Reviewed by Mathew Benoit, COO of Learn Brands · October 2026
A shopper stands at the seafood counter looking at a dozen kinds of fish they've never cooked. Another asks if previously frozen means worse. Someone else wants to know how long to bake a fillet without drying it out. Plenty of shoppers pass the seafood counter by because they don't know where to start, and a clear answer there changes that.
Catch of the Day: A Guide to the Seafood Counter is a free seafood course that covers the fish and shellfish in the case, how to tell fresh from pass, the rules for live shellfish, what wild, farmed and country of origin labels mean, how to cook fish without fear, and how to keep seafood cold and safe. It takes about 25 minutes, self-paced, across five short narrated lessons.
What you'll learn
Five lessons that move from the case to the label, the pan and the fridge.
The seafood case (Lesson 1). Fin fish and shellfish, crustaceans and mollusks, mild to rich and which fish to suggest to someone who doesn't like fishy fish, whole, fillet or steak, and the seafood Americans eat most.
Fresh or pass (Lesson 2). What fresh fish should smell like, clear eyes and red gills on a whole fish, moist fillets that spring back, why previously frozen can be just as good, the tap test for live shellfish, and the shellfish tag rule.
Where it came from (Lesson 3). Wild caught and farm raised, the country of origin label stores have to show, what the MSC, ASC and BAP marks mean, Seafood Watch ratings, and the lower mercury picks for families.
Cooking it (Lesson 4). The ten minutes per inch rule, how to tell fish and shellfish are done, 145°F for fish, what shrimp counts like U15 and 21/25 mean, why dry scallops sear golden, and easy swaps when a fish is sold out.
Keeping it cold (Lesson 5). Fresh ice that drains, seafood in the cart last, bagging raw seafood apart, fish and shellfish as major food allergens, how long it keeps at home, and how to thaw it safely.
How the course works
Each lesson is a short narrated walkthrough with photos from seafood counters, markets and home kitchens. Four games keep it moving: sort fish into mild or rich, call fresh or pass on items in the case, match each fish with a good swap, and decide keep it or toss it at the end of the day. You also tap through a drawn whole fish to see where to check for freshness, flip cards to read a seafood label, and put the steps of baking a fillet in order.
At the start you pick your role: seafood counter, grocery team, department lead, or home cook. The course adds tips for that role in every lesson, and three practice customers let you try it out loud: a shopper cooking fish for the first time, a shopper with questions in the freezer aisle, and a friend making mussels for a date night.
It closes with a 15-question final quiz. Twelve correct passes. It is online and self-paced, and it works on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
Who this is for
Seafood counter staff, grocery team members who stock the case and the freezer or answer shoppers on the floor, and department leads who train their teams. It also fits anyone who wants to buy seafood with confidence, cook it right and store it safely at home.
What you walk away with
You'll be able to point a nervous shopper to a mild first fish, show them how to tell it's fresh, explain wild, farmed and origin labels without taking sides, give them a cooking rule they'll remember, and keep seafood cold, separate and safe from the case to the kitchen.
Free to enroll. Self-paced. Certificate on completion.
Who built this course
Catch of the Day: A Guide to the Seafood Counter was created by the Learn Brands education team under the direction of Mathew Benoit, COO and Creative Director of Learn Brands. Mathew grew up working in his family's store, and Learn Brands now trains store teams at more than 3,500 retailers. The course is built from the questions seafood and grocery teams actually get asked at the counter.
How we checked the facts
Freshness signs, live shellfish, cooking temperatures and thawing were checked against FDA guidance on selecting and serving seafood safely. Shellfish tags were checked against the FDA Food Code and the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, labels against USDA country of origin labeling rules, mercury picks against FDA and EPA advice about eating fish, allergens against FDA food allergen guidance, and cold storage against FoodSafety.gov. Every photo was checked by eye to make sure it shows what the lesson says.
Food safety
The course covers seafood safety as general education. It is not a food handler card or food safety certification. Food handler rules vary by state and county, so check your local requirements and follow your store's food safety policies.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Seafood FAQ
Is this course free?
Yes. Catch of the Day: A Guide to the Seafood Counter is part of the free Core Education Suite, free to take and free to assign to your team. No cost, no subscription, no card required. A certificate is issued on completion.
How long does it take?
About 25 minutes, self-paced: five short narrated lessons, four games, three practice customers, and a 15-question final quiz. You can stop and pick up where you left off.
Do I need to know anything about seafood first?
No. The course starts with the two big groups in the case and builds from there. Experienced counter staff use it to sharpen how they explain freshness, labels and cooking.
How can you tell if fish is fresh?
It should smell like the ocean, clean and mild, never sour or like ammonia. A whole fish should have clear, slightly bulging eyes and bright red gills, and fillets should look moist and spring back when pressed. Lesson 2 covers it.
Is previously frozen fish worse than fresh?
Not necessarily. Lots of fish is frozen right on the boat, hours after it's caught, so it can taste as good as fresh. Treat it like fresh and cook it within a day or two. Lesson 2 explains why.
How long do you cook fish?
A good rule is about ten minutes per inch of thickness in a hot oven, measured at the thickest part. Fish is done at 145°F, when the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Lesson 4 covers it.
Is this a food handler card?
No. It is general education about seafood, including how to store and handle it safely. If your state or county requires a food handler card, you'll need to get that separately, for example with the Learn2Serve National Food Handler Certificate, which is ANAB accredited and done online.
Can I enroll my whole team?
Yes. Create a free company account, assign the course, and track who has started and finished from the Learn Brands dashboard.
Train your team
Want your team selling more at the counter? Retail Sales Academy covers communication, suggestive selling, upselling and service recovery for store teams. Buying for a team? Register your business free and assign seats across your whole staff.
Related courses
Keep going with the rest of the grocery series: Rolled Fresh: A Guide to the Sushi Counter, Prime to Wagyu: A Guide to Premium Beef, Cut to Order: A Guide to the Meat Case, Fresh Picks: A Guide to the Produce Department and Cheese 101: From Milk to Board, and find a bottle to pour beside it with The Science of Wine. Browse the free Core Education Suite.
About the reviewer
Mathew Benoit is COO of Learn Brands. He has a family liquor store background, spent more than eight years as Marketing Director at the distributor Vinocopia, and has represented brands nationally. Read Mathew's full bio.
