Eating Fish

Eat Chilean Sea Bass. It's not cheap at $24.99 per pound at Costco but it's really good. Wild salmon is also good. Avoid farmed salmon.
 
Yeah Baby!

I never ate the CSB at restaurants as it was so expensive, but I bought it at Costco because known good fish.

Now I know why it's so expensive, it's the "lobster" of fin fish. Just magnificent - :)
 
Lobster of fish - that would be lotte aka monkfish. Ugliest fish you ever saw but an absolutely delicious dream in a French style stew. Our fish market occasionally has it, and DH begs me to make it.

Monkfish is known as “the poor man’s lobster”.
 
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Lobster of fish - that would be lotte aka monkfish. Ugliest fish you ever saw but an absolutely delicious dream in a French style screw. Our fish market occasionally has it, and DH begs me to make it.

Monkfish is known as “the poor man’s lobster”.

Whoa …a French style screw. LOL.
 
I've had monkfish, CSB is better.
 
I'm surprised no-one mentioned the difference between wild-caught and farmed. Farmed salmon is not as bad as farmed catfish, but I still avoid it. As with all fish, fresher is better.

Its rare to get good, fresh swordfish. I'd buy it whenever it was available. But not long ago I bought some frozen-at-sea swordfish at the supermarket, and it was pretty good. I found out the supermarket gets it frozen, individually shrink-wrapped in serving-size chunks from a larger steak. Sometimes when it's on sale I'll just ask them to grab me some right out of the freezer, still wrapped, instead of the ones they left thawing in the display for who knows how long.
 
Where I grew up, we ate canned salmon (patties) or fish sticks. "Real" local fish are called "trash fish" by most people. So I never liked fish - until I moved to the Islands. Now, I really love fish - but still not a salmon eater. YMMV
 
Twenty years ago, when Atkins diet was popular, I engaged the Atkins diet by only eating a refrigerated salad made from canned Tuna, mayonnaise and chopped sweet pickles. I love tuna, so it was easy to stick to this diet. The good news is that this Atkins diet method had me losing weight very quickly. The bad news . . .
An RN-friend of mine heard I had been eating only canned tuna for six consecutive months and talked me into having a blood test for mercury toxin. My tuna-only diet for six months resulted in my mercury level being five times higher than whatever the EPA-threshold was. Fast-forward to today: My wife only buys fish once a year, for Easter celebration.

I'm surprised you lost weight on such a diet. Mercury is very heavy.:LOL:
 
If you don't like eating fish, then have you considered a fish oil pill with omega-3's? I hear Nordic Naturals is a trustworthy brand you can get on Amazon.
 
Check the sodium

Most smoked salmon is VERY high.
I also feel smoked salmon has a fishier taste than fresh
 
Eat Chilean Sea Bass. It's not cheap at $24.99 per pound at Costco but it's really good. Wild salmon is also good. Avoid farmed salmon.

Great stuff. I remember there was a problem with it being overfished, but not sure if that's still the case. If they called it by it's real name, Patagonian Toothfish, may not sell as much.:D
 
Beware of Mercury

FWIW -- Salmon and other larger fish have higher amounts of mercury. I've read several articles recommending spacing out consumption of larger fish to probably no more than 3 or 3X a month. Diet experts recommend eating smaller species like sardines for getting more Omega3's

FROM CLEVELAND CLINIC: BEST AND WORST FISH TO CONSUME
BEST
1. Sardines
Sardines provide a variety of benefits.

“You can’t go wrong with sardines,” says Zumpano. “They’re a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids, they’re caught in the wild and they’re cheap.”

Sardines provide 2 grams of heart-healthy omega-3s per 3 ounce serving, which is one of the highest levels of omega-3 and the lowest levels of mercury of any fish. They contain a great source of calcium and Vitamin D, so they support bone health, too. Other than fortified products, there are few other food sources of Vitamin D. They may be packed in water, tomato juice or olive oil. Read the label to make sure you don’t exceed your daily limits for sodium and fat.

“Since sardines are more likely to be sustainably caught, they’re a safe choice for pregnant and nursing women,” notes Zumpano.

Worried about encountering the entire fish, head intact? Today, only the edible portions are included. Try serving sardines sprinkled with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of olive oil or with chopped tomatoes and basil, oregano or another Italian seasoning. For a quick snack, serve sardines on whole grain crackers.

2. Herring
Fatty fish like herring provide around 1.5 grams of omega-3s per 3 ounce serving. Herring also boasts more omega-3 fatty acids than either salmon or tuna, which are essential to human health since our bodies can’t make these fats.

Herring contains less mercury than other omega-3-rich fish you may be eating, like tuna, king mackerel, swordfish and halibut.

“Try it chilled, with a light marinade of white wine vinegar, red onion and dill,” says Zumpano. “Another popular option is to pair herring with mustard and dill.”

3. Mackerel
Atlantic and Atka mackerel from Alaska are high in inflammation-fighting omega-3s and low in mercury, but not all mackerel get a thumbs-up. King mackerel, from the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, has a high mercury content. Zumpano suggests limiting Spanish mackerel as well due to mercury concerns.

“Try grilling or poaching mackerel to throw over a salad, or serve it with a side of grilled veggies,” she notes.

WORST
Meanwhile, think twice about ordering these popular fish or adding them to your grocery cart:

1. Tilapia
“Sure, tilapia is a lean source of protein, but it lacks the omega-3 content of fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring and sardines,” says Zumpano.

Most people don’t get enough omega-3s in their diet. If you’re going to enjoy fish, it’s best to choose fish that are highest in this essential nutrient.

2. Tuna
“Fresh tuna is a great source of omega-3s,” says Zumpano. “But everyone’s desire for sushi may be putting us at risk for mercury toxicity.”

Exposure to high levels of mercury increases the risk of cognitive defects and other health problems. You’re not necessarily safer with canned tuna, either. Albacore tuna, one of the more popular fish in the United States, is consistently high in methylmercury.

“The same is true for canned light tuna unless you’re purchasing from a company that checks the mercury levels of each can,” continues Zumpano. “But very few companies currently take this extra step.”

3. Imported catfish
Catfish, which is 90% imported, often comes from contaminated waters and may contain dangerous chemicals and antibiotics. If you love your catfish, choose farm-raised varieties from American waters or try Asian carp, which has a similar taste.

The next time you’re weighing dinner options, follow these tips for choosing fish that are high in omega-3, low in mercury, safely sourced and sustainably caught. When purchasing canned fish, be sure that it’s BPA-free. You’ll find yourself enjoying some menu options you haven’t tried before.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/3-fish-you-should-love-and-3-fish-you-should-snub/
 
Salmon is low in mercury. It is not a top-of-the-food-chain predator fish like tuna.
 
We eat a freezer-load of salmon, halibut, yellowtail, tuna, and mahi-mahi every year. Maybe 150 lbs. They come from fishing trips to Alaska and Mexico, line-caught and flash-frozen daily. I try to only take the smaller tuna which haven't concentrated as much mercury as the older, larger ones.

I like fish smoked, bbq-ed, roasted, sauteed, deep fried, raw, in tacos, in salads, in sandwiches. That's about it.
 
I've had salmon but don't really like it. I can choke it down, but I'm not really interested in that.


What kind of salmon have you tried, how was it prepared, and what about it did you dislike?


If it tasted too fishy, it wasn't fresh. If it was too soft/mushy, it was farmed (or possibly caught too far up the river after it had exhausted itself and was about to die anyway). If it was too oily, it was most likely one of the oilier species. Oily taste is one reason I actually prefer silver salmon over King.



One trick to remove a lot of fishiness from the taste of less-fresh salmon is to use white wine in the recipe (I believe lemon juice and lime juice have a similar benefit, too). Here's a recipe I like to use when the salmon seems too fishy:
https://www.cooks.com/recipe/dt18m376/northwest-salmon-with-pasta-parsley-sauce.html


Hope that helps!
 
What kind of salmon have you tried, how was it prepared, and what about it did you dislike?


If it tasted too fishy, it wasn't fresh. If it was too soft/mushy, it was farmed (or possibly caught too far up the river after it had exhausted itself and was about to die anyway). If it was too oily, it was most likely one of the oilier species. Oily taste is one reason I actually prefer silver salmon over King.


OP, That's what I was wondering, how it was prepared.

Engineernerd, You forgot the most important problem with fish. People don't know how to cook it. I won't eat it out because many people overcook it or over season it. A friend of mine has a seafood party every summer and every time he overcooks the salmon and scallops. He makes a great toss salad and that's what I have.
 
I’m not sure how it was cooked. It was on a salad. I do know that it was a place known for their seafood and certain it’s a great restaurant but I don’t know how they prepared the salmon. It was when I was working and the team would go there. I’d usually get a burger, which was very good, especially given that it was a seafood place.
 
Jerry1, Eat your leafy green salad with crushed walnuts mixed in and you've got your Omega-3. No fish required.
 
A friend of mine has a seafood party every summer and every time he overcooks the salmon and scallops. He makes a great toss salad and that's what I have.


Yes, I forgot to mention that if it tastes too dry, it's overcooked.


In defense of your friend, it is hard to pay enough attention to your cooking when it's a party!:blush:
 
OP, That's what I was wondering, how it was prepared.

Engineernerd, You forgot the most important problem with fish. People don't know how to cook it. I won't eat it out because many people overcook it or over season it. A friend of mine has a seafood party every summer and every time he overcooks the salmon and scallops. He makes a great toss salad and that's what I have.

That was me until a year ago. We eat a lot of salmon and it would either be overcooked or undercooked. Occasionally it would be just right but not as often as I would like. I finally figured it out and now I get it just right or really close to it every time. I can control the time and temperature when cooking for just the 2 of us but no way I could cook it properly for a party.

Cheers!
 
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