Thawing and Handling

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
  1. Frozen raw fish.
    • Thaw in refrigerator, never at room temperature. Allow 18 to 36 hours, depending on size. Alternative method, if pressed for time: Keep in original moistureproof wrapper and thaw under cold running water.
    • Small pieces (fillets, steaks, portions) up to 8 oz (240 g) can be cooked from frozen state to make handling easier and to prevent excessive drip loss. Large fish should be thawed for more even cooking from surface to interior.
    • Fillets or other portions to be breaded or prepared in some other way before cooking may be partially thawed (for example, for a few seconds in a microwave) and then prepped and cooked. They will be easier to handle than if fully thawed.
    • Handle thawed fish as you would fresh fish.
    • Do not refreeze.
  2. Breaded and battered fish, fully prepared entrées, and other frozen, prepared fish items.
    • Read and follow package directions.
    • Most of these items are cooked from the frozen state, usually in the deep fryer, oven, microwave, or steamer.