52 



MARKET FORMS OF FISH 



Fresh and frozen fish may be bought in a variety of cuts, the more 

 important of which are shown here. Knowing the cuts and their 

 particular uses is important in buying or selling fish. The edible 

 portion varies with the type of cut, from 100 percent for fillets to about 

 45 percent for whole fish. 



Whole or round flsh are those marketed 

 Juat as they come from the water. In 

 this form, the edible portion ia about 45 

 percent of the whole, but varies with bLzo 

 and liind of fish. To prepare for cooking, 

 fish should be scaled and eviscerated and, 

 if desired, head, tail, and fins should be 

 removed. Fish then may be used for 

 baking, or may bo sliced, filleted, or cut 

 into steaks or chunks. Small fish, like 

 smelt, are often cooked with only the en- 

 trails removed. 



Drawn flah are those marketed with only 

 the entrails removed. In this form, the 

 edible portion is about 48 percent, but 

 varies with sire and kind of fish. To 

 prepare for cooking, they are generally 

 scaled. Head, tail, and fina may be 

 removed^ if desired, and the fish split, 

 filleted, or cut into steaks or chunks. 



Dressed fiah are scaled and eviscerated, 

 usually with the head, tail, and fins re- 

 moved. Edible portion in this form is 

 about 67 percent, but varies with siie and 

 kind of fish. The smaller siies are ready 

 for cooking as purchased (pan dressed). 

 The larger sizes may be baked as pur- 

 chased or may t>e cut into fillets, steaks, 

 or chunks. 



^^ 



"^ 



Steaks are cross-section slices of the larger 

 sizes of dressed fish, usually about % of an 

 inch thick. In this form the edible por- 

 tion is about &4 percent. Steaks are 

 ready to cook as purchased. 



FiUets are the sides of fish out away from 

 the backbone. They are practically 

 boneless and have little or no waste. 

 Fillets are ready for cooking. The skin 

 may be left on or may be removed. A 

 fillet cut from one side of a fish is called 

 a single fillet. This is the type most 

 generally seen in the market. 



^ 



Butterfly fillets are the two sides of the 

 fish corresponding to two single fillete 

 held together by the uncut flesh and akin 

 of the belly. 



Sticks are pieces of fish cut lengthwise or 

 croQBwise from fillets into portions of uni- 

 form width and length, usually about 1 

 inch wide and 3 inches long. 



MARKET FORMS OF SHELLFISH 



Some shellfish are marketed alive. Other market forms, depending 

 on the variety, include cooked whole in the shell, fresh meat (shucked), 

 headless, and cooked meat. 



In shell: Shellfish, such as hard and soft 

 blue crabs, lobsters, clams, and oysters 

 should be alive if bought fresh in the shell. 

 Crabs and lobsters may also be cooked in 

 the shell. Edible portion varies widely. 



Shucked: Clam, oyster, and scallop meata 

 may be bought free of the shell, commonly 

 known as shucked. In this form the por- 

 tion is 100 percent edibte. 



Headless: Only the tail part of shrimp la 

 commonly marketed. Spiny-lobster tails 

 are also a common market form. About 

 85 percent is edible. 



Cooked meat: The edible portion Is 

 picked from the cooked shellfish. Crab, 

 shrimp, and lobster meat is marketed in 

 this way. Cooked meat is perbhable, 

 although packaged in containers, since it 

 is not further processed by heat. It la 

 100 percent edible. 



- Fresh and Frozen Fish Buying Manual . 

 Circular 20, Fish and Wildlife Service. 



