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 Iceland is a major supplier of frozen food, not just the homeland of singer Bjork and pickled sharks. Iceland is mainly specialized in the production of frozen fish.
How do you feel about frozen fish? For many of us, these are gourmet fish sticks and breaded fish semi-finished products that have come a long way to the fish store.
Frozen foods usually have a reputation for being poor quality. And this is not surprising. There are far more fresh fish in stores today than they did eight years ago. The sale of frozen fish has dropped sharply.
Fresh fish in stores can be on display for only a few days, while frozen fish retains all its original qualities for a long time. In addition, some fish look fresh, but in fact they were previously frozen and then thawed. In such a situation, Icelandic fish suppliers recommend buying frozen fish and, if necessary, defrosting it themselves. If you freeze the fish correctly, it will not affect its quality.
Supermarket chain Iceland founder Malcolm Walker says: “If you're making a casserole at home, divide it in half and put half in the refrigerator and half in the freezer. Which half do you want to eat in ten days? The same applies to fish. " The range of products sold by Walker's supermarkets includes flounder, bream, sardines and many other types of fish that you are unlikely to find in such abundance in other stores.
But doesn't freezing affect the quality of the fish? “No, but only if you do it right,” says Alistair Blair, chairman of The Fish Society. The cost of one kilogram of fish in their company can go up to £ 25. At the same time, Blair focuses on the number of repeat customers who spend thousands of pounds on lobsters and halibuts, which is undeniable proof of the quality of their products.
At home in the freezer, fish freeze at -18 ° C for several hours, especially if they are large. Ice crystals formed on the fish's body melt during defrosting and change its appearance.
As a result, the fish becomes soft and, frankly, loses its former attractiveness. Cod, for example, is in good condition up to three days after fishing, and then it begins to deteriorate. However, in stores it will increase the shelf life by several days and it will be considered "fresh."
In the factory, the fish freezes in a few minutes and then is stored at temperatures between -25 and -30 ° C. For this reason, ice crystals do not form even after the fish is placed in the home freezer. Nevertheless, Blair admits that he sometimes freezes fish at home, "but no more than a couple of fillets at a time."
When I spoke to Blair, he was holding a 28kg and 4ft long halibut fillet, brought to the Fish Society from Scotland.
He paused briefly and then said that frozen fish had a bad reputation in the 60s and 70s of the 20th century.
“At the time, fishing vessels were sailing from the port town of Grimsby in England to fish off the coast of Iceland for two weeks. The first fish caught could have been on board the ship for 12-14 days before being put up for sale. The markets also offered fish from a fishing boat that may have been caught in local waters two days ago. People had the opportunity to choose between a two-day and two-week cod.Large processing enterprises bought cheap Icelandic fish. To be honest, this is not good. Retailers were buying fish two days ago. ”
On this basis, a dubious reputation appeared: frozen fish is really worse in quality. Today, fish is frozen immediately after catch, usually during the day on the ship itself. “If you take high quality fish or fillets and freeze them, and the next day thaw and serve along with unfrozen fish, I’ll be interested to know if you can tell the difference,” Blair argued.
But Blair is right, isn't he? I approached the angler Rex Goldsmith, who worked at the Tesco fish store in the early nineties and later founded his own fish store, The Chelsea Fishmonger.
"Are Iceland and The fish Society right to eat frozen fish?"
“Everyone has the right to their opinion on this matter,” he told me.
Blair is on the side of honest, independent fishmongers and prefers that "nothing beats the quality of fresh fish just caught." However, he notes that not all sellers can be trusted. In addition, many of us simply do not have the opportunity to have local suppliers of fresh fish.
So is it worth buying frozen fish now? Yes of course. Now there is a huge assortment of quality frozen fish, from which you can prepare a wide variety of dishes.
Perhaps now I will not be able to pass by the fish store. In any case, the more fish we eat, the more benefits we get.
N.V. Naumchik
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