Fish news recently published an article discussing an exciting project that was worked on at Matís in collaboration with chef Dóra Svavarsdóttir and it was about experiments with dry emaciation or so-called dry-age effect on fish which is considered promising.
The article talks to Dóra, who worked on the research project together with Cecile Dargentolle, project manager in the field of value chain at Matís, specializing in fish. The dry-age method of action is well known and has been applied to meat to make it softer and more tender, but in this study it was used on fish to keep it fresh longer and the texture becomes firmer.
In the project, experiments were carried out with whole fish but also with fish fillets. They specifically looked at one white fish species and one oily freshwater species and chose haddock and char. The goal was to find the right temperature and humidity to increase the shelf life of the fish in a completely controlled environment.
With this dry-age effect, it is not at all a case of dried fish, like hard fish, or that the fish will be shriveled, as there is no fermentation involved. The result is fresh fish that is cooked in the traditional way and can become an exciting ingredient for a variety of restaurants.
The project was carried out with a grant from the Food Fund, and they are now aiming to apply for a grant for a follow-up project in order to conduct further research and prepare guidelines for this method of action for different types of fish, which would then be accessible to more people.
The article can be read in its entirety on the Fiskifretta website here: An experiment with dry emaciation of fish is said to be promising