With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I know some of you are planning a homemade sushi dinner. Whether this is your first time or you’re a seasoned pro, making sushi at home can be simple, fun, and rewarding. I’ve written before on how to make sushi rolls and Adrianna recently did a post on temaki, but the question I get asked the most is some version of “how do I know if the fish at my store is safe to eat raw?”. The term “sushi-grade” is often tossed around to imply some level of freshness, but in the US, there’s no regulation around the use of the phrase, so it can be used to describe anything. That said, most stores aren’t in the business of getting their customers sick, so they usually reserve the label for their freshest fish. Unfortunately, just because it’s fresh doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat raw. Some fish, such as salmon, contain parasites that will make you sick unless they’ve been destroyed. Another potential problem is cross-contamination.

This happens when “sushi-grade” fish gets cut on the same cutting board or using the same knife or handled with the same gloves as non-sushi-grade fish. If your fishmonger is storing unwrapped sushi-grade fish in the same refrigerated case as non-sushi-grade fish, this should be a big red flag. For fish that contain parasites, the FDA provides guidance under their Parasite Destruction Guarantee. This states in part that fish intended to be consumed raw must be “frozen and stored at a temperature of -20°C (-4°F) or below for a minimum of 168 hours (7 days)”. Cross contamination is a bigger issue. Because most stores don’t sell a high enough volume of fish intended to be eaten raw, they don’t maintain a separate space for handling their “sushi-grade” fish. What’s worse, because tuna is such a large fish, most stores don’t deal with whole tuna, they buy them pre-filleted, which means you have to take into consideration not only the stores handling of the fish, but their supplier’s handling of the fish as well.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is how much you trust your fishmonger to understand the best practices for handling fish meant to be consumed raw, and how much they trust their suppliers to hold the same standards. where to buy sushi grade tuna in phoenixHere are a few things to remember when buying fish to ensure you have a safe and delicious sushi-dinner:gry online sushi pack Observe and see for yourself whether they’re cutting their sushi-grade fish on the same cutting board as their other fish, without changing gloves or disinfecting their knife and board first.sushi udstyr online Ask whether they fillet the fish you’re looking to buy themselves, or if they’re getting them pre-filleted.jiro dreams of sushi subtitles download

If you are buying salmon, ask if they can produce logs that show the times and temperatures that the fish was frozen. If you can’t find a local place you can trust with raw fish, why not try filling your sushi with vegetables, cooked fish, or even meat. menu sushi club nordeltaCalifornia Rolls and Caterpillar Rolls may not be traditional, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious!sushi grade fish sacramentoFor Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. where to buy sushi rice in durbanMarc’s been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.

Since its inception in 2001 Blue Water Seafood (located at 1126 Route 18 North in East Brunswick 08816) has served as one of the best seafood and fish markets of Central New Jersey. Every single day within the early morning hours the Chefs handpick the day's catch of the freshest fish and seafood not only for the fine dining at the Blue Water Restaurant but also for the Blue Water Fish Market located within the same venue. Nowhere else will a customer truly find the catch of the day. What’s unique with the Blue Water fish market is that customers can enjoy the very freshness and quality the patrons of the restaurant have enjoyed for over a decade. Only the best is hand selected for the restaurant and now the very same fish and seafood is available as part of the market. Having a fish market within the fine dining of Blue Water has its advantages; the entire stock within the market is replenished daily – nothing is frozen for the next day and everything is bought the morning of!

Fish like the Branzino and Red Snapper are sold as whole or filet - these fish are filleted to order at no extra charge. The Branzino sold at Blue Water is a Greek fish flown from the Aegean and not a farmed substitute from the Eastern Coast of the United States. The Salmon, Tuna, and Swordfish are filleted daily to approximately 10-12 ounces per piece (there are 16 ounces to a pound). The salmon is of the wild quality, the swordfish is always center cut, and the tuna is of the sushi grade variety. Sushi grade tuna is not only utilized as part of a sashimi dish or a tartar but it is very often cooked making for the most delicious tuna steaks. Chilean Sea Bass is bought as a whole fish and sold by the pound. The exceptional difference between Blue Water and other fish markets is that the Sea Bass bought here is never frozen and never injected with water. Smaller fish markets are left with no choice but to buy smaller quantities of already cut Sea Bass that is injected with water. Understanding this is very crucial because the injected version holds water even after grilling.

As a result, no matter how long this fish is grilled or cooked it always comes out watery as if it is undercooked. This is why the Blue Water Restaurant chefs hand select each Sea Bass daily for the restaurant and for the enjoyment of those who wish to purchase fresh fish to take home. Shellfish found at the Blue Water Seafood Market are of the best quality. What separates the quality of the clams (top neck and little neck clams), oysters, mussels, and steamer clams “steamers” from other markets is the date and location of their harvest. For instance, the steamers come from Spinney Creek Maine, an area where the tastiest steamers are harvested with a labeled harvest day just the day prior to their display at Blue Water. Even more, the mussels for sale at the market come from Prince Edward Island off the Coast of Canada, an area famous for the quality and taste of its mussels. The oysters for sale at the market are of Blue point origin. Harvested from deep seas the day before they reach the market, the Blue Points are extra large, fresh, clean, and delicious!

Kumamoto oysters (west coast premium oysters) are flown in and sold by the half dozen. This type of oyster is more expensive than a Blue Point and is even considered a delicacy. The chefs at Blue Water always know where the best shellfish comes from, hand select from those batches, and constantly monitor for quality and freshness. Calamari, scallops, shrimp, lobster and lobster tails can all be bought fresh daily at the Blue Water Seafood Market as well. Just like all other fish and seafood available for sale this bunch is hand selected daily and put in the market for your enjoyment. Blue Water only sells 7 ounce (16 ounces to a pound) fine Brazilian lobster tails that can be steamed, grilled, or cooked in the oven – whichever way; these lobster tails are absolutely delicious. Scallops are of the dry sea scallop variety which means they are shucked on the boat and they are immediately placed into a dry container with no water or preservatives. Not placing the scallops into water makes their flavor more pure and concentrated.