Fish can be a pesky thing to buy. For some of us, it's in regular rotation¹, going into the cart at the supermarket or farmer's market once or twice a week. For others, concerns about not being able to cook it before it goes bad or its often hefty price tag preclude² the purchase in the first place.

买鱼是件很讨厌的事情。有些人会定期购买，一周去超市或农贸市场买一两次。其他人则担心，买回来放着可能会变质，到时就没法做菜了，而且鱼的售价很高，这也是很多人不愿意买鱼的原因。

That's where frozen fish comes into play. A decade ago, the Washington Post asked, "Can Chefs Cozy Up to Frozen Fish?" The article noted³ its lower carbon footprint, often superior quality (to the fresh stuff that is air-shipped), and Americans' reluctance⁴ to buy frozen fish. A full 10 years later, that same publication asserts that technology has shifted to the extent that frozen fish is nowadays often of extraordinary quality, surpassing the fillets you see perched on ice at the market. (A lot of the time, those have often already been frozen, too; it's just not trumpeted⁵ on the price tag.)

所以冷冻鱼闪亮登场。十年前，《华盛顿邮报》问道，"厨师会选择冷冻鱼吗？"该篇文章指出，其碳含量更低，质量却往往更高（相对于空运的活鱼），但美国人却不愿购买冷冻鱼。十年后，同一份期刊断言，科技发展至今，冷冻鱼已经达到非常高的质量，甚至超过了市场中放在冰块上的鱼片。（很多时候，这些鱼片也是被冷冻的；只是未在标签上说明这一点罢了。）

Although the iconic image of healthfulness for many of us involves everything fresh-maybe a vision of ourselves at a farmer's market, stuffing a tote bag with veggies, a bouquet⁶ of kale, and the freshest fillet from the fishmonger-more often than not you're reducing waste, being a better environmentalist⁷, and saving money by buying frozen fillets.

尽管很多人都觉得健康就是要吃新鲜的食物--想想在农贸市场买菜的我们，手提袋里装满蔬菜、一颗羽衣甘蓝和跟鱼贩购买的最新鲜的鱼片--但往往买冷冻鱼片会减少浪费、让你成为更好的环保主义者、而且省钱。

I was wary⁸ about this notion myself, preferring to buy less fish in favor of cheaper meats like chicken and pork, until I found myself drawn⁹ to the frozen food bins¹⁰ on a recent excursion to Whole Foods. Salmon¹¹ fillets were selling fresh for $21 per pound. The value packs of six 6-oz. fillets, however, was $19.95. That's more than 50% off.

对这个概念我本人一直持谨慎态度，买鱼的次数屈指可数，更喜欢买便宜一点的肉，如鸡肉和猪肉，直到最近，我才被全食超市（Whole Foods）的冷冻食品箱所吸引。三文鱼片每磅售价21美元。但是，超值包含6盎司鱼片，仅售19.95美元。这可不止五折啊！

I kept two fillets in the freezer and defrosted four overnight. (To do so, I took them out of their packaging, which is recommended to avoid bacterial¹² growth, and covered them with plastic wrap on a plate in the fridge.) The next day, I made delicious salmon in my Instant Pot using Melissa Clark's recipe for a savory¹³ caramel. I did not notice the difference of fresh from frozen, texture-wise.

留两块在冰箱内，我拿出四块整夜冷冻。（将它们从包装袋中取出，为了避免细菌滋生，我将它们放在盘子里覆上保鲜膜，置于冰箱。）第二天，我参照Melissa Clark的食谱用电压力锅做了一顿焦糖色的三文鱼，超级美味。在我看来，冷冻鱼与活鱼在肉质方面并无差异。