This thread is about the least fishy-tasting fish, and contains some suggestions about preparing them. I’m also just about finished reading J.Y. Cousteau’s Silent World, in which the author talks about the many types of fishes he and his friends encounter.
I like fish; but I tend to be rather simple about cooking them, and the market doesn’t have the greatest selection anyway. I usually eat salmon, which I bake with Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki. Or I’ll have a tuna sandwich or some anchovies on a cracker or pizza, or a tin of smoked herring. If I get a white fish, I usually end up coating it with Louisiana brand fish-fry and frying it.
So here I am in one of the great fishing places in North America. Salmon season will be coming soon, and I know there are large halibut in the water. A local fisherman talked about “rockfish” that can be had around here. (I assume he means a type of sea bass or a cod, and not a type of scorpion fish.) We also have dungeness crabs, shrimp, oysters and clams. I assume there are other fish out there, but I’ll have to ask around to find out what they are.
So let’s say I go fishing and bring back a fish that is not a salmon. Some sort of whitefish. How do I cook it, other than my typical boring way? Do any of you have French or Mediterranian recipes that are not too difficult? I had “Chilean Sea Bass with Capers” once in SoCal that was delicious. I think it was sea bass sautéed in olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and capers. Or maybe it was grilled and just had the sun-fried tomatoes and capers poured on top.
How about a bouillabaisse? Isn’t that just a matter of boiling some tomatoes and potatoes, then adding whatever seafood you happen to have on-hand? (Well, more or less.)
Salmon I can do. I like it grilled, baked or poached. I can probably learn how to smoke it, and I have a friend who can tell me how to make salmon chowder. But I need to find out how to make non-boring dishes from other fishes.