There is nothing I hate more than being wrong. That's why I research things to death to make sure that I am not wrong too often. When it does happen though, it's a great learning experience, like the one I just got on freezing fin fish. has just posted on my How to store fish story has inspired me to finally get off my lazy butt and write up my frozen fish experiments. I used to be of the conviction that frozen fish was ALWAYS worse than fresh. I know, I know -- Whole Foods and many fish cookbooks like to tell you that previously frozen fish can be even fresher than previously frozen fish because it was frozen at the peak of freshness. Just so that I don't have to use the "not previously frozen" terminology (that just takes too long to type), I'll use the word "fresh" to refer to fish that did not undergo the freezing process. The question I'll try to answer is , not whether it's as safe to eat. Why would I care? I can get plenty of excellent fresh fish here in Boston. The problem is that when it comes to eating fish raw, freshness is not the only thing you have to worry about.

Depending on the fish, they might pose an extremely small risk (to read all about them, see my posts on parasites, parts 1 and part 2). But if you want to eliminate that risk completely by killing the parasites, the only way to do it is to freeze the fish for at least 7 days. Cooking kills them too, of course, but that doesn't help you much with sushi. My attitude to raw fish is pretty laid back. But when I teach sushi classes, I want to give my students an extra precaution option. Some people don't want to take a risk of food-born illness, no matter how minuscule. When I am serving fin fish raw, I only use tuna, farm-raised salmon, farm-raised branzino, and farm-raised yellowtail. The only way to get yellowtail in Boston is flash frozen and shipped from Japan so parasites are not an issue for that one at all. The other fish are fresh, but the odds of them having parasites are practically zero, so I just buy them from a reputable market (The New Deal in Cambridge) and eat them. It doesn't kill bacteria, just temporarily stops it's growth, so freezing inferior fish does not make it "safe".

I used to think that all fish would be damaged by freezing. Fish is mostly made of water, and water expands during freezing. This tears the flesh of the fish and makes it mushy. To prepare for my sushi class, I froze piece after piece of different fish, and here are my findings -- different fish react to freezing differently. Fatty fish freeze relatively well, and their texture is barely affected. Lean fish turn to mush in their defrosted raw state and rubber when cooked. In these pictures, farm-raised salmon (very fatty) and fluke (very lean) were frozen the same way for the same amount of time. sushi bento box munichAfter defrosting, the fluke was so soft, I could turn it into a puree with a chop stick.jiro dreams of sushi nyc apprentice But, salmon stayed just as resilient as it was before freezing.sushi tei bali tripadvisor

Local (county) health departments inspect restaurants and other retail food service establishments to make sure that employees follow safe food handling practices and have adequate kitchen facilities. Keep in mind, inspection reports are snapshots of the food handling at the establishment at the time of inspection – conditions may be different when you visit. The following local health departments have inspection reports available online: Benton and Franklin County If your local health department isn't listed above, you should be able to review their inspection reports at their office. best rice for sushi calroseContact your local health department to find out the best way to see your local restaurant inspection reports.jiro dreams of sushi twist ending Tips for Eating Outfeng sushi discount voucher

You can check with your local health department on how restaurants performed on their most recent inspections. However, it often isn't practical to view the inspection report of every restaurant you plan to eat at. And, a great past inspection is no guarantee that a mistake might not be made in the future. Protect yourself from foodborne illness when you dine out by following these tips. For example, order your hamburger well done and send it back if it is undercooked. If you are at high risk for foodborne illness, avoid certain foods such as sprouts, undercooked meats or eggs, and raw oysters. Read Menu and Signs Restaurants are required to notify you if certain animal foods are served raw or undercooked. These foods may include raw oysters, raw milk, or raw milk cheeses and undercooked meat, eggs, or fish. If you choose to eat these foods, you increase your risk of foodborne illness. Someone in the food establishment should be able to tell you how your foods were prepared.

Let Your Voice be Heard Tell the food service establishment’s manager when you notice food safety concerns or give a compliment to the manager when you notice safe food handling. Food service operators in Washington follow many precautionary steps to serve your food safely. In Washington, food workers are trained to prevent bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. Food workers must use gloves, tongs, or other barriers so that they do not touch ready-to-eat foods such as toast, sandwiches, and salad. Certain foods must to be kept at proper temperatures for safety. Foods such as meats, sliced melons, cooked vegetables, cooked rice, and cooked noodles must be kept either hot or cold. If your food is not as hot or cold as it should be, send it back. Food workers must wash hands twice after using the restroom – once in the restroom and then immediately upon returning to the kitchen. Read more about safe food handling in the Washington State Food and Beverage Workers' Manual.