Tips When Buying Local Seafood
Photo by Adam DeTour / Styled by Catrine Kelty
Laura Foley Ramsden of Foley Fish is zealous about fresh seafood. Her company runs the accredited Foley School of Fish four times a year, where chefs, customers and potential customers learn everything about fish, hook to skillet—from unloading the boat to grading to identifying if fish has been previously frozen, how a certain fish has been stored until sale and how fish are sometimes adulterated. Here are some of her tips to consumers when buying local fish.
The fish store should not smell fishy. Fresh fish doesn’t smell.
Ask to smell the fish—there should not be a fishy or soapy smell.
Fish eyes should be bright and clear.
Check that the fish hasn’t been treated in a brine tank—it would be unusually shiny.
When you go out to eat, see what chefs are doing with local catch to get ideas for cooking.
Ask questions about freshness and where the fish comes from, even at the supermarket. As a consumer, you have power.
This sidebar appeared in the Winter 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Local Fish.