Fishy fish...

rachstebbs

Hello all,

New to posting but been lurking for a little while!

Just wondering if any of you could help with a slight problem I have. My OH will only eat 'meaty fish' ie tuna, swordfish etc which is expensive! Today he finally admitted that he will eat white fish if it doesn't taste 'fishy' and if it is not too flaky. :mad:

Can anyone help with recipes or even just any fish that might fit these very strict criteria!! I'm really struggling for ideas!

Thanks a lot

rach

exup

that may be awkward - I take it you eat fish aswell?

The only thing I could suggest is maybe letting him try some of yours if you are having some.
out of the main ones Cod and Haddock - Haddock is the stronger tasting of the two, and usually smells stronger, whereas Cod is more subtle. (most fish + chip shops will usually sell haddock now as their main fish).

It may be easier to think of fish to avoid rather than buy..
Monkfish can taste like scampi - (monkstail used to be used as a poor subsitute for scampi)

I could suggest Whiting and Plaice - but again it is down to personal choice.. but Plaice can be quite nice if cooked correctly.

One of the biggest mistakes with fish if not getting it from a chip shop is to overcook it and it dries it out too much and makes it taste stornger than it should.

floyd

Coley/pollack is a firm white fish similar in taste and texture to cod and haddock. Morrisons have a great fish counter if there isn't an independent fishmonger near you and they are always happy to advise. Morrisons crumbed fish packs are also good value and tatse very fresh, I don't usually buy things like that but I make an exception there as I know they use good fish.

My local curry place does a light dish called Telapia tikka which is a firm white fish marinaded in tandoori spices and pan fried quickly, maybe something like this will tempt OH if he is worries about fishiness as the curry flavour would distract him

HariboJunkie

What about disguising it in fishcakes? This way you could use lots of different kinds like salmon, trout, cod, haddock etc. It's also really economical.
Or pate? again it means the salmon or mackeral for example would be really disguised.;)

competitionscafe

Gurnard is a cheaper 'meaty' fish and sustainable. Unlikely to find it in a supermarket but a decent fishmonger might have some. Worth asking as the more people who ask for it the more likely they are to stock it.

Pollock and Coley are both sustainable and don't taste very fishy (but then they don't taste of much at all!)

Mackerel is a member of the tuna family, but much cheaper to buy - has quite a strong taste though.

Some fish ideas and recipes here:
http://www.msc.org/cook-eat-enjoy/fish-to-eat

Muppet81

My OH is now 53. When he was 7 years old, his mum served up cod balls, the same cod balls, over several days in a bit to get him to eat them. he has refused to touch fish ever since.

I do not eat meat and it seems that I am always making 2 seperate meals.

A few months back my lovely OH said he would try fish as it would be a help if occasionaly we could eat the same.

I started with a VERY VERY fresh piece of cod. I won't buy it from anywhere like Tesco but have found a chap who comes over from Fleetwood once a week to sell at my local farmshop. The fish is fabulous and most importantly does not smell fishy.

I used a pasta sauce - Tesco Finest Chilli and Cherry tomato. Poured it over the fish and baked it. OH enjoyed it.

It was not exactly money saving as the fish was costly and the sauce was bought ready BUT I thought it was a sound investment if his first experience was positive.

I have since tried him with haddock baked in a mix of cheddar and lancashire cheese with a bit of single cream. Wolfed it down.

Fish pie he did not like as he found the salmon too strong for his taste.

Salmon made into fishcakes with corriander, lemon and sweetcorn went down OK though as did tuna fishcakes with a lot of herby flavouring.

Tuna steaks with a peppery sauce he likes.

I think it comes more down to disguising the fish a bit with sauce. Hopefully as time goes on I can progress to a fillet of fish with a herb and breadcrumb topping but for now I am not rushing him and am loving the nights when i can get away with cooking one meal.

maltesers_2

I think one of the biggest problems with fish is the 'fishy' smell of cooking. This can be avoided by using a citrus marinade. Use one lemon grated zest and juice (and some orange if you have some), 1 TBs olive oil, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard, s & p. Pour over fish and leave for 1 -2 hours. cook fish in oven for 20 mins.

This works well - no 'fishy' smell or taste - very good for salmon

rachstebbs

Thankyou so much for all of your help! I love any kind of fish but he's a nightmare! I will be testing all of your ideas over the next few weeks and will let you know if I convert him!

pigpen

the fishier fish tastes the fresher it is..so.. feed him old fish?!

I love plaice.. and I don't like cod it is really bland.. and is full of parasitic worms. Salmon is rank really strong flavour.

angelavdavis

Dover Sole is quite a meaty fish, I buy from the local fishermen (for about £1.50 per fish) so its a lot cheaper than buying in fishmongers but if you can get hold of it at a reasonable price its worth a try. Very easy to prepare - just grill until the flesh goes opaque and serve with fresh lemon squeezed over the top.