of great recipes for cooking fish, so let me know if you want me to post them. Bon Appetit!
Marilyn