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Who's good at cooking fish?

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Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:52 am


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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Gillthepainter » Thu Sep 26, 2019 9:32 am

Funnily enough, Pepper, I'm less squeamish about fish head to tail dining, than meat.
Offal turns me cold, but not those fishy bits & pieces.

Perhaps it's because I'm used to seeing the beast with it's head on anyway. Unlike the clinical presentation of meats.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Badger's Mate » Thu Sep 26, 2019 9:47 am

I've certainly had cod's cheeks and tongues, basically they taste of cod. I love roes in all their forms and enjoy fish based condiments such as Worcestershire sauce and fish sauce.

Dad told me that Grandma used to buy a cod's head and shoulders as a joint for the family. This yields a lot of meat and a good stock if boiled.

We've lost a taste for fish soups, although there are many great ones around the world, including Scotland. There's an understandable squeamishness about fish bones, but soups and pates can overcome that objection.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby dennispc » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:32 am

Back in the day, we had whole fish and used the ‘bits’ to make fish stock etc. Fish on the bone tastes better we think. Had fish cheeks in various places but never anything else.

Now; dabs, plaice and trout we buy and cook whole but hake type fish we buy fillets. Happy with roes.

Early one morning at Pedi Beach Symi, watched a guy with a lump of bread on a line. He threw it into the harbour and put a stone over the line that was on the ground and, presumably, went in to have his breakfast.

Later in the day I asked him had he caught anything and was it good. He didn’t speak English and I certainly don’t speak Greek, but somehow he explained he’d given it to his son. However, he was adamant the only way to eat fish was whole - son only ate fillets - Dad not happy with that!

Thanks for the link Pepper - did anyone notice at the bottom of the article this link?


https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... no-benefit

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Pampy » Thu Sep 26, 2019 1:45 pm

I've had fish maw in a Chinese restaurant in Manchester (one where Chinese people eat - I was taken by Chinese friends who owned a restaurant). I rather liked it.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby jeral » Thu Sep 26, 2019 1:51 pm

I'm surprised that cod roe is recommended as I thought it was frowned upon to catch wild fish that are soon to spawn, so even if the roe is a by product from a catch it's one from something that shouldn't have been caught in the first place.

We earthlings will need to manage global marine welfare better or suffer a potentially irreversible eco disaster.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:17 pm

I dislike soft roes (milts), even when ultra fresh they always taste slightly ammoniacal to me, though I do like the coral on scallops and get annoyed with tv cooks scorning them

I’ve had monkfish liver and found it a little rich in oil, actually cooking it with the potatoes as Jeremy Lee mentions for cod liver might tame it

I have always tended to cook smallish fish like trout and mullet whole, stripping the carcass as I eat it, so only the trail is discarded.

I’d really be interested to see the fish butchery in action

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby karadekoolaid » Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:00 pm

Not really my cup of tea, although I really enjoy bottarga, fish roe and cod´s roe. I´ve got a friend who eats all the head when we make "Sancocho" ( a Venezuelan Fish Stew) - which always includes fish heads.
Turn it into a gourmet meal? Personally, it´s too much faff for a small family.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby patpoyntz » Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:32 pm

Cods roe is one of my favourite foods, but I think it’s because of the rarity factor. It is available for such a short time, and can be difficult to find, though my lovely travelling once a week fish man does his best, so I probably only have it once or twice a year. I look forward to it round about marmalade making time. I love the seasonality of foods.
I worked with someone who was married to a man from Stornoway, and she said that when the fishermen caught a cod, they would take the liver out and tuck it under their ganzies, (sweaters), into their oxters, (armpits), then after a few hours of hard work the liver would be perfectly cooked. I don’t know whether this is true...she told many strange stories, and we believed them.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Pepper Pig » Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:59 am

patpoyntz wrote:I worked with someone who was married to a man from Stornoway, and she said that when the fishermen caught a cod, they would take the liver out and tuck it under their ganzies, (sweaters), into their oxters, (armpits), then after a few hours of hard work the liver would be perfectly cooked. I don’t know whether this is true...she told many strange stories, and we believed them.


That makes me feel quite queasy!! :vomit

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Sep 27, 2019 11:33 am

I have, no qualms about preparing cooking and eating anything from the sea or river.
I grew up doing it and fishing for it and learning such things as how to dress a crab or prepare a lobster. Then of course I experienced entirely different fish and shellfish in the Bahamas - conch fritters anyone or how about Chiton soup ?

I love the Provencal version of bottaga - partourge although it is very expensive and usually used as a garnish or canape topping. When I was little, herring roes on toast which was a favourite treat from Gran.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Badger's Mate » Fri Sep 27, 2019 2:50 pm

Herring roes on toast are still a favourite treat in this house :thumbsup

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Sakkarin » Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:46 pm

So if you were a lady from Stornaway, the way you could tell if the bloke you fancied was a fisherman was by sniffing his armpit?

I'm afraid I'm rubbish at cooking fish, unless it is an ingredient rather than the star of the show (as in those fish cakes last week). I'd possibly be more adventurous if it wasn't so expensive. Never quite sure if it's cooked properly until I actually eat it.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Pepper Pig » Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:15 am

And there's always fish skin crackling.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/s ... t-tom-hunt

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Joanbunting » Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:07 am

Mannu our chef friend cooks fish to perfection. He only buys sustainable fish and only the very freshest avaiable each day and that isn't easy here but it comes, each day from Les Halles in Avignon and he only buys whole fish so every scrap is used.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby jeral » Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:30 pm

I find it easier to cook whole fish to near perfect (for me) by baking it either naked or en papillote.

For a fillet pan-fried, the trick seems to be very low heat. Some chefs say that if you can see the white milky protein escaping it's already overcooked, but they think that perfect = translucent, whereas to me it means nearly done but not quite and time to flip it over.

A method that's fairly foolproof is putting fish fillet or cutlet in cold water (or milk if wished for smoked fish), bringing it slowly to the boil then heat off and let stand for about 3 mins until flakes separate with a blunt knife.

I've never worked out how people grill fish successfully.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:39 pm

I usually cook mackerel, basa or salmon in a foil parcel in the oven. Usually with lemon, dill and/or paprika. The fish is usually frozen though. We both love fish in our house, and always have a few tins of all kinds in the cupboard. I've found that tinned sardines work well in a puttanecsa sauce with pasta, and have used it as a pizza sauce too. We had a Scandi/Polish style sharing platter for our lunch today. Mr Strictly (aka The Fishy Monster!) is particularly fond of this, and we usually have it about once every few weeks so it remains a treat.

We also make sure we have a bag of seafood mix in the freezer, which is great for a midweek evening meal when added to a chunky Med veg tomato sauce for rice, pasta or even boiled potatoes in their skins and veg.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby karadekoolaid » Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:40 pm

I have to admit that I mostly cook fish with curries or coconut milk. However, when the occasion presents itself, I make a mean salt-baked fish. It usually involves a 4kg (or larger) whole fish, which I stuff with aromatics (peppers, fennel, celery, herbs) then cover entirely with sea salt. Baking takes around 40 minutes.

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Sakkarin » Wed Oct 09, 2019 7:58 pm

If you didn't see the Guardian article, guess how much this not particularly photogenic Tom Kerridge fish and chips cost.

Clue: more than £30 and less than £35.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ival#img-1

Image

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Re: Who's good at cooking fish?

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:58 pm

But it is turbot!

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