Cooking Fish?

Dobie

Alfietinker wrote:

Can I ask a really silly question? We're trying to eat more fish and we love the taste, but I really can't bear skin. It's just the thought of it turns my stomach - same goes for heads! :eek:

I try and get fish from the fishmongers but I tend to only buy fillets of things that I know either he or I can pull the skin off. (Can just about cope with that!)

If I saw a whole fish (mackrel/trout/herring etc) would he laugh if I asked him to fillet them for me? I've never known what the convention is - by that I mean if it's got a head on, are you meant to cook it that way?

Hi Alfie
Any fishmonger will gladly skin & fillet the fish for you. Unfortunately we haven't got one near us so I go to Morrisons for my fish - they have a great selection - & just ask for it however I want. No one has laughed yet.

thriftlady_2

Hi, Alfietinker,
Just seconding what Dobie says.I buy mackerel and herrings a lot from the fish counter at Tesco and I always ask them to take the heads off and fillet them if that's how I want them.If I want to cook mackerel whole I just ask for them to be gutted.I think oily fish like these must be quite difficult to skin,but you can easily scrape it off when it's cooked(that's what my kids do).

BTW if you cook fish with their heads on the flavour is supposed to be better,but I couldn't honestly say I've noticed.

Cantdance_2

Hey everyone,

One of the things I miss most about my previous lifestyle is all the fresh fish I used to eat when I was being reckless with money - I would eat piles and piles of salmon fillets and tuna steaks every week but sadly now it's too expensive!

Anyone got any good ideas for where to get fresh fish cheaply, which types of fish are good and cheap alternatives to salmon and tuna, or any good fisc recipes using cheaper fresh fish?

I live by the seaside so fresh fish should be cheap and plentiful!

James

Prudent

Go to somewhere like Morrisons about an hour before closing time. I was in my local one at 7pm last night and they had lots of kinds of fish and seafood reduced to 20p.

I am not a big eater of fish (I wish I was a sit is so good for you!), so can't help with cooking ideas.

newlywed

Get white fish fillets (cod, unsmoked haddock, whatever's on offer). Remove the skin, chop up. Place in an ovenproof dish. Get a packet of parsley sauce (haven't tried making it myself yet) pour over. Top with mash and bake in the oven - it's yum!

Edit: add some cheese on top too if you fancy it!

newlywed

Or do white fish in sweet and sour sauce? Local chinese does this and its' yum.

My mum gets whole trout, guts them and then packs them with flavoured cous cous, sprinkles almonds on top, wraps in foil and bakes in oven.

Or smoked haddock is cheaper than salmon or tuna and still has taste appeal.

(Can't beat steamed salmon or lovely tuna steak though!!)

Debt_Free_Chick

Cantdance wrote:

I live by the seaside so fresh fish should be cheap and plentiful!

James

Where abouts? You need to track down where the boats land their catch. You can often buy straight from the boats or there's usually a stall nearby.

candygirl

my mum gets it delivered from grimsby in bulk!!yuuuuk i hate fish:D

dixie_dean_2

Use Coley whenever white fish is called for. Really good in fish pies, currys, fish cakes and about 1/2 the price of cod (probably!). Catch it yourself?
Treat yourself? Obviously don't know what your situation is but most young people (like me, I think) would gladly go out and spend £20+ on a night out but then would say a nice piece of tuna is too expensive at £4. You are what you eat and all that and I'd rather be a nice bright-eyed tuna than a dusty bag of hops and barley. Just have a pint or 2 less on a night out and treat yourself to quality food. Or go to Liverpool, Smithdown road, and sooner or later a dodgy scally will be offering you batteries, bacon, fish, make-up, all sorts out of a holdall in any one of the quality pubs there!

Cantdance_2

dixie_dean wrote:

Treat yourself? Obviously don't know what your situation is but most young people (like me, I think) would gladly go out and spend £20+ on a night out but then would say a nice piece of tuna is too expensive at £4. You are what you eat and all that and I'd rather be a nice bright-eyed tuna than a dusty bag of hops and barley. Just have a pint or 2 less on a night out and treat yourself to quality food. Or go to Liverpool, Smithdown road, and sooner or later a dodgy scally will be offering you batteries, bacon, fish, make-up, all sorts out of a holdall in any one of the quality pubs there!

That's a very good point... we are young and don't have kids etc but we don't go out at all really (no money!)

However, I think nothing of spending £10 on a takeaway on a Friday night, for which price I could have bought a whole load of fresh fish...

An excellent point!

Anyway, thanks everyone for the tips, am going to investigate my local Waitrose fish counter near closing time and also go on a walk down the seafront to see whether I can find any stalls!

Cheers

James