fish are high-quality and rich-tasting, or any fish in fashion (the reasoning behind

this last category is hard to define). All others they call lunch fish.

The tables at the end of this chapter divide fish by fat content. A well-stocked fish market

carries all three types, although not all at the same time. It varies by season and availability. A

small fish counter at your corner supermarket carries only a small selection of common varieties,

depending on space and local demand. Not included in the tables are the hard-to-find varieties, or

those that occur only in limited local areas. I've thrown in a few of the more exotic species for

those of you who prefer to do your fish experimenting in good restaurants.

You can order just about anything you want in a good fish market, given today's

elaborate and efficient distribution system. What distributors stock and offer to retailers changes

somewhat from year to year. Certain species disappear or become overpriced, and some new

species surface. You’ll find some species only in high-priced restaurants or exclusive clubs, like

you would prime-grade beef..

TASTINGS Skates and sharks

Skates, like sharks, belong to a group of simpler sea animals that preceded fish in

evolution. Instead of bones, a cartilage structure, that the cook can easily cut out,

supports their bodies. Because of their primitive nature, the fresh meat quickly

becomes too high in ammonia. Soaking it in either salted or acidified water for a

couple of hours (¼ cup salt or 2 tablespoons vinegar in a quart or liter of water)

neutralizes the ammonia. If the raw fish you brought home doesn't smell like

ammonia, don't bother soaking it.

Some high-demand fish come in different grades, just like beef. This is not obvious at the

supermarket where tuna, for instance, is simply labeled tuna with maybe the species name

attached (for instance, bluefin tuna). At the wholesale level, tuna comes in three different grades,

with the top grade labeled Number 1. The difference in price is substantial. Number 1 sells for

about twice as much as Number 3. Number 1 goes to white-tablecloth restaurants, occasionally

to classy fish markets. You can buy the next two grades in the seafood departments of

supermarkets and at other fish markets.

TASTINGS From salmon to lox

Atlantic salmon was once the fish of choice for such ethnic delicacies as lox, nova

and kippered salmon. The supply of Atlantic salmon has declined, so now we

have to resort to one of the Pacific salmon species for these traditional

preparations.

More fish facts

Flounder and sole, both common flat fish, are so similar in appearance, flavor and texture

that wholesalers market the two species as one, with a free interchange of the various common

names. Buying a flat fish under one name doesn't promise what you're actually getting, but as

long as you are neither a marine biologist nor a purist, it doesn't matter for culinary purposes.

Halibut is the third major group of flat fish, but it is actually a member of the flounder family.

You usually find flat fish in retail packaged dressed whole or in fillet form. Occasionally a large

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