I just cooked fish for the first time in my life, outside of processed junk. I cooked Publix frozen tuna in a pan with some spicy Montreal seasoning rubbed on, and it was fantastic. Wow, I can't imagine how good it would be fresh and actually cooked on the grill (but I'm not paying $16/lb and I don't have a grill yet). It wasn't very fishy at all.
I've only really enjoyed fish raw, but this has real potential.
Any "this doesn't taste a lot like fish" fish meals would be much appreciated! Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Actually, I heard on a cooking show (so, may or may not be correct) that unless you live near the water, the fish you get "fresh" was frozen to ship to the store and then thawed by the store.
But congratulations on your culinary success!
I recommend tilapia as a non-fishy-tasting fish. Mmmm. I don't have a good recipe handy, but it's good almost any way you cook it.
Posted by Swampjedi (Member # 7374) on :
Thanks! I do love to cook, though I mainly stick to chicken. I saw lots of tilapia at Publix, I'll have to grab some next time I'm there.
Even if the fresh is really frozen, I can't make myself pay that. Though, I might if I were making sushi. Does anyone know if using frozen fish for sushi is safe?
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Fish sold as fresh cannot have been frozen prior, because if you then freeze and rethaw it there's an increased risk of food poisoning. Sometimes not-frozen fish, particularly shrimp, will be labeled "pre-thawed for your convenience." That's so you know it's been frozen before, and you shouldn't freeze it again. Most fresh fish has been flown in, so it's safe. Most shrimp, on the other hand, is pre-thawed, because shrimp is much more delicate and won't survive the trip as well.
You should definitely use fish that has been frozen and thawed by a fishmonger for sushi. Many sushi restaraunts freeze their fish before use, it kills parasites that might be in the fish. You shouldn't do this yourself, though, because home freezers don't get cold enough, it needs to be done in a commercial freezer and thawed in a controlled manner. I would not make sushi from any fish you buy frozen, you need to specifically buy sushi-grade fish from a reputable source. And yes, it will be more expensive.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
I would imagine they would have to tell you. At least I know at my publix, they have a note saying "previously frozen" on things that have been frozen.
Posted by dawnmaria (Member # 4142) on :
If you sprinkle a little creole seasoning on the tilapia and pan fry it in skillet it's awesome! My husband hates fish but even he loves it. It's the un-fishy fish!
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
You can broil salmon with or without a glaze of olive oil on the top, with or without paprika, and it'll still be pretty good.
Whitefish, with breadcrumbs on it, and olive oil, "fried" by baking in in this oil in the oven. It's done *quickly*.
Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
I recommend Salmon Teriyaki Strips...my current favorite food.
Posted by stihl1 (Member # 1562) on :
I would like to learn how to grill some kind of fish on the barbeque. My wife isn't big on fish but I love it, particularly salmon steaks.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Warning: This is very, very garlicy. It's delicious going down, but for me the garlic built afterward, doing so to such a degree that by about 5 hours later I was feeling a little queasy from it. That said, it's also delicious. I might cut the garlic down to two tablespoons, though, or use less intense garlic, one or the other. After posting about this in a garlic thread on sakeriver I started craving it. I'm now secured the ingredients, and will be making it in the next few days.
bpla noong manao 1 fish (1.5-2 lbs) cleaned with head and tail left on, or 1.25 lbs firm fleshed white fish fillet 3 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice 2 TBSP fish sauce 1 tsp sugar 3 TBSP chopped garlic 2 TBSP chopped green onion 1 TBSP chopped fresh kii noo chili
Fill the bottom of a steamer pan or a wok with water and place a steaming rack 1 inch above the water level. Cover the pan and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, place the fish on a large platter that will fit inside the steaming vessel. When the water is staming actively, place the fish on the steaming rack, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and steam until the fish is just done through, about 10 minutes. Check the meat near the bone at the thickest part of the fish to be sure it is cooked.
While the fish steams, mix together the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Combine thew garlic, green onion, and chili in another small bowl and set it aside as well.
When the fish is done, carfully remove it from the steamer. Sprinkle the garlic-chili mixture over the fish, and then pour the lime juice mixture over it. Serve at once.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
I suppose one reason these don't taste like fish is that, well, they aren't... but have you ever tried shark? I've only had shark steaks once in my life, but they were absolutely spectacular.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
We've had shark and didn't much care for it. Too rubbery, not much flavor. It's possible it was the type of shark/cut/chef. Oh, wait, I cooked it...
If your fish has a strong fishy smell, it isn't fresh. Pick fish without that smell and you'll probably enjoy your fish a lot more.
We've had tuna steaks and loved loved loved loved loved 'em. It was while eating out - several occasions, several restaurants - so I didn't cook 'em and I don't have a recipe. But they looked really simple. Fry the steak in butter (or olive oil or coconut oil), add salt & pepper to taste, sprinkle with lime. Or lemon, but we have limes here, so that's what we go with. Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Mmmm, tuna steak... *open-mouthed-drool*
Also, Halibut is very good if you like steak cut fish without too fishy a flavor. Which I do. It's pretty easy to cook, too. Jush brush it with some melted butter, add seasoning to taste (I use copious amounts of red, black, white and cayan pepper, paprika, salt and a little bit of garlic powder. I like spicy.), and grill on a dry surface (mesquite grills are my favorite, but hard to come by) until the fish is white all the way through. Yummy yummy. I suggest you serve with garlic asparagus and roasted bell pepper. Edit: and a nice wheat beer. Oh yeah...
As far as where to get fish, I highly recommend any local, privately owned, bulk seafoodaria. Especially if you live in a coastal area where all of the regional fish will be caught locally (I live in the Gulf Coast area and my local store has the best red fish, catfish, crab and crawfish that you could ever hope for). Chain stores will most likely have the fish shipped from xenu knows where that has them the cheapest. But then, you will probably pay more. But with fish, I always figure it's better to pay more for quality you can trust.
Posted by dawnmaria (Member # 4142) on :
This thread is killing me! I am from Biloxi, Mississippi and grew up on fresh seafood. I now live in Northern Virginia where it's touch and go with what you get. I was supposed to be going home for my cousin's wedding in May and was planning a seafood frenzy but the doctors have said I shouldn't travel due to a high risk pregnancy. I would kill right now for some fried shrimp and fried mullet! Or stuffed flounder! Oh the agony!
Posted by Swampjedi (Member # 7374) on :
Thanks for all the replies! I'm especially grateful to you, Eljay, for warning me about eating frozen fish as sushi.
I have quite a few ideas to try when I next go to the store.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
You're welcome. And if I remember when I get home, I'll give you my recipe for salmon tartare, which is an excellent way to use a cut of sushi-grade salmon. (You can use it as an appetizer for a dinner party, so a little goes a long way, and it's quite impressive.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Someone on recipezaar made a collection of recipes called Fish to Please Fish-Haters. You might try that for "this doesn't even taste like fish!" recipes. Posted by Lavalamp (Member # 4337) on :
I love to cook the following:
Fresh tuna Fresh swordfish Fresh or Frozen Tilapia Jumbo Shrimp (frozen or fresh)
I don't particularly care for frozen tuna or swordfish, so if I have to get frozen seafood, I go for the shrimp or tilapia.
I also don't find the need to grill fish as long as I can pan sear it with my favorite spices. I will sometimes go as light as just some sea salt and ground pepper, but my favorite is a mix of curry, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Do that in a pan with olive oil (Yes...I cook in olive oil) or butter and it's just great.
The secret of such concoctions is to cook it fast and don't overcook.
If you get fresh tuna (especially so-called "sushi quality") you don't even really need to cook it, but I like a nice crust of cooked seasonings on it, so I pan sear it with oil or butter and spices and leave the interior cool/raw. You need to buy thick cuts to really make this work well, though.
Enjoy your future explorations of fishy goodness. Remember, there's plenty of fish in the sea.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
Oh, wait, I cooked it... ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
(You can use it as an appetizer for a dinner party, so a little goes a long way, and it's quite impressive.)