Preparing and Cooking Fish and Shellfish

1 Prepare fish

• Types of fish:  
• ~fresh or preserved,
• ~white
• ~flat e.g., plaice, lemon sole, dover sole, turbot, halibut,
• ~round e.g., cod, haddock,
• ~oily: round e.g., trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, local variations.
• Quality points in ingredients: frozen fish - hard with no signs of thawing, packaged correctly with no signs of damage, no signs of freezer burn, fresh fish - clear bright eyes which are not sunken, bright red gills, scales intact, skin is moist and slightly slippery, skin is shiny with bright natural colouring, stiff tail, firm flesh, fish has sea fresh smell
• Tools and equipment: knives, colour coded chopping boards, bowls
• Preparation: gutting, removing stomach contents, skinning, filleting, boning and trimming, descaling, application of coatings, application of flavourings
• Cuts of fish: darnes, tronçons, fillets, suprêmes, goujons, paupiettes
• Storing: appropriate temperatures, separating raw foods and ready to eat foods, wrapping

2 Cook fish

• Tools and equipment: salamanders, grills, deep fat fryers, shallow fryers, salmon kettles, ovens, knives, colour-coded chopping boards, kitchen scissors, protective gloves
• Cooking methods: baking, boiling, grilling, deep frying, shallow frying, pan frying, roasting, poaching, steaming, en papillote, stir frying
• Dish quality: colour, texture, appearance, aroma, taste, consistency, quantity, temperature
• Holding temperature: above 63ᵒC
• Safe storage: cooling quickly, blast chilling from 63˚C to 5˚C, storing in shallow airtight containers below 5˚C

3  Prepare shellfish

• Types of shellfish:
• ~crustaceans e.g., shrimp or prawn, crab, molluscs
• ~univalves e.g., whelk, winkle
• ~bivalves e.g., mussel, scallop, oyster
• ~cephalopods e.g., squid
• Quality points in ingredients: lobsters, crabs and prawns have good colour and are heavy for their size, lobsters and crabs have all their limbs, scallops, clams, mussels and oysters have shells tightly closed
• Tools and equipment: knives, colour coded chopping boards, bowls
• Preparation: trimming, shelling, washing, marinading, coating, blending, cutting, application of coatings, application of flavourings
• Storing: appropriate temperatures, separating raw foods and ready to eat foods

4 Cook shellfish

• Tools and equipment: grills, shallow fryers, deep fryers, ovens, pans, knives, colour coded chopping boards, protective gloves, trays, spatulas, whisks, strainers, tongs, spoons, ladles,
• Cooking methods: boil, poach, steam, stew, grill, shallow fry, deep fry, bake
• Dish quality: colour, texture, appearance, aroma, taste, consistency, quantity, temperature
• Holding temperature: above 63ᵒC
• Safe storage: cooling quickly, blast chilling from 63˚C to 5˚C, storing in shallow airtight containers below 5˚C

5 Plate, present and garnish fish and shellfish dishes

• Plating: size, colour, shapes, style, portion size, balance, placement, precision
• Presentation: style, flair, modern, traditional, experimental
• Garnish: herbs and leaves, edible flowers, fruits and vegetables, purees, sauces and syrups

6 Work as an effective member of the team

• Communication:
• ~spoken e.g., tone of voice, terminology
• ~written e.g., documents, forms, reports, presentations
• ~body language e.g., posture
• Situations: formal, informal, queries or requests, complaints
• Codes of conduct: workplace policies, rules and procedures
• Reporting: supervisor, line manager, challenges, issues, queries

7 Follow health and safety procedures

• Common workplace hazards: slips, trips, falls, breakages, hot surfaces, chemicals
• Health and safety procedures: following fire regulations, fire drills, evacuation, manual handling, safe use of chemicals, report accidents, first aid
• Workplace emergencies: accidents, fire, breaches of security, illness
• Emergency procedures: raising alarm, calling emergency services, firefighting equipment, evacuation procedures
• Security procedures: control of keys, electronic systems, surveillance, control of entrances and exits, staff and visitor identity badge, reporting of suspicious persons and packages to line manager

8 Follow hygiene procedures

• Personal hygiene:
• ~clean clothing, footwear and headgear
• ~hair neat and tidy
• ~wear a head covering e.g., hairnet, hat
• ~washing hands
• ~no jewellery
• ~cover cuts and grazes
• ~report illness and infections to the proper person
• Cleanliness of work areas: clean cloths for wiping and cleaning between tasks, equipment used for preparing, displaying and serving food are clean and in good condition, waste disposed of promptly, hygienically and appropriately, use of correct cleaning chemicals
• Handling and storing food:
• ~covering food, separation of raw and cooked food, contact surfaces and equipment
• ~storage temperatures e.g., fridge, freezer
• ~food labelling and dates
• ~food temperatures e.g., cooking, serving re-heating
• ~cleaning and washing-up procedures
• ~handling of food waste