Fish & Cooking

[MrGrey]

For those of you who know a great deal about fish and cooking.. help me out

first question.. what are your fav fishies to eat? AND which tastes the most like chicken and/or tasteless.  I do NOT like "fishy, oceanic" taste.

second question.. what are the best, EASY marinades.

any and all information will probably not be appreciated and will be forgotten the moment I read them.  Thanks for your help

[Luinbariel]

I don't know much about marinades at the moment, but I know that Alaskan Halibut has little to no fishy taste. Its very mild and will take flavour really well.

It might do with a more zingy marinade though, something citrusy.

[Dave]

real men eat steak.

[Geoff]

real men eat steak.

This, but I do enjoy salmon and trout, with the occasional tilapia.

[Tragic Hero]

For those of you who know a great deal about fish and cooking.. help me out

first question.. what are your fav fishies to eat? AND which tastes the most like chicken and/or tasteless.  I do NOT like "fishy, oceanic" taste.

second question.. what are the best, EASY marinades.

any and all information will probably not be appreciated and will be forgotten the moment I read them.  Thanks for your help

I believe Fried Cat Fish is what you are looking for.  To me it has the "least" amount of fishy taste.  Or you could go with Salmon.

[ZargonX]

Good swordfish is excellent. 

[Surf314]

My favorites are tuna and grouper.  In fact as I'm typing this we are cooking grouper with garlic salt and lime.

Tuna is best seared IMO but it leaves the center raw so if you don't like sushi or raw tuna don't do this.  As for good marinades for both I'd go asian and do some teriyaki ginger maybe some sesame.

I dunno ask Luca I just mix shit together when I cook.

[KarthXLR]

I recommend Grilled Mahi Mahi. Or swordfish. They taste pretty similar.

[rumsfald]

Firstly, if you have to marinade a fish, you are doing it wrong. Marinades are best used to cover up fish that is a little on the old side (stinky) or naturally stinky (an oilcan like bluefish or marlin). Also, many commercial marinades are sickeningly overpowering and you can't even taste the fish. If you get a nice piece of fresh fish, the last thing you want to do is cover that up.

Preparation should vary to suit the fish, but generally, grilled with citrus (lemon, lime, or orange), salt (sea salt or kosher salt), fresh ground pepper, and a fresh herb (thyme or oregano work for most, don't dare use dried herbs from a jar) is on of the best ways to easily highlight a good piece of white flesh fish.  In san diego, you should be grilling, but if not you can broil.

The hardest part is getting a good piece of fish.  First off, you want to go to a reputable fishmonger. If you or your friends/family don't know one, try to find a popular / busy one. Go in the morning - if you smell a rotten fishy smell in the morning leave and don't come back (all fish stores start to smell at the end of the day after washing fishguts down the drain - but the good stores clean up at night after hours before things get too icky).  The smell of the sea is fine. Second, ask what's fresh. I'd rather get my third choice of fish fresh then an old slice of my first choice. Third, ask to smell the fish. Again, any reputable fishmonger will be confident in their product and let you smell the fish.  Beware of cloudy eyes (generally) and beware of any rainbow pattern on the skin. Once you buy, keep on ice till you get home, put in fridge, and cook that night. Again, while you are looking, ask the fishmonger if they can put it on ice for you for your drive home. Any fishmonger that doesn't do that for their customers is not doing enough business.

As for fish types, I just came back from Alaska and their halibut is one of the best fishes I have ever had. Wow. Light flesh, meaty, succulent. Other light / non-fishy fish include: sea bass, flounder, fluke, cod, haddock. Catfish is also good, but sometimes hard to get fresh and generally involves a bit more work to cook. Tuna is arguably the best fish, tastes nothing like the light flesh fish (and tastes absolutely nothing like canned tuna), but requires cooking skill - if you overcook it you are doing it wrong - only go tuna if you like tuna sushi, as Surf said. Also, there are some very good recipes on the internet that can make monkfish taste just like lobster.

The real question is, Mr. Grey, what is her name and why did you promise to cook dinner for her? And why you trying to impress her?

[MrGrey]

her name is andrew spano and she is a hungry girl.. i had flounder last night and almost threw up how can you see its not fishy?.. thanks for the in depth piece i will come back and ask more questions later

[Surf314]

her name is andrew spano and she is a hungry girl.. i had flounder last night and almost threw up how can you see its not fishy?.. thanks for the in depth piece i will come back and ask more questions later

Flounder = bottom feeder = no thanks

Stick to the good fish.  Good open water white fish.  Does that sound racist?

[cannedpeahes]

The hardest part is getting a good piece of fish.  First off, you want to go to a reputable cockmongler.

Fixed.

[Tragic Hero]

[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1580.msg44066#msg44066 date=1223940728]
The hardest part is getting a good piece of fish.  First off, you want to go to a reputable cockmongler.

Fixed.
[/quote]

Come on Peaches, you're more clever than that

[Evil Cheese]

If you like a non-fishy tasting fish, then I'd definitely recommend Mahi Mahi. Everyone I recommend it to who doesn't like the fishy taste (if it's cooked properly) usually likes Mahi Mahi. Rummy has it on spot as far as preparation goes. Maybe add a little butter as well. Just be careful not to overcook it and stay away from using white wines imho, it can cause the fish to become rubbery and can become overpowering.

[MrGrey]

dude.. i had mahi mahi tonight and i loved it.  The marinade i prepared was PERFECT.  White wine, soy sauce, lemon juice.. omg it was excellent

[rumsfald]

i had flounder last night and almost threw up how can you see its not fishy?

If it's fishy then you got an old and nasty fish.

Flounder = bottom feeder = no thanks
Stick to the good fish.  Good open water white fish.  Does that sound racist?

Flatfish: Fish with a flattened shape, including dab, flounder, halibut, plaice, sole, and turbot.

That's a lot of good fish to disregard. Bottomfeeders they may be, but then again so are crabs, clams, oysters, and lobsters - doesn't make them fishy.

[Surf314]

[quote author=Surf314 link=topic=1580.msg44084#msg44084 date=1223950910]
Flounder = bottom feeder = no thanks
Stick to the good fish.  Good open water white fish.  Does that sound racist?

Flatfish: Fish with a flattened shape, including dab, flounder, halibut, plaice, sole, and turbot.

That's a lot of good fish to disregard. Bottomfeeders they may be, but then again so are crabs, clams, oysters, and lobsters - doesn't make them fishy.
[/quote]

I still prefer the big open water fish - swordfish, tuna, grouper, mahi mahi.  I had some amazing grouper last night - they had a sale because they were catching so much over the weekend.  The fishmonger I started trying out has their own small fishing operation.  Thanks for the icing tip though I always say no to ice because its not that far of a drive but I will start saying yes.

[Tragic Hero]

That's odd?  No one is a fan of Salmon?  Such a clean taste and the many ways you can prepare it makes it my favorite fish. 

[Surf314]

That's odd?  No one is a fan of Salmon?  Such a clean taste and the many ways you can prepare it makes it my favorite fish. 

No - bones (or am I thinking of the wrong fish?)

[Luca Shoal]

No yer right Surf :V.