Freshness and storage
How fresh is fresh? Chefs know that red gills and bright eyes indicate freshness. On a sole, you have to look that much harder for telltale signs.
* Spoilage isn't just measured in hours or days, but in time, temperature and the fish's condition. The fisherman, especially on a small inshore boat, should gut the fish on capture and keep it iced to prolong its keeping quality. On larger boats, the soles can be poorly packed, causing their white flesh to bruise. This is only a minor defect, but it will be noticeable to the customer as brown patches.
* The eye of an ultra-fresh Dover sole sticks out of its head like a little wart and is still glassy. Within a day or so, it will flatten out and look dead. The sole is still fresh, but it's a first warning sign of decay.
* When the fisherman removes the guts, he may also cut out the gills, so the next best checkpoint for the chef, if the gills are missing, is the colour of the blood traces left in the cavity. They should be bright - almost cherry-red. (Check that the bile sac, like a small greenish bean, hasn't been left in the fish.)
* If, after handling the fish, the chef's hands smell fishy, there's a problem. Fresh sole smell of seaweed, of iodine of the sea - not of fish.
* Slime on the skin is a misleading clue. Some people believe it to be a good sign, but it may be used as a disguise and should be taken as a positive indication only in conjunction with other quality points.
* Kept on ice or in a chiller cabinet at 0°C to +2°C, a Dover sole delivered extra-fresh in prime condition will have a shelf life as long as a week.
* One of the chef myths passed down is that sole can be too fresh, and that it tastes better after a day or so. There are valid reasons for not cooking it immediately, but they have nothing to do with taste.
