There are some freezer staples that should be part of any cook's stash: peas, fruit, spinach and even hash browns. But what about frozen fish?
While some cooks eschew the stuff entirely, others are embracing budget-friendly frozen seafood with open arms. So much so that Aldi is selling more frozen fish than ever. New data shows that they're currently selling more frozen fish than almost every other supermarket in the UK (aside from Tesco).
However, there are still loads of commonly held myths about frozen fish that we're here to debunk, because frozen fish is the best and you should 100% be stashing some in your freezer.
Despite the affordability of frozen fish, frozen fish is often seen as lower in quality than the stuff you pick up in the chilled aisle.
However, frozen seafood is actually just as fresh as the chilled stuff. In fact, you might even find frozen seafood tastes even more fresh, as it's frozen at its most optimum, preserving all that lovely flavour and tenderness.
Another commonly held myth about frozen fish is that it loses all its texture and turns mushy when you're cooking it. Nope. When the texture of fish goes mushy, it's got everything to do with improper defrosting and not the fact that it was frozen in the first place.
To properly defrost fish, remove the packaging and place on a plate with a couple of sheets of kitchen towel. Cover and leave in the fridge to defrost for 12-24 hours. Whatever you do, step away from the microwave defrost setting!
It's often believed that freezing fish strips it of its vitamins, minerals and general health benefits. This is totally untrue, as the freezing process doesn't do this at all. You'll still get all those lovely healthy omega-3 fatty acids and low saturated fat, you'll just have to defrost your fish first.
Frozen food is often seen as non-eco friendly compared to fresh, but this isn't the case when it comes to fish. In fact, some reports say that frozen fish actually has less impact on the environment than fresh, as due to the preservation of the fish there's less wastage when transporting it compared to fresh stuff. Not to mention the shelf life of fresh fish being shorter and requiring transport methods like air freight, compared to the longer shelf life of frozen fish which can be transported in slower, less carbon-intensive ways.
So, with all that in mind, if you want an affordable, versatile ingredient for your week's meal plan, frozen fish should be in your basket the next time you pop to the shops.