are thin and delicate.
Softness Certain conditions can lead to fish
flesh becoming unpleasantly soft. When fish
flesh is depleted by migration or by spawning,
their sparse muscle proteins bond to each
other only very loosely, and the overall
texture is soft and flabby. In extreme cases,
such as “sloppy” cod or “jellied” sole, the
muscle proteins are so tenuously bonded that
the muscle seems almost liquefied. Some fish
come out mushy when thawed after frozen
storage, because freezing disrupts the cells’
compartments and liberates enzymes that then
attack the muscle fibers. And enzyme activity
during cooking can turn firm fish mushy in
the pan; see p. 211.
Fish Flavor
The flavor of fish may well be the most
variable and changeable among our basic
foods. It depends on the kind of fish, the