Store bought fish

[volshooter]

BearBio, now you bragging.... :mrgreen:
I live in east TN and any fresh seafood comes at a premium price, and it ain't fresh. I always look forward to any trip on the coast to indulge my unfillable self on the buffets.
It's a trade off. I love our mountains and not sure I would ever want to live anywhere else. We have great freshwater fishing for dang sure thanks to TVA and our wildlife folks.
Question, several years ago I was told that most "fish stick" like substances, unless otherwise labeled were actually buffalo (carp family). Is that true? Commercial regs include this fish here as no game fish can be taken commercially. I have eaten carp over the years, depending on where I was located, and some of it was good. We had a windfall of stranded carp one year. We harvested and smoked the meat. Honestly I could not tell the difference between it and bass. None of that will ever come close to smoked trout or salmon, but it was edible and worth snaking.
Enjoy my friend, I'll be back on the east coast in a few months!

 

[Mtneer]

I have one rule for fish. And that is if I don't catch it I don't eat it. Now like all rules there needs to be an exception to prove the rule. That exception is canned tuna.

I have a fish rule similar to that. Mine is, if I don't kill it I don't have to eat it. So I practice catch and release.
I hate fish, always have. Yeah, yeah I know - Omega-3 and all that. I'll take fish oil capsules, thank you very much. :wink:

And another thing - frog legs. On our first date, my wife of 44 years and counting talked me into ordering frog legs for dinner in a fancy restaurant. They're "sort of like chicken" she said. Yep, they're "sort of like chicken" alright - tough, stringy, fish flavored, rooster chicken! Did I mention fish flavored? I hate fish - store bought, restaurant bought, or otherwise.

My exception also is canned tuna. :wink:

 

[opos]

My oldest Son is one of 2 partners in the largest sport fishing business in San Diego...they send long range boats way deep into Mexican waters on trips ranging from a week to 3 weeks..I really hate to say this but he's always asking if we want some fresh (it's bled and brined as caught and is absolutely fresh fish when the boats are unloaded) tuna, wahoo (Hawaiian ono), Dorado (Mahi Mahi) and we usually just thank him but turn it down...we been eating fish for decades and just lost a taste for it..even if it's the absolute cream of the crop. I no longer fish and don't miss the freezer full of fish that we always had....

I agree on the other meats...I grew up with a Dad and Grandad that were farmers/ranchers and my Grandad was a butcher in the way back old days...we always fattened up a baby beef and slaughtered it and hung it till it was perfect...eating store beef these days is really not much of a treat. We like Turkey, Chicken and lots of burger if in things like spaghetti, etc...if we want a decent steak we got a small restaurant near us that has steak and eggs and the one really good thing they have is a little 8oz sirloin to go with the eggs...

 

[737tdi]

Hey opos, a bit off topic. Did Anthonys end up losing their battle to keep the restaurant? When I was there last summer it was being talked about quite a bit.

On topic, I sure wish he could ship reasonably, I love Dorado. Oh well.


Karl

 

[wolfsong]

If your fish tastes and smells "fishy" you have old fish. NO truly fresh fish smells or tastes fishy. Certain types of fish have more FLAVOR than others, however. Generally, fish with lighter meat (flounder, sole, roughy etc.) have a lower oil content than fish with darker flesh (swordfish, mackerel, salmon, bluefish etc.) There are some exceptions to this rule (cod and halibut) but generally speaking, the higher the oil content the more flavor.

Try to buy your fish from a wholesale fish market, the ones that sell to upscale hotels and restaurants. Hotels and restaurants usually buy their fish three to five days a week. Their turnover is quick, and their sales are higher volume than grocery stores. Wholesalers sell their best to those establishments buying the most product the most often. Grocery stores don't move as much product or as quickly as eateries do. Grocery stores will buy and freeze and even REFREEZE seafood as a rule, depending on volume of sales.

Domestically farm raised seafood is of a better and more consistent quality than imported products, as there are higher standards and safeguards in place. But those products pale in comparison to wild caught seafood.

I was in the hotel, restaurant and wholesale seafood industry for 26 years before changing careers to my current profession. From busboy to Executive Chef, dishwasher to Food and Beverage Director, from coast to coast. I've filleted more fish, peeled and deveined more shrimp and shucked more oysters than I care to remember.

Buy it fresh, season it minimally and cook it promptly and quickly. DO NOT OVERCOOK IT! Complement it with herbs, lace it with a light sauce, and always have lemon or lime handy. Or wrap a couple of fillets in aluminum foil with lemon, butter, salt and pepper and cook it over some coals and enjoy!

 

[BearBio]

My oldest Son is one of 2 partners in the largest sport fishing business in San Diego...they send long range boats way deep into Mexican waters on trips ranging from a week to 3 weeks..I really hate to say this but he's always asking if we want some fresh (it's bled and brined as caught and is absolutely fresh fish when the boats are unloaded) tuna, wahoo (Hawaiian ono), Dorado (Mahi Mahi) and we usually just thank him but turn it down...we been eating fish for decades and just lost a taste for it..even if it's the absolute cream of the crop. I no longer fish and don't miss the freezer full of fish that we always had....

I agree on the other meats...I grew up with a Dad and Grandad that were farmers/ranchers and my Grandad was a butcher in the way back old days...we always fattened up a baby beef and slaughtered it and hung it till it was perfect...eating store beef these days is really not much of a treat. We like Turkey, Chicken and lots of burger if in things like spaghetti, etc...if we want a decent steak we got a small restaurant near us that has steak and eggs and the one really good thing they have is a little 8oz sirloin to go with the eggs...

I curse you and your sons! I went out of Fishermen's Landing on Bill Poole's boats for several years, until we moved to NorCal. Usually with Tommy Rothery as skipper. I am so jealous=fresh albacore rules! Wahoo and dorado are great, especially fresh.

 

[opos]

My oldest Son is one of 2 partners in the largest sport fishing business in San Diego...they send long range boats way deep into Mexican waters on trips ranging from a week to 3 weeks..I really hate to say this but he's always asking if we want some fresh (it's bled and brined as caught and is absolutely fresh fish when the boats are unloaded) tuna, wahoo (Hawaiian ono), Dorado (Mahi Mahi) and we usually just thank him but turn it down...we been eating fish for decades and just lost a taste for it..even if it's the absolute cream of the crop. I no longer fish and don't miss the freezer full of fish that we always had....

I agree on the other meats...I grew up with a Dad and Grandad that were farmers/ranchers and my Grandad was a butcher in the way back old days...we always fattened up a baby beef and slaughtered it and hung it till it was perfect...eating store beef these days is really not much of a treat. We like Turkey, Chicken and lots of burger if in things like spaghetti, etc...if we want a decent steak we got a small restaurant near us that has steak and eggs and the one really good thing they have is a little 8oz sirloin to go with the eggs...

I curse you and your sons! I went out of Fishermen's Landing on Bill Poole's boats for several years, until we moved to NorCal. Usually with Tommy Rothery as skipper. I am so jealous=fresh albacore rules! Wahoo and dorado are great, especially fresh.

Then you know my Son Doug..when Poole died a few years back Frank Lopreste had been Pooles partner and took the landing and Pool's widow stayed on for a while..my son Doug was managing partner in the tackle business...about a year and a half ago Ingred Poole sold Doug Bill's share of the landing...Frank is the major owner..and Doug is right up close...He's been there about 30 years now so you probably have crossed paths...Tommy is still running the Polaris Supreme..great operation and Frank still has the Royal Polaris and it's still the best of all the boats and operations.

I had a sport boat in the Berkeley Marina back when there was no "marina"..just poles driven into the water to throw a line over and raft up with other boats...the Berkeley "sport fishing" office was a huge GI mess tent (smelled like Creosote) with a bunch of hot space heaters running and sawdust on the floor.pretty primitave....that was a very long time ago (65).

 

[BearBio]

I stopped going out about 25 years ago when Bill had just built the Royal. Went once (?) on the Supreme, while Bill owned it. I likely met Doug although I always had my own tackle (Dennis Bunker was a buddy and kept me well stocked) Back in the days fishing with The Long Ranger, Carl Newell and the gang.