Drying fish before cooking - Is it okay to leave it uncovered in the fridge?

Question

I found an article where a restaurant chef shared a trick to prevent fish from sticking to the pan : leave it on a plate, uncovered for about an hour in the fridge to dry it out.

When I tried it, my housemate complained that it was "unhygienic" and insisted that I cover it with foil...which kind of defeats the purpose of drying it out in the fridge. I tried to explain that I was drying it out, but she just kept saying "please...its unhygienic..."

(Her food was not even on the same shelf by the way)

Do you think it is okay to leave it uncovered in the fridge? Any alternatives?

Answer 1

Totally safe to have uncovered

Bacteria can't jump off the fish and fly through the air. They can't crawl, swim, walk or ride bikes between items in the fridge by themselves. If you carefully place it in a clean container it is safe. The aroma may carry, but if the fish is fresh it should have little aroma and this will dissipate anyway.

Better Yet, dry it on the counter at room temp

You can also just have the fish out on the counter. This will bring it closer to room temp, and much of cooking and creating good texture is about temperature differences. Starting the fish at a warmer temperature will also help to create good texture and not stick. Do not worry about the safety of this. If the fish is fresh, any bacteria growth that might begin will be immediately killed in the cooking process. You can blot the fish gently right before cooking with paper towels for maximum drying. If the fish is still cold it will have condensation continually forming.

USDA guidelines show the time that food can be in the danger zone. Don't be alarmed by the 'doubling every 20 minutes.' Everything we touch, eat, see, taste, smell has bacteria on it or in it. It takes many doublings and the bacteria have to emit the toxins for something to become dangerous. If you hold food at room temp, it is coming out of refrigeration and into the danger zone, then will be cooked, ending the cycle. If the fish is poor quality to start with AND you have immune system deficiencies, then extra caution is required. Aged, infirm, or otherwise compromised immune systems should be treated with more caution.

Answer 2

To my knowledge is better to cover the food when it goes into the fridge, you can poke holes thru the plastic wrap so there is no moisture. Also you can have it outside at room temperature for up to two hours till it starts growing bacteria (thats only if it was frozen) after the fish reach the temperature of 135 degrees it starts growing bacteria. If you want to dry it use a napkin towel to dry off the excess water before putting it to cook. I'm also a food manager for 3 years now.