Knowing how to thaw fish properly ensures that you’ll be able to enjoy all of the quality and flavor that your fish has to offer. It’s important to thaw frozen fish the right way because when done improperly, you run the risk of damaging the quality of the fish. In some cases, improper thawing technique can lead to food safety issues.
Luckily, defrosting fish properly is easy. We’ve got you covered here with two different step-by-step methods:
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The Standard Way (10 to 12 hours)
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The Quick Way (less than an hour)
If you’re cooking salmon but short on time, you may want to consider cooking salmon from frozen. Although we recommend taking the time to thaw your salmon properly for optimum flavor and texture, knowing how to cook salmon from frozen can open up your meal options throughout the week when you don’t have time to plan ahead.
The Standard Way to Thaw Your Seafood
Time needed: 10-12 hours, or until defrosted through
Defrosting fish overnight in the refrigerator is the best way to preserve the integrity of the fish. This is also the safest way to thaw frozen fish, since it gradually defrosts in controlled, cool temperatures that inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.
Remove your portion of fish from its vacuum-sealed packaging. You might notice that the fillet is covered by a layer of ice — this is an ice glaze that is applied to the fish, which helps to better preserve its quality while it's in your freezer.
Place the fish on a plate/tray lined with paper towels or a tea towel that will fit on a low shelf in your refrigerator, arranging them in a single layer if possible. The paper towels will absorb the ice glaze melting off the seafood.
Place this on a low shelf in the refrigerator (typically the coldest spot in the refrigerator).
This fish should be defrosted in about 10-12 hours. You may rinse off any remaining ice glaze if desired. Pat it dry before cooking to remove any excess moisture for best flavor and texture. We recommend cooking your seafood within a day or two of being defrosted.
The Quick Thaw Way to Defrost Fish
Time needed: Less than an hour
For those days when you don’t have enough time to thaw fish the standard way, you can use a safe and quick thaw technique that will have you cooking in under an hour — even as little as half an hour, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Remove the fish from its vacuum-sealed packaging.
Then, place it in a separate, resealable bag that can be sealed tightly.
Next, fill a bowl with cool water. The bowl should be large enough to hold all of the seafood you’ll be defrosting, and the water should be cool to the touch. Do not use warm water for food safety reasons.
Put the resealable bag of fish into the bowl of cool water, keeping it submerged with something weighty. At the 20- or 30-minute mark, change out the water in the bowl, refilling with cool water, making sure that everything is still submerged.
Once your fish has thawed, take special care to pat it dry before cooking, as it will have picked up some excess water in the process of this quick thaw. You may rinse off any remaining ice glaze if desired before patting dry. Now get cooking!
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