Is frozen fish a good idea?

For four years I've been preaching the gospel of fresh-caught, fresh-bought fish to everyone who comes to the Ninecooks kitchen. I've made the run to our favorite local fish market many times, often early on the morning before a cooking group meets, so that we can cook seafood that hasn't turned googly overnight in the fridge.

So what, you're wondering, is this obviously frozen package of Trader Joe's Alaskan Cod Fillets doing in my kitchen? Why frozen fish? And why cod from Alaska, when I live in New England, home of the bean and the cod?

The answer is that I'm a bit superstitious when it comes to recipes, especially when I'm experimenting. If I've made something once and I like the outcome, I'm inclined to try to duplicate it (which, by the way, never quite works). Yes, I'm curious about how a recipe would taste if I change this or that. But I also want to see if I can make the same thing twice, and that means using the same brand of hot sauce or canned tuna or sausage or whatever.

The Wednesday Lunch Group's next menu features two dishes inspired by cuisine of the Iberian Peninsula, and one of those recipes – cod with raisins and almonds – I've made before, the first time as part of a tapas-based Thanksgiving feast my friend Candy Nartonis – artist, adventurous cook, and recent traveler to Spain – and I prepared last November. The original recipe called for salt cod, but Candy brought a package of TJ's frozen cod that she'd defrosted in the refrigerator overnight; the cod was beautiful, well-trimmed, tender, not fishy-smelling at all. So we adapted the original recipe here and there. And the result was outstanding.

Trader Joe's sells a huge variety of fish (swordfish, mako shark, salmon, tuna, etc.), and the price is right (cod that sells for $5.99/pound at TJ's is $7.99/pound or more at my fish market). The 1-1/4 pound package will make six tapas-size servings, or 3-4 main dish servings. It's important to use the fish as soon as it's completely thawed; if it sits around waiting in the fridge, it will get waterlogged. Though the package says to "remove all packaging" when thawing, we've always kept it in the shrink-wrap, and the instructions below, from the Trader Joe's site, say the same:

Best bet:  Thaw from frozen in package in the refrigerator for 24 hours;  2nd best: in packaging in bowl of water in fridge for 1-2 hours;  Quick thaw: under cold running water.  Cheater thaw: remove from packaging and microwave on defrost until thawed.  Never thaw seafood at room temperature and marinate only in the refrigerator- discard marinade after use.

Until I moved to the country, where the nearest fish market is 45 minutes away and everything we do that involves food and food shopping involves planning ahead, I never used frozen fish. I have tried the tuna steaks, but cooked them as I would have cooked fresh fish – on the grill – and they overcooked in no time. Best to use this frozen fish in dishes that involve a sauce, which will help retain the moisture in the fish.

(Did I mention that the nearest Trader Joe's is an hour away, near Boston? Now, if only they'd put a store in Rhode Island....)

Comments

[Marcia]

Small as Rhode Island is, some of us live 45 minutes from the coast.
We stock up at the fish markets in Gallilee, where the fish comes right off the boat.
Other times we go to the Wakefield Fish Market on Main St.,which, according to locals is the best around. Both places give bags of ice to pack around the fish for the journey home. We freeze most of it..except for that day's feast!

[JoAnn Smith]

I put some flash frozen Cod fillets from my freeze to my refridgerator on 4/13/2007.
It has been in the frig. Is it safe to use if I cook it today,4/16/2007?

[Lydia]

JoAnn, open the package and smell the fish. It will probably be watery from the defrosting, but if you've kept it quite cold, it might still be OK. Generally, I wouldn't defrost three days ahead; try to do it closer to when you plan to cook.