The document provides information on different types of fish, including how to select, store, and cook fish. It discusses the classification of fish into various categories like fin fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and molluscs. It also describes optimal methods for cooking different kinds of fish based on their fat content, such as poaching lean fish and baking or broiling fatty fish. Guidelines are provided on properly handling and storing fresh or frozen fish to prevent spoilage.

1. Chef Iyer, IHMCTAN, Mumbai 1
FFFiiissshhh The edible flesh of fish, like that of meat and poultry, consists of water, proteins, fats and small amounts of minerals, vitamins and other substances. The differences, however, are perhaps more important than the similarities. Fish has very little connective tissue. It means that it cooks very easily even at lower heat. Fish is naturally tender. Moist heat methods are used not to create tenderness, but to preserve moistness and provide variety. Cooked fish must be handled very carefully. When fish is cooked, the flesh breaks apart into its natural separations. This is called “Flaking”. Fish is very delicate and is easily overcooked. The proteins present in fish are termed as „histone‟. CLASSIFICATION OF FISH
Classification of fish
1. Vertebrates (Fin Fish)
2. Invertebrates
Flat Fish(White/ Lean Fish)
Oily Fish(Round Fish)
Shell Fish
Cephalopods
Molluscs
Crustaceans
Univalve Bivalve
1. Fin Fish
Fin fish are vertebrates and have skin and scales which cover the body. They move with the help of their fins. They are subdivided into :
a. Flat (White or Lean) Fish These are mainly flat fish and contain oil only in the liver. Most of these are deep sea fish. E.g. Sole, Plaice, Lemon Sole, Skate, Flounder, Turbot, Dab, Halibut, Brill etc. A real flat fish will have both the eyes on the same side. Common local examples are Sole and Pomfret.
b. Oily (Round) Fish These are mainly round fish and contain fat all over the body. The amount of fat varies from 0.5 to 20% in different varieties. These fish are often pigmented and tend to be surface fish. Fresh Water fish include Trout, Crap, Pike, Eel, Salmon etc. Sea water fish include Red mullet, Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Gray Mullet, Red Bream, Cod, Hake, Whiting, Sardine, Whitebait, Sprat, Mackerel, Herring, Smelt, Pollack, Monkfish, and Haddock etc.
2. Cephalopods These type of fish have neither bones nor shell. Some of them have small cartilage e.g. Squid, Octopus, Cuttle fish etc.
3. Shell Fish Shell fish may be divided into:
a. Molluscs Molluscs may be further divided into :
i. Univalves These are recognized by the characteristic spiral formation of their shells, which unlike those of bivalves, are not divided into halves e.g. Whelks, Winkles etc.
ii. Bivalves These have two distinctly separated shells joined by a hinge-like membrane. The movements of shell are controlled by a strong muscle. When the muscles relax, the two halves of the shell fall open. The shell also opens when the organism dies, thus exposing the contents of the shell to contamination from outside, resulting in quick purification e.g. Oysters, Scallops, Mussels, Clams and Cockles. The shells of the Molluscs increase at the rate of one ring per year to allow for the growth of the organism. The age of the molluscs can thus be roughly estimated by the number of the rings on the shell.

2. 2 Chef Iyer, IHMCTAN, Mumbai
b. Crustaceans These have a segmented crust like shell e.g. Lobster, Crabs, Prawns, Shrimps, Crayfish (has claws), Crawfish (has no claws). The shells of the crustaceans don‟t grow with the fish, unlike those of the Molluscs, but are shed each year, with a new one forming to suit their new size.
HOW TO SELECT FISH The following points must be borne in mind when selecting fish:
1. Eyes should be bright and not sunken.
2. Gills should be red.
3. The tail should be stiff.
4. The flesh should be firm and not flabby.
5. The scales, if any, should be plentiful.
6. There should be no unpleasant odour.
7. To test a cut piece, press down a finger and if an impression is left, then the fish is stale.
8. Any tendency for the raw flesh to come away the bones is a dangerous sign.
Choosing Shellfish They should be brought in season as far as possible. They should be medium-sized and of good weight. It is best to buy them alive, particularly oysters, crabs and lobsters. If they are dead, the following precautions must be taken:
1. The eyes of the crabs should be springy and not hanging down.
2. The eyes should be bright.
3. The tail of the lobster should spring back when stretched out.
4. Shrimps and prawns must be crisp.
5. Oyster shells should be tightly closed.
CUTS OF FISH
1.
Darne
A slice or steak of round fish on the bone,with skin.(100 –150 gms)
2.
Troncon
A slice or steak of flat fish on the bone,with skin.(100 – 150 gms)
3.
Fillet
A fillet of fish usually from a small fish without bones and skin.
4.
Supreme
Applied to large fillets of fish cut into portion sizes on the slant.
5.
Delice
Applied to neatly folded fillets of fish.
6.
Goujon
Applied to fillets of fish cut into strips approximately 6 cms X 1cm x 1 cm.
7.
Goujonettes
Goujonettes are neatly shaped rounded cylindrical strips.
8.
Paupiette
This term is applied to fillets of smaller fish which are stuffed with farce, fish or vegetables or a mixture of both, neatly rolled into a barrel shape, tied or pinned.
9.
En tresse
Derived from a fillet. Cut the fillet into three strips, leaving them attached on the one end, then plait the three strips into a neat plait.
10.
En Loregnette
Usually made from long fish. Remove backbone leaving fillets attached to head. Roll each fillet towards head-the two fillets representing the glasses of a pince- nez, the head the handle.
COOKING OF FISH The flesh of fish is very delicate and therefore great care must be taken to prevent the flesh from breaking during cooking. When boiling or cooking fish, the liquid should be at simmering point before fish is added-as the connective tissue in fish is softer and less in quantity than in meat. When preparing fish stew or curry, fish is put into cold liquid to flavour the gravy as well. Whole fish may also be covered with a cold liquid and brought to boil. This is done to prevent the shrinkage of the skin. Steaming is a better method of cooking fish as it is a gentle method. Fish cookery is not a special method of cooking. All methods of cooking can be applied bearing in mind that the delicacy of the fish and the fat content of the fish determine the cooking method. The time taken is always much less than for cooking meat. An average timetable is as follows, but much depends on the size and shape of the fish:
Baking and Boiling
10 minutes/500 gms and 10 minutes over.
Steaming
15 minutes/500 gms and 15 minutes over.
Stewing
½ to ¾ of an hour from the time the stew begins to simmer.
Frying
About 5 minutes.
Grilling, Steamed or Baked
5-7 minutes (Poached, deep fried or baked in a sauce. Baked, grilled or pan fried)
Cooking Lean Fish
Since lean fish has almost no fat, it can easily become very dry, especially if over-cooked. It is often served with sauces to enhance the moistness and give richness. Lean fish is well suited to poaching.

3. Chef Iyer, IHMCTAN, Mumbai 3
While baking, it should be generously basted with butter or oil and should not be overcooked to become dry. Lean fish may be fried or sautéed. The fish gains palatability from the added fat. Cooking Fat Fish The fat in these fish enables them to tolerate more heat without becoming dry. Fat fish, like lean fish, can be cooked by moist heat. Fat fish are well suited to broiling and baking. The dry heat helps eliminate some excessive oilness. Large fat fish like Salmon or stronger flavoured fish like Bluefish or Mackerel are rarely cooked in fat. Smaller ones like Trout are often pan fried. Baking Whole fish and fish portions may be cooked by baking in an oven. It is mostly used for steaks and fillets and with small fish. It is also a popular method for preparing shell fish such as stuffed clams or oysters. Broilling Like baking, broiling is a dry heat method. Care should be taken to avoid overcooking the fish because of the intense heat. Sautéing and Pan-frying As in meat cookery, the extract distinction between sautéing and pan frying fish is impossible to draw. For many purposes, the two terms are used interchangeably. A classic method for sautéing fish is called a la meuniere. Deep Fat frying This is perhaps the most popular method of preparing fish in world over. Fish to be fried is breaded or battered to protect the fish from the frying fat and to protect the frying fat from the fish. It also gives a crisp, flavourful and attractive coating. Poaching and Simmering in Court Bouillon Court Bouillon may be defined as water containing seasoning, herbs and usually as acid, used for cooking fish. The name means „Short Broth‟ in French-so called because it is made quickly unlike stocks. The famous preparation called Truit au bleu (Blue trout) is made by poaching trout that are alive up until cooking time. The fish must be alive and must not be washed in order for the fish to turn blue. Live fish have a protective slimy coating and the blue colour results from the vinegar in the court bouillon, reacting with this coating. Simmering and Steaming The item cooks in its own juices and usually a small amount of added liquid. The item is served with its flavourful cooking liquid. In some cases, enough liquid is added to barely cover and the item simmers. In other cases, little liquid is added and the item cooks in the steam trapped by the pot lid. The French term „etuver‟ is used for this kind of procedure. The word is usually translated as stew but this may be misleading. More precisely, it means „to cook or steam in its own juices ot to sweat‟. Cooking en papillote (or in an en envelope/grease proof paper) The fish item plus flavourings and sauce are tightly enclosed in a piece of parchment so that steam can‟t escape. When the item is heated, it steams in its own moisture. All the juices, flavours and aromas are held inside the paper which is not opened until it is placed before the guest. The colour of the shellfish when cooked is due to „astaxanthin‟ getting converted to „astacin‟. WHAT TO SERVE WITH FISH When fish is served as a main dish, it is usually served with potatoes, a salad or a cooked vegetable and a sauce. HANDLING AND STORAGE Fish and shell fish are some of the most perishable foods. It is especially important to store them carefully and use them quickly. The fishy taste that turns people away from fish is actually a sign of decomposition. Fresh fish should taste and smell sweet and fresh. Storing fresh fish The main objectives are:
1. To maintain temperature of 30 to 34°F (-1 to 1°C) to keep the fish moist,
2. To prevent fish odours and flavours from being transferred to other foods, and
3. To protect the delicate flesh from being bruised or crushed.
Fish is stored on crushed ice, the preferred method. Cover container or store in separate box, away from other foods. In refrigerated box at 30 to 34°F if crushed ice storage is not available or practical. Fresh fish may be stored for 1 or 2 days. If it must be kept longer, wrap and freeze it immediately or

4. 4 Chef Iyer, IHMCTAN, Mumbai
cook and then refrigerate it for later use in recipes calling for cooked fish. Check stored fish for freshness just before you use it. Frozen fish Frozen fish account for more of the fish served today than does fresh. Store at 0°F (-18°C) or colder. Keep well wrapped to prevent freezer burn. Maximum storage time for fat fish is 2 months while fro lean fish is 6 months. Rotate stock as „first in first out‟. ***************************