How-to Guide

Mitchell's Fish Market
How-To Guide To Buying Fresh Fish & Seafood

How To Buy Fresh Fish & Seafood
Cooking your favorite fish and seafood recipes at home can be a snap. The most important thing to remember when setting out to prepare your dish is that the fish you choose must be incredibly fresh.

When crafting your shopping list keep the following tips in mind and you will be sure to take home the best product possible.

Mitchell’s Fish Market is the place to buy your fresh seafood

  • High turnover is the most important factor in determining where you make your purchase. At Mitchell’s Fish Market, we receive fresh shipments of seafood on a daily basis.  We constantly restock our fish case with seafood that is guaranteed to be the freshest possible.  We are obsessed with fresh seafood!
  • Your nose knows best! You’ll  notice that you never smell fish at a Mitchell’s Fish Market.  Fresh seafood has a natural "fresh from the ocean" salt water smell.

How do I know my purchase is fresh?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask the chef at Mitchell’s Fish Market where the fish was caught, or look at the menu that explains the origin of the fish.

Also, look for some telltale signs. Moist, shiny skin; bright, red gills; firm flesh; and a fresh, mild smell are all signs of fresh fish.

How Do I Shuck a Clam?
So you have decided to prepare fresh clams for dinner tonight. Good choice! You may be wondering how to shuck the clams you are ready to eat. Read on to learn how to master the fine art of retrieving the clam from the shell in which it lived.

  1. Make sure the clams are alive before attempting to shuck them. Soft-shell clams react to your touch and hard-shell clams are tightly closed. Be sure to discard any dead clams as they are not safe to eat.
  2. Place the clams in your freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. This will make the job of shucking them even easier.
  3. Using a stiff brush, scrub clams under cold running water.
  4. Brace the clam with its hinge against the part of your palm nearest your thumb.
  5. Work a paring knife, or specially designed clam knife, into the part of the shell that is nearest to your fingertips.
  6. Slide the knife around the clam’s shell so the muscle is cut at its hinge.
  7. Open the shell and scrape the muscle from the top shell into the bottom shell.
  8. Serve the clams on the half shell or remove the meat entirely to prepare it for other dishes.

Helpful Hints!

  • Hold the clam in the palm of your hand using a towel so you do not cut yourself.
  • Be sure to work over a bowl or other container so you catch the clam’s juices.

How Do I Shuck an Oyster?
If you have ever shucked a clam you are well on your way to mastering shucking an oyster. Take a look at the following directions to help make this part of preparing your dish quick and easy.

  1. Ensure your oysters are still alive by making sure their shells are tightly closed. Be sure to discard any dead oysters as they are unsafe to eat.
  2. Scrub oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water.
  3. Place the oyster in your hand cup-side down. (Its curved shell should face down and its flatter side should face up.)
  4. Insert a paring knife or specially designed oyster knife between the shells, near the hinge.
  5. Twist the knife so the oyster’s muscles are detached.
  6. Remove the oyster’s top shell.
  7. Scrape the meat from the top shell into the bottom shell.
  8. Use your knife to cut the oyster from the bottom shell for other dishes, or serve it on the half-shell for a dish in itself.

Helpful Hints!

  • Hold the oyster in the palm of your hand using a towel so you do not cut yourself.
  • Be sure to work over a bowl or other container so you catch the oyster's juices.

How Do I Keep My Catch?
You’ve purchased your fresh fish. Now what? For the freshest flavors and best taste, cook and eat fish and seafood on the same day your purchase it.

If it is not possible to cook and eat on the same day keep the following tips in mind:

  • Once home from Mitchell’s Fish Market, wrap your catch in cellophane or place it in an air-tight container and refrigerate it at below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (For even better results, place wrapped fish in a pan of ice.)
  • Cut a fresh lemon in half and place it uncovered in the refrigerator with your fresh seafood.
  • Never freeze your fresh catch! Your fresh fish and seafood should never see the inside of your freezer.
  • Cook your fish within one to two days of purchase to ensure the best quality.
  • If you do not anticipate being able to cook your fish within one or two days, consider buying frozen fish from a grocery, which will keep up to six months if frozen properly.