A Fine Fish

• If you're cooking fish a day ahead, try to use the freshest possible fish. Not only does this reduce the risk of foodborne illness, it helps make the fish taste and look much more appealing. Look for firm flesh, bright eyes and red gills in a fresh fish. Strange odors, squashy flesh, gray and sunken eyes and greenish gills all point to a fish past its best. If you're buying prepackaged fish, make sure you cook it as soon as possible after buying for best results.

Cook to Perfection

• To lower the risk of food poisoning, you should cook the fish until it reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the center. In the absence of a cooking thermometer, the FDA suggests cooking fish until the flesh turns opaque and will come apart easily using a fork. If you smell anything like ammonia from the cooked fish, then discard it. Always let cooked fish cool before putting it in the refrigerator.

Avoiding the "Danger Zone"

• Once cooked, the fish should not sit out for longer than two hours -- or just one hour if the temperature outside is 90 degrees F or above. This includes time spent out of the refrigerator before being eaten the next day. For example, if you plan to put the fish on a table an hour before serving, then ensure the fish is in the fridge no more than an hour after cooking the day before. This is because bacteria grow rapidly in what's knows as the temperature "Danger Zone" of between 45 and 140 degrees F.

Keep Cool

• Cooked fish should not be stored next to raw meat or seafood. Keep it on a shelf with other cooked produce. The refrigerator thermometer should read between 35 and 40 degrees F, a safe temperature range for storing fish. Don't put fish on the refrigerator door where the temperature can be more variable. Similarly, an overstuffed refrigerator prevents air from circulating, so make sure you have plenty of space.