Fish

[Deleted]

I also love "petite friture" ("whitebait" in England), but can anybody actually taste the fish in that? It is really just a hot fried crunch, and the fish part is forgotten....

[Deleted]

Great post Existensia and one I can relate to having grown up on the Atlantic seaboard. Although, we did not have much in the way of haddock that I can recall,some cod,but mostly striped bass,blue fish(and baby blues called 'snappers,not too unlike Kerouacs little guys,but tasty.),weak fish,swordfish,tuna,mako shark,all from local waters,some the sea,some from the bays.
I would someday love to learn how to properly poach a fish,I have tried and it never comes out the way I want. I even gave away my fancy fish poacher my mother gave me,which I now sorely regret...

[lagatta]

imec, that looks lovely. Did you have a chance to explore the Bauhaus architecture in Tel Aviv near the port? Odd, to me that looks like several whole fishes.

kerouac, we discussed "fritto misto" elsewhere. That can include little fishes as you show. Those little fishes are definitely eaten in Italy as well.

A Filipina friend also fried up those little dried fishies one finds in so-called "Asian" supermarkets (East and Southeast, not South Asian). They are a lovely snack, don't really absorb much oil. Probably too salty though.

[existentialcrisis]

lagatta - Yes, real crab is certainly available but I didn't grow up eating it and haven't attempted it myself as of yet. If I'm just making a sandwich, I actually prefer artifical crab to canned crab. Mainly, I didn't mention crab it because I was focusing on "fish" and not "shellfish" or else my post would have been twice as long!

Bixa - yes haddock is the most common fish in Nova Scotia.... and probably the Maritimes, but when you get to Newfoundland it's cod. They are both very plain white fish, but they are versatile and flake off in large-ish pieces. They are used in fishsticks, fishcakes, fish'n'chips, chowder (a Maritime speciality), fish burgers, etc. Haddock is actually a pretty boring fish, but a staple nonetheless.

I hated canned salmon sandwiches when I was a kid, and I still can't eat them. But I love using canned salmon to make salmon burgers or salmon loaf. An old room mate used to put it in maki sushi rolls, because she was allergic to all fish except for canned salmon/tuna and shellfish. And she'd put it in stir-fries with cabbage and broccoli and onions... I don't know what she did, but they were awesome and I started adding dulce seaweed for extra ocean flavour and found this very enjoyable! Another interesting thing I was introduced to by a co-worker, is making a scrambled omlet with canned tuna! And I can't forget to mention, my beloved tuna casserole, featuring, of course, cream of mushroom soup!

[imec]

Saw loads of the Bauhaus architecture lagatta - a big fan of that sort of thing. The fish was huge (there were about 8 of us) - and they scored it before grilling. Was a fantastic meal all around - my first night in Israel.

[hwinpp]

That fish platter looks fantastic and exactly the right colour for the fish, Imec! Just with some chopped up herbs, petter and lime juice. I can taste it now

[Deleted]

I have some frozen fish croquettes at home. When I eat one, it tastes like it's about 3% fish, but if I throw a big dollop of mayonnaise on top, it tastes just fine.

Why would I eat such a thing?

[bixaorellana]

"Because it was there" ~ ?

There are certain crap foods that are guilty pleasures. Fish product with crunchy coating would definitely come under that category, especially if it can be teamed with another guilty pleasure.

In the fish family of guilty pleasures, I think we have to include surimi.

[Deleted]

I think the magic word is croquette, even in those weird nordic countries that call them krokets.

I just ran downstairs to look at the package and they are actually 49% fish. They just taste like 3%.

[auntieannie]

I am not sure I would count surimi as "pleasure", personally. plastic fish.

K, T*sco had to stop using the word "fish" in one line of their various fish croquettes as there was not enough fish in them for it to be called such.

[LouisXIV]

I too have liked fish and seafood all my live. Living near Lake Michigan the fish is not much of a problem, but really good fresh seafood is not that easy to come by.

Back in the 1960's I flew into a wilderness Canadian lake and had the best fishing of my life. We caught more than our limit each day and walleye was on the menu every evening. That was the best fish of my life --- really FRESH.

Last year I saw Julie and Julie and learned something from that movie. One, not to over cook fish, I now make white fish and only cook it a couple minutes on a side. The second I learned is how to make Beurre Blanc. Beurre Blanc on the top of properly cooked white fish is fantastic.

I also remember salmon croquettes and I think if will find a recipe and make some. It has been many years.

[Jazz]

I love fish, a fish that looks like a fish...whole, a filet...yummm. I seldom eat croquettes, fish fingers etc. Brought up in the country, we often had freshly caught trout, pickeral etc. So good. Once, when I was visiting my parents in Florida, I had a red snapper that had been caught in the Gulf of Mexico that day...superb! Unfortunately, no other snapper since has ever measured up to that remarkable taste!

[gertie]

Around here catfish is what you see all round. When I can get out on one of the lakes, I love sand bass, and crappie in season is lovely. Never had a lot of fresh fish as a kid, come from a family of farmers. Fish sticks are always in season.

When I was in high school, dated a fellow who's buddies told me I could go fish with them if I baited my own hook and cleaned my catch. They thought that would put me off, but I just made up my mind. As it turned out, one of the fellows' granddad showed up to check out the cleaning process and taught me all his best tips. I can clean and fillet a fish like a pro. Hate cleaning catfish, though.

My favorite is to take a good whitefish or salmon fillet, bake it on a tray until about 5 minutes cooking left, then top it with just a sprinkle of fresh gruyere, cover all with baby spinach, and sprinkle well with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, fresh cracked pepper, a crushed chopped garlic clove, and a chopped green onion. Yum! Now I am starving for fish.

[existentialcrisis]

I've never tried catfish, but a friend of mine just tried it and told me NEVER TO EAT IT. I had a little laugh at her, and she insisted, "No, seriously. It tastes like mud". She's from Maine (recently moved to Chicago) and I'm from Nova Scotia so we are used to white fish like haddock. I'm pretty open minded when it comes to fish, and I was wondering what the deal is with cat fish.

[Deleted]

Some catfish do taste like mud, as do a lot of carp. I avoid bottom feeders. Since they really do live off of a diet of mud, they end up tasting like it -- at least the bigger ones do.

[bixaorellana]

I've eaten tons of catfish in my life, but find the farmed cat fairly tasteless. I don't remember ever getting a muddy tasting one, however ...............

Years ago when the zoo in Audubon Park (New Orleans) was wide open, I lived near there and we'd fish in the lagoons. I remember gutting a catfish once that smelled like lion shit.

[Deleted]

I am suddenly craving fish, but I have a package of tête de veau waiting in the regrigerator. Dilemma!

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2010 20:06:32 GMT auntieannie said:

put here what you know about fish. I'll add stuff later.

I note a serious paucity of input from auntieannie on this thread!

[gertie]

I love fish of all sorts, peeping at this thread has made me think I want to try something new with fish. I wonder if I were to sort of poach some catfish with some fresh pico de gallo how that would turn out. Of course the pico de gallo would be cooked then....but if everything was very fresh, surely it would remain tasty and I could serve it over rice. Guess that is an idea for day after tomorrow as tomorrow's dinner is already planned out.

[Deleted]

One of the big freezer cases at the Chinese supermarket is full of all sorts of mysterious Asian and African fish, and I am always tempted to try them before changing my mind. Of course I know things like panga and tilapia, but I want to be more adventurous.

I think I'm going to finally take the chance. I figure if I bake it, it's hard to go wrong -- and of course that makes it easier to deal with the head and bones.

I will report back whenever I do it.

[tod2]

I hope they have cutlets of Nile Perch..... If the fish hasn't grown to the size of a dolphin or large shark it is delicious!

[mickthecactus]

As Mrs Cactus does not eat fish, I cook it very rarely but my fish obsessed eldest grandson stayed last night so i took a couple of trout fillets out of the freezer, thawed them, diped them in flour and simply fried them in a mix of vegetable and olive oil. He said they were great although one was a little dry but it seemd kind of dull to me so I had a look round to see what there was and lo and behold recipe from 2 years ago above turned up!

That's more like it..........

[Deleted]

Now I want fish, but I need to take it out in the morning to defrost it. Maybe tomorrow...

[tod2]

Good for your grandson Mick.....he knows a thing or two about fish being 'brain food'

I love fish but it must not taste fishy! Maybe a strange thing to say but some fish definitely have a fishier taste. I think its the darker meatier flesh fish. I will be on the lookout for fresh Seabass at the fishmongers in Borough Market. After saying I don't like fishy fish I also HAVE to get some kippers! ;D

[auntieannie]

not a recipe as such, but I had a snack yesterday that consisted of smoked trout on pumpernickel bread with some dill &honey mustard sauce.

[mickthecactus]

Apr 4, 2012 14:19:31 GMT tod2 said:

Good for your grandson Mick.....he knows a thing or two about fish being 'brain food'

I love fish but it must not taste fishy! Maybe a strange thing to say but some fish definitely have a fishier taste. I think its the darker meatier flesh fish. I will be on the lookout for fresh Seabass at the fishmongers in Borough Market. After saying I don't like fishy fish I also HAVE to get some kippers! ;D

He had Seabass on Saturday when we took him out for birthday lunch.

[hwinpp]

I want bacalao.

Boiled, served with boiled broccoli and boiled potatoes and drenched in olive oil.

[Deleted]

I think that baked fish with boiled potatoes is one of the finest food combinations that exists -- and since those are just the raw materials, there are hundreds of ways to season and spice both of them.

[lagatta]

I love smelt, but is there a way do do it nicely without frying? I fried some smelt the other day - the batter I used was besam / gram / chickpea flour and water (needs no egg or anything, just flavouring) but obviously don't want to eat fried food too often. A good baked smelt recipe?

[bixaorellana]

LaGatta, when I read your post, the first thing I thought of was stargazey pie, which still would incorporate stodge.

I love poached fish, which would be a nice alternative to frying.

This recipe is very basic, but I question that the parmesan might overpower the smelt: www.all-fish-seafood-recipes.com/index.cfm/recipe/Easy_Baked_Parmesan_Smelt

This definitely has possibilities, along with the option to make the recipe less elaborate: www.foodandwine.com/recipes/oven-roasted-smelts-with-cornichon-mayonnaise

Have you tried some kind of smelt tossed with pasta thing & if so, how was it?