Deep Fried Fish not so Good

[beefa12001]

I have a question re some fiish we had for dinner tonight. We bought some fresh sanpper fillets from Woolies last week. Had some fresh that night deep-fried and froze the remainder. The fresh fillets we had last week were moist and broke away from fork nicely. However, the frozen fsh we deep-fried tonight came out all rubbery and tough (didnt like the look and feel of them, so we gave them a miss). However, we also deep=fried some fresh fish bought today in which came out perfectly.
Just wondering if anyone has had this problem before? Was it a bad fish or just because they had been frozen previously? I've never had this problem before with fish I've caught and I've frozen. \Thanks, Matt

[thephotoguru]

Sometimes when fish is thawed quickly you can get that rubbery texture.

It is very dissapointing isn't it.

Best not to freeze twice all the same, the quality is not kept.

Cheers Eamon

[beefa12001]

Thanks Eamon, it was left to thaw out all day yesterday, so it wasn't thawed quickly. Also, we only froze it once, so perhaps it wasn't fresh as Woolies had stated to us when we bought it.
This is another reason why I prefer to catch rather the buy. At least when you catch, you know it has never touched a freezer before.
Matt

[Aunty Jack]

Doesn't woolies get there fish already frozen so if you freeze it you actually refreezing it.
Isn't it the best way to defrost sea food is to defrost it in the fridge?

[Lancair]

Im shocked someone actually bought seafood from woolies. I mean someone who fishes themselves ? I buy seafood from time to time but NEVER from woolies, only from a seafood specialist and then only if its fresh.

I bought 2 squire from a local seafood shop, on cooking seemed all wasnt good. Some parts of the fish went soft, like maybe that part got frozen in storage or ? ? Much prefer to eat what I caught but Im a shit fisherman so . . . .

[Scott nthQld]

swampman, not all wollies fish comes in frozen, some does come in packed in ice.

But yes It does sound to me that you bought a freshly thawed peice of snapper from your woolies beefa.

I don't hardly buy seafood at all, maybe a kg or 2 of prawns at christmas, but I guess I'm just lucky that i can catch enough fish to keep the household happy, not that i don't try, plenty of effort goes into it as well.

[beefa12001]

I don't normally buy fish at all, but my fishing has been a bit under the desired outcome lately. I happen to be at Woolies and they were selling what they advertised as Fresh Snapper, so i thought why not. Looks like they may have been thawed out due to the responses here. Ah well, a good reason to get out on the water more. Matt

[FNQCairns]

I dunno what happened to you but I have come across poor eating fillets from fish I have caught myself and through experience know the species usually eats well.

I am yet come across a piece of fish that freezing or thawing type when deep frying effected the result noticeably.

Possibly it was still fresh but a fillet from the fishy equivalent of chip eating couch potato

[Angla]

I don't normally buy fish at all, but my fishing has been a bit under the desired outcome lately. I happen to be at Woolies and they were selling what they advertised as Fresh Snapper, so i thought why not. Looks like they may have been thawed out due to the responses here. Ah well, a good reason to get out on the water more. Matt

I don't kmow but maybe the marked fresh snapper was actually poor mans snapper (MILF). It does not freeze well but is quite good when fresh. From what I have heard and not my personal experience

Cheers
Chris

[snodger 08]

Hey Matt, try thawing them in the fridge slowly. We havent had a problem doing that.
Steve

[sleepygreg]

The only fish I usually buy (yeah I know I should be only eating what I catch....but I would rather buy some than starve) is what is marketed as Cod (actually south african Hake) I have a couple of mates from SA that have confirmed to me that this is caught fresh, filleted, graded and snap frozen on the trawlers. It is consistent in it size, has no bones and is pleasant to eat either floured and done on the bbq, or battered and fried - its also only $14 a kilo - and you get roughly 6 filets to the kilo. $5 for some spuds and its fish and chips for the five of us for less than $20 ....and ya cant beat home made chips.

I only ever buy enough for immediate needs because i KNOW it has been frozen and i wont refreeze ANYTHING - except water.

Now before anyone jumps down my throat....i know there are heaps of better eating fish than Hake....but im talking about if you have to buy it...this is what I buy. When I was living in sydney - if I had to buy fish I would buy frozen leatherjacket fillets (imported from NZ - same deal as the SA Hake re prep) a far nicer eating fish also - firm sweet white fillets with no bones. I had two outlets that i know stocked them - but you had to ask for them - cos they kept em out the back as a stand by if they ran out of 'fresh' boneless fillets....and if they were still frozen in their original packaging i knew they would come up a treat...and i could buy more than I needed and put what I didnt immediately need straight in my freezer for later (was only feeding two people then).

I refuse to pay $30 - $40 a kilo for fillets of fish that are of dubious vintage - and i WONT buy it from woolies or coles or any supermarket for that matter.

Greg

[Fatenhappy]

May well find the supposed fresh filletts from Woolies the previous week may well have been previously frozen then thawed, in which case they can't be refrozen .... Have found in Oz in particular quite often you have to make a real point of double checking with the sales people before you do the purchase with freezing in mind .... IMO certainly sounds like the case

[HeadBanger]

When I rarely buy seafood, I go to a local seafood shop. I never buy from Woolies or Coles or even butchers. I've never had a problem with the quality of the fish, and I never buy fillets, always the whole fish. I'll use the leftover frames for burley or crab pot baits.

I doubt I'll be going there again though. It took them 45 minutes to serve me last time, I guess being a kid and all I'm not as important as a customer. Go figure.

Thanks,
Kaidon