Fish

[Menolly]

We have threads devoted to cheese, beer, wine, pizza, etc., but none to fish that I saw. So let's rectify that right now.

I have some fillets of talapia for tonight and am looking to do something different with them. They were individually flash frozen and are defrosting slowly in the refrigerator, in case that influences your suggestions.

Let me have them. Thanks!

[aliantha]

Quick and easy: Sprinkle Mrs. Dash's garlic and herb seasoning on the top, and grill or bake or nuke.

[[Syl]]

Sushi or fried for me.

[Harbinger]

I know you asked for something different. I wouldn't know about pecan crusting and stuff like that, but I can assure you that any white, flaky, mild fish is awesome with butter and Cavender's seasoning. Or 50/50 butter/olive oil and Cavender's seasoning. This is a staple (not the tilapia) at my house where guests will ask, "Oh my god, what did you do to this fish?"

[Vader]

Sushi and the like.

Seafood of all kind.

Grilled monkfish or grilled swordfish (filets).

Anchovis on pizza or in pasta sauces.

[Menolly]

Yeah...
I would definitely go with sushi, if only Beorn would eat it.
But no...

No Cavender's in the pantry.
It is not something I ever tried.
I have Montreal Steak and Montreal Chicken seasonings, but that is it for any blended seasonings.

I have tons of individual spices and herbs though.
And suggested combination?

[stonemaybe]

(Excuse me while I probably confuse the Americans - why do I feel that 'bake' here means something different over there? Bake=put in a hot oven. Tinfoil= aluminIum foil)

Put the fish on some tinfoil, fold the long edges together a few times, fold one short end so you have a tinfoil envelope open at a short side, with fish in it. Put some butter and a touch of garlic in. Bake it in a hot oven for half an hour.

Or lemon juice and parsley. Some salt helps too. Thyme maybe. Things that'll enhance the fishiness rather than overpower it, and the foil keeps all the juices in.

Serve with new potatoes and something nice n green.

[Menolly]

Thanks Stone.
Now that sounds doable!

[lorin]

I like curried fish on brown rice with chopped apples and peanuts .....yum!

[wayfriend]

We made a salmon pot pie on New Year's eve that was unexpectedly gobble-down good. (White wine and sage were involved, I believe.) If anyone is interested, I can track down the recipe.

But I admit it's a weird thing to do if you have a nice piece salmon.

I also enjoy
- grilled swordfish
- grilled shrimp
- baked stuffed haddock, sole, lobster, oysters, etc.
- stuffed clams/clams casino
- crab cakes and fish cakes
- the giant Fisherman's Platter from anywhere
- seafood alfredo
- crab salad (with that pollack-crab stuff)
- boiled lobster dinners at the beach
- shrimp cocktail with my secret special half-horseradish cocktail sauce
- lots more

But I just can't do:
- raw clams or oysters
- oysters any other way
- squid and octopus
- sushi

[Menolly]

But I just can't do:
- raw clams or oysters
- oysters any other way
- squid and octopus
- sushi

I'll be happy to take your share, way!

Well, turns out I decided to experiment.
I mixed up some powdered buttermilk ranch dressing mix with some granulated garlic and some dried dill weed. I rinsed the tilapia filets, then dusted them with that mix and lightly sauteed in extra light olive oil and a tablespoon of butter.

Yum!!

[aliantha]

Yup, sounds like that would work.

For future reference, here's what Mrs. Dash will admit to in her garlic & herb spice blend: garlic, onion, black pepper, parsley, fennel, basil, bay, marjoram, oregano, savory thyme, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary, celery seed, carrot, orange peel, and "spice extractives", whatever those are. I admit that this imparts a pretty much overwhelming flavor, so I don't use it all that often, to keep everything I cook from tasting the same. When I do put it on fish, I sprinkle on a fair amount so that the filet looks "crusted," and then nuke it.

[Orlion]

I like to (can't remember the word right now...) immerse fillets of fish in a milk mixture (usually milk and lime). You don't want to do it for too long... about seven minutes for nofatty fish (like tilipia) up to twenty with fatty fishs (like salmon). Then I turn on the gridle and grill them!

My roommate grilled swordfish with Cajun and some other spices... that was excellent!

[Infelice]

(Excuse me while I probably confuse the Americans - why do I feel that 'bake' here means something different over there? Bake=put in a hot oven. Tinfoil= aluminIum foil)

Put the fish on some tinfoil, fold the long edges together a few times, fold one short end so you have a tinfoil envelope open at a short side, with fish in it. Put some butter and a touch of garlic in. Bake it in a hot oven for half an hour.

Or lemon juice and parsley. Some salt helps too. Thyme maybe. Things that'll enhance the fishiness rather than overpower it, and the foil keeps all the juices in.

Serve with new potatoes and something nice n green.

I do the above but with some Thai spices. Here you can buy a premixed combination that you just shake over fish, dash of lemon juice and couple of Kaffir lime leaves and bake in hot oven (fish with firm white flesh goes really well in foil),and Voila.... Nummy Num!!! The juices can be used as the favouring for a delicious white sauce to pour over steamed vegies.

Love Cajun spices too, mixed with breadcrumbs. Crumb your fish, using the flour, egg wash, flour, egg wash and crumb method. (I like to do the flour and eggwash step twice for a really good crumb coating). Cajun spices are mixed in with the breadcrumbs. Deep fry in light vegetable oil, serve with chips or spicy potato wedges and some sour lite cream.

[aliantha]

"Dredge" was the word you were looking for, Orlion.

I usually go very simple with salmon -- lemon juice and a sprinkle of dill weed.

Have yet to find a spice combo that keeps cod fillets from tasting like Mrs. Paul's fish, tho. That may just be because cod has such a strong taste. But I'd welcome any suggestions.

[Damelon]

Other than batter frying the cod, the way I remember eating it as a kid was, for breakfast, baking the cod and covering it with a white sauce in which peas and onions had been added.

Ah, Mrs. Dash. Once, I ordered from Peapod (a Chicago area internet grocer) Mrs. Dash. Instead of ordering 1 container, like I intended, in the field I hit 11 and didn't catch the error until all those containers arrived with my order.

[Menolly]

I like to (can't remember the word right now...) immerse fillets of fish in a milk mixture (usually milk and lime).

"Dredge" was the word you were looking for, Orlion.

I was thinking that but didn't answer because I am still uncertain.
Doesn't dredging refer to a dry coating, like cornmeal or breadcrumbs? Usually after being dipped in an egg wash or some other liquid briefly?

My instinct says to say it is a short marination, especially with the lime juice added to the milk. But if the texture of the fish changes in that time, perhaps it is maceration?

[Zarathustra]

No Cavender's in the pantry.

Like many packaged seasonings, it's mainly the Holy Trinity: salt, pepper, garlic. And a few other stuff.

I take flash-frozen, individually wrapped fillets right out of the freezer, spray them with Pam to make the seasoning stick, then sprinkle salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian herbs, paprika, and freshly ground peppercorn mixture (McCommick's makes a Peppercorn Medley grinder that looks like a regular seasoning jar with a tiny black grinder on top--this is my absolutely irreplaceable Fish Seasoning). Pop it in the oven until flaky. Simple, fast, delicious.


Don't overcook. That's the key to good fish. In my opinion, you don't need butter or oil or dredging if you just don't cook the juices out of it.

Steamed veggies and basmati rice complete the meal.

[Menolly]

(McCommick's makes a Peppercorn Medley grinder that looks like a regular seasoning jar with a tiny black grinder on top

*smothered grin with eyes twinkling*

Anyone who was at the Denver Seafest Olive Garden lunch probably knows why I am reacting in such a way.

...or Xar and Fist from our steak dinner in Manhattan.
Xar even took a photo, as it just...hmm, perhaps stunned would be the word...him, hehehe.

[aliantha]

Hmm. I was with that group at Olive Garden, but I don't remember this....

Z -- I agree with you about that peppercorn medley, it's pretty awesome. I've got the non-grinder-top version that I use in my refillable grinder. It's definitely my go-to pepper blend.