For anyone who serves seafood, ensuring a safe, fresh, and delicious seafood dish is a top priority. Seafood is special and needs a bit of additional care to prepare vs. some other foods on your menu. Here is some of the science behind your favorite breaded fish.
Moisture
Moisture is important to consider when preparing fish. Most fish have a fairly high moisture content. As an example, depending on the season, the percentage of moisture of cod will be in the low to mid-80s. That extra moisture can wreak havoc on your coating system if you do not make accommodations. For comparison, the typical percentage of moisture in a boneless skinless chicken breast is in the high 60s or low 70s. So when preparing fish, you need to accommodate moisture content.
Coating System
During a recent presentation at the American Food Innovate Summit, our R&D Director spoke about how to embrace and prepare for the moisture in the fish you serve. After all, moist, flaky fish is really delicious! One way to accommodate extra moisture is to create channels for the moisture to be released in the cooking process. This works best with breaded items as there is natural spacing between crumb pieces. A cracker meal blended with the flavor components works well. Because the cracker meal is already cooked, it doesn’t absorb the moisture purge as quickly, and jagged edges allow for channels of release. When you combine those channels with added leavening to increase the size and number of bubbles, you have the ability to vent some moisture.
Alternatively, you can use your coating system to allow added moisture to be absorbed. This is not the ideal option because the absorbed moisture can lead to a gummy or gooey interface. The added absorption can also lead to problems with poor adhesion of the coating. We actively try not to increase the moisture absorption in our products. We use components like pre-gelled starch and cracker meal to encourage the release of moisture rather than absorption.
More Tips for Preserving Product Quality
While moisture and coating systems are two of the most important aspects of preparing fish, there are a few other tips to keep in mind. For starters, keep the product cold and always cook according to product instructions. It might seem like it goes without saying, but sometimes the most basic steps are the easiest to overlook.
Next, consider product packaging. Products that are skin-packed retain moisture and preserve shelf life. This is a new capability for Channel Fish Processing and offers an opportunity to protect the integrity of the product our customers serve.
Are you stumbling over a seafood preparation challenge? Channel Fish Processing has been in the business since 1946, so please let us help! Contact jmonti@channelfish.com or call 617-464-3366.
