Buying Fish Like a Chef: A Coastal Field Guide
Great seafood cooking starts before you turn on a burner. At the counter, trust your nose first: fresh fish smells like clean ocean, never sour or sharp. Look for bright, domed eyes, gills the color of a ripe cherry, and flesh that springs back when pressed. A whole fish tells you far more than a wrapped fillet ever will.
Ask what came in that morning and let the answer steer dinner. A flexible cook who buys what is freshest will eat better than one who walks in demanding a specific fish. Build your meal around the best-looking thing in the case, and your plate rewards you for the humility.
Once home, keep fish cold and cook it soon. Store it on ice in the coldest part of the fridge and pat it bone-dry before it meets the pan. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear, and a dry surface is the single biggest upgrade most home cooks can make.