For a Christmas meal for one, start by choosing an individually wrapped fillet or a pack whose number and weight of pieces make it easy to plan a single portion. Plain fish gives you the freedom to choose your own sides; a ready-prepared recipe saves time, but you’ll need to check the ingredients, allergens and cooking instructions.
If you’re cooking just one piece, an individual pack means you don’t have to open the whole packet. Findus says its fillets are individually wrapped, while Carrefour offers, among other options, a pack of two 150 g salmon portions.
Cooking straight from frozen can make meal preparation easier, as long as the instructions for your chosen product say it’s suitable. Findus offers this option for its pack of six cod fillets.
A multi-piece pack can work well if you can take out the amount you need and store the rest according to the packaging instructions. ALDI, for example, offers packs of Alaska pollock portions and salmon portions.
First, check whether you can take out a single piece. Then choose between plain fish and a ready-prepared recipe, depending on how much time you have and how much freedom you want to create your own meal.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and whether pieces can be separated | Compare the net weight, number of pieces and whether the fish is individually wrapped. | For a single dinner, I want to take out one piece without having to prepare the whole pack. Around 40% of consumers would prioritise portion and leftover management. |
| Preparation | Read the instructions for the specific product: whether it needs to be defrosted, the cooking method and appliance settings. | If I’m cooking just before serving, I want a method that fits the time I have. Speed would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| What’s in the dish | Check the species, ingredients, allergens and any warnings about bones. | For my Christmas meal, I want to choose my own sides or know exactly what’s in the recipe I’ve bought. This would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
A 250 g pack may contain two pieces, while another product may have pieces weighing 150 g each. The total weight alone won’t tell you how much you’ll be serving.
Check the number of pieces and the net weight, as well as the weight of each piece if it’s listed.
Auchan notes on its salmon portion product pages that a bone may occasionally remain.
Bear this in mind when serving and eating the fish.
Preparation instructions vary depending on the product and the cooking method you choose.
Follow the instructions on the packaging of the product you’ve bought, especially for defrosting and appliance settings.
The DGCCRF warns that a rise in temperature encourages microbial growth.
Pick up frozen fish at the end of your shop, take it home promptly and follow the storage temperature shown on the packaging.
Plain fillets worth considering if you want to take out one piece for a meal for one.
An example of salmon portions with the number and weight clearly stated.
Two-piece packs of salmon portions to compare, depending on how you plan to prepare them.
Multi-piece packs to consider if you’re planning other meals too.
These two packs of frozen salmon fillets could work well for a Christmas meal for one. If you only want to cook one fillet, check whether the pieces can be separated and read the instructions for the specific pack.
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Worth considering if you’re planning salmon for several meals, provided you can take out one fillet at a time. The pack contains four fillets weighing 400 g in total. Check the weight of each fillet, whether they can be separated and the cooking instructions on the packaging.
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Worth considering if you want to split the two fillets between meals or cook them together. The pack weighs 250 g in total. If you only want to cook one, check the weight and whether the fillets can be separated, then follow the defrosting instructions on the packaging.
An individually wrapped fillet lets you take out one piece. A pack of portions can work too if the number, weight and separation of the pieces suit your meal. Findus says its pack of six cod fillets comes in individual bags, while the Carrefour product featured contains two salmon portions weighing 150 g each.
Yes, if the instructions for your chosen product say it can be cooked from frozen. Findus offers this option for its pack of six cod fillets. Don’t assume it applies to another product without checking its packaging.
Yes. Auchan notes on its salmon portion product pages that a bone may occasionally remain, despite the “boneless” label.
Keep the time it spends out of the freezer to a minimum and follow the temperature shown on the packaging. The DGCCRF warns that a rise in temperature encourages microbial growth, so pick up frozen food at the end of your shop and put it back in the freezer promptly.
Read the ingredients list, allergen information and cooking instructions for the exact product. A ready-prepared recipe may have different ingredients from a plain fillet and gives you less freedom to put the dish together yourself.