Once they have been caught, fish may be processed in a wide variety of ways. This often begins on the high seas as fish is a food that very quickly perishes. Moreover we differentiate between fresh fish, frozen fish, fish preserves, smoked fish and dried fish:
- Fresh fish: Sold in shops as a whole fish, fillets or pieces.
- Frozen fish: Is generally cleaned, gutted, filleted and frozen as soon as it has been caught.
- Fish preserves: With this collective name we differentiate between semi-preserved and fully-preserved fish. Marinated fish and fried fish are generally semi-preserved. They always have to be stored in a cool place and may only be kept for a few weeks or months. Fully-preserved fish may be kept unopened for several years without the need for refrigeration.
- Smoked fish: With this type of preservation we differentiate between hot and cold smoking. With hot smoking the fresh fish is cooked for a number of hours at temperatures of 60 °C until it has reached the desired consistency. In the final stage the fish is exposed to moist heat by cutting back the air supply and covering the fish with moist wood shavings. In this manner it may be preserved for 4 to 8 days. With the aid of this method a herring is turned into a “bloater”. With cold smoking the fish is first salted, briefly dried outdoors and then smoked at temperatures of 15 to 20 °C. Smoked salmon and English kippers can thus be preserved for as long as two weeks.
- Dried fish: Stockfish is primarily made using cod, but also with coalfish, pollock and haddock. The fish are hung up to dry without the head and innards on a drying frame. If the fish is salted prior to drying the resulting fish is known as cured fish.
There are no limits placed on the fantasy when preparing fish of any kind. As fish meat contains a low proportion of connective tissue, it cooks quickly and is easily digestible.
The preference for certain fish recipes is strongly dictated by regional predilections. In its preserved form, smoked, salted or marinated, fish is often served with cold dishes. It may also be steamed, fried or baked however. And raw fish in the form of sushi and sashimi is also gaining in popularity in Europe.
Additional information gelatine: The connective tissue of fish can also be used for the manufacture of gelatine. In comparison with other raw materials, however, fish represents only a small proportion of the starting materials.
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