Username: Password:   Mandate   Objectives   Environmental Policy   Oyster   Mussel   Finfish   R&D priorities   R&D Coordinator   R&D funding agencies   Species   Health & Nutrition   Benefits of Eating Finfish   Benefits of Eating Shellfish   Market Forms of Seafood   Grades of Oysters   Buying Fresh Seafood   Basic Cooking Methods   Recipes   Care & Storage of Seafood   Sources & References   Market Forms of Seafood Seafood comes to your market in a variety of forms, ranging from whole fish (hours out if the water) to canned and frozen packaged products ready to eat. What form you buy depends on the time and effort you wish to put into preparing and serving your well deserved meal. The following are some forms of PEI aquaculture seafood that are sold to consumers. FinFish Whole fish or Round Fish – are sold as they come out of the water. Some might be iced or flash-frozen. They should be "cleaned" or eviscerated with the gills and scales removed before cooking. Depending on your intent, you may wish to remove the head, tail and fins. You can also fillet whole fish or cut them into steaks or chunks. Dressed (drawn or gutted) – the entrails and gills are removed. Fins and scales should be removed before cooking, but head and tail can be left on. Pan Dressed – tails, fins, gills, entrails, scales are already removed. Steaks – cross-section slices of large pan-dressed fish. Usually cut 12 to 25 mm (one-half to one inch) thick. Fillets – are the fleshy sides of fish, cut lengthwise away from the backbone. Usually sold skinned and boneless. Typically fillets are 6 to 25 mm (one-quarter to one inch) thick. Butterfly Fillets – a special cut that leaves the two fillets connected by the uncut belly flesh and skin of the fish. Chunks – are large crosswise cuts of fish (75 to 150 mm or 3 to 6 inches - or more). They are similar to steaks but thicker. Breaded or Battered Portions – available in square, round, wedges and rectangular shapes. These portions are cut from blocks of frozen fish, processed, breaded, packaged and frozen according to government standards. They are sold frozen and ready to cook according to package directions. Fish Sticks – frozen, uniform sized portions of fish pieces prepared with a bread coating. They are typically pre-cooked. Follow pack directions for cooking. Smoked Fish – is usually sold in plastic-wrapped or vacuum-packed chunks or whole fillets. Salmon, trout, halibut, smelt and herring are the most commonly available smoked species in Atlantic Canada. Canned Fish – canned fish are usually sold in 85 to 425 g containers. The fish is typically in flaked chunks or grated forms, usually packed in vegetable oil, olive oil, water or a combination of oil and water. Sardines are typically packed in oil, tomato sauce, lemon or mustard sauce. The most commonly canned species in Atlantic Canada include tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies. Smoked fish is also available in cans. Shellfish Mussels – sold alive in the shell with in one to two days of harvesting. PEI mussels also come frozen and/or vacuum packed alone or with other ingredients such as lemon, butter or marinara in 454 g servings. Oysters – marketed and shipped alive in the shell and well chilled. In Atlantic Canada, oysters are graded by the size and shape of their shells and sold as Fancy/Choice, Standard or Commercial (see below). This grading is for ascetics only and NOT for meat quality or flavor. Some are fresh shucked and sold in 1-2 L glass jars or containers. Fresh smoke oysters are typically canned and packed in oil usually in 110 g tins. Soft-shell Clams – "steamers" are typically marketed alive in the shell. Others are shucked and sold fresh, frozen or canned. These clams are typically breaded, frozen and served with fries at most Atlantic Canadian restaurants. Quahaugs – also marketed alive in the shell. May also be chopped or in minced form, fresh or canned, for use in chowders and other dishes. Sea Scallops - highly perishable, sea scallops are not typically sold alive in the shell in Atlantic Canada. Usually only the adductor muscle ("meat") is eaten. They are sold fresh or frozen by the kg or pound. Some may be breaded or wrapped in bacon, frozen and ready to cook. Bay Scallops – also highly perishable. On PEI, a small market for them has developed. They are sold alive in shell, as with mussels or clams, for steaming.