AboutJennifer Brizzi Expertise I can answer any questions on finding and choosing good seafood, as well as how to prep and cook it once you get it home.
Experience I've been cooking for 35 years, some of it for restaurants and caterers, and seafood is a particular passion of mine. I am a culinary demonstrator, teacher, and food writer. I am currently researching and writing a seafood cookbook and can access all kinds of information on the subject.
Organizations International Association of Culinary Professionals
International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association
Publications FACES, Ulster Publishing Newspapers
Education/Credentials Several cooking courses at the New School and Peter Kump in New York City.
Awards and Honors Honorable Mention for Apicius Scholarship for the 2007 Greenbrier Food Writers Conference
I bought 2 grey breams at a fish market 2 weeks ago. The eyes were clear, but after I removed the scales and prepared to clean them, I saw that one had healthy, fresh-looking insides. However, the other had insides that were dark and "grainy", like sand, particularly the liver.
Do you know why this happened. I am surprised because the eyes on both fish were clear.
I have stopped eating gray bream until I learn more. I am not able to talk to the fisherman about this because I am learning his language, and am not able to express myself well yet.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Answer Your gray bream that didn't look as good as the other may have been contaminated with a toxin; without looking at it I can't say. A fish's diet will affect the color of its flesh; for example fish who eat small shrimp often have a pinkish tinge to their insides. I have often had two filets or two fishes I bought at the same time that varied a lot in quality. Of course freshness can have a lot to do with it as well.
