Fresh Fish

[Snaggletiger]

How does one go about getting fresh fish short of catching it yourself or waiting at the docks.  Last night, wanted to do some grilled fish and the wife was on her way to Publix so I axed her to pick up some grouper filets.  Three nice looking filets......that were just downright bucknasty.  They weren't spoiled or anything but that "fish" smell and taste was overwhelming.  Marinated them for an hour before grilling them.  Drowned them in a mixture of orange, lemon, pineapple and lime juices and then seasoned them up with some Zatarains creole seasoning.  Still, that fishy taste dominated after grilling.  Ruined the meal.

I know that going to Publix for seafood isn't the smartest thing in the world but what are the choices?  We have Winn Dixie and two butcher shops that carry seafood but even there, you'll run across the same problem.  Is that a product of freezing or being too old or do some fish just naturally have that strong odor/taste?  I've never had it with mahi and most of the time, orange roughy is pretty clean.   

[Townhallsavoy]

Do you have a Whole Foods nearby? 

Where do you live?

Fresh fish has to be just that - fresh.  The best fish smells like the ocean.  A little bit of fish smell is okay, but if it's strong, you're best to throw it out.

[Snaggletiger]

I live in Dothan so I'm not too far from the coast...but still..80 miles is too far to drive for a filet.  Took a couple of sailfishing trips to Guatemala and that was a fresh fish experience of a lifetime.  If we caught a mahi, they fileted it up as soon as it hit the boat floor.  Once they took it inside and grilled up little strips of it and served it to us less than an hour after it was caught.  Another time, they chilled it and served it up sushi style.  Wasn't a big fan of that but tried a couple of pieces to say I did it.  That night back at the resort, if you ordered grilled fish, it was what you caught that day. 

[Snaggletiger]

Seems to me that Chinook would have some thoughts on the subject

[AU_Tiger_2000]

In my experience the best fresh fish to be had at the chain grocery stores is farm raised rainbow trout, and the best from the environmental standpoint also.  I'm no enviro wonk but I love to fish and being from south south Alabama I largely try to support sustainable fishing.  It, farm raised catfish, and farmed striped bass (actually hybrid striped and white bass) are your best bets if you are inland because they are probably being farmed inland and closer to your location.  Farm raised salmon is OK, but seems to be a little lacking to me.

Like THS said, if it smells like anything other than the beach, buy the pork chops or buy frozen.  Oh and never buy farm raised shrimp (wife and I got sick off some one time).  And when it comes to shrimp, crawfish, and crab, even if you buy it "fresh", it has probably already been frozen at one point anyway (def true with the crab).

[chinook]

speaking of fresh fish.  two friends and i drifted the nestucca river on sunday.  it's springer season...(Spring Run Chinook (King) Salmon).  well after about 5 hours on the river, we only pulled 1 in the boat,  but it was a dandy fish.  bright and fresh...perhaps one or two days out of the ocean.  this fish would feed 3 families of 4 with some scraps for the kitty cats.   

anyhoo...spring run king salmon are teh titz.  if cooked right the moisture content is superior and the taste is fabulous.  it's my favorite.  on this particular cook, i simply seasoned it with lemon pepper (i don't remember the brand but there's a pig on the label). 

i fired up the pellet bbq/grill.  i set the salmon...skin side down for 25 minutes.  the pellet bbq was set @ 300.  the pellets are auger fed...and timed. during the 25 minutes faint hints of apple smoke would surround the fish.   @ 25 minutes i flipped the salmon steak over for about 10 minutes.  after this process, i turned it again for about 5 minutes.  took it of the grill and ready to serve.

it was perfect.  you could see the moisture...i did not serve the fish with lemon or anything else...just pure fresh caught salmon with a nice cover of lemon pepper. 

b.t.w.  this was a hatchery run spring chinook.  we could tell immediately as she was hooked...she was a hatchery fish.  not as much fight as the native springers which by the way are catch and release on the nestucca.   one thing we do as most recreational (salmon) fishermen...we bonk the fish with a club and cut the gills to bleed the fish out.  the last thing you want is the blood to pool in the meat. 

we make awesome smoked fish too with the fall caught nookies. 
 

[chinook]

Seems to me that Chinook would have some thoughts on the subject

actually started typing then got pulled away to do some work. 

[Yoda]

Ok first of all, if the raw fish has a smell throw it away.  Do not buy fresh fish at a grocery store they are selling you previously frozen fish and they do not sell enough to guarantee any kind of freshness.  I'm from Enterprise but have not been to Dothan in a while.  Even if there is a wholefoods or a freshmarket I still don't think it will be that fresh simply due to the demand for fresh fish in the area.  In Birmingham we have a sextons where they are cleaning fish everyday and getting it from the gulf every other day.  Look for a seafood market in the area.  If no market two options.  One buy the frozen fish filets at publix.  It is frozen fresh normally within hours of being caught on the boat.  Second option would be to find a restaurant that sells good seafood and ask to buy it from them.  If it is a respectable restaurant using fresh seafood they will be getting from a supplier within a day or two of being caught.

[Snaggletiger]

Read something the other day that 80% of the shrimp consumed in this country come from Asian waters.  No such thing as fresh there.

[chinook]

Read something the other day that 80% of the shrimp consumed in this country come from Asian waters.  No such thing as fresh there.

also to boot...the U.S. imports 80 percent of our king and snow crab from Russia.  20 percent from the Alaskan fisheries goes to U.S. markets the balance is exported...much of it to Japan.  this is a problem. 

[Snaggletiger]

also to boot...the U.S. imports 80 percent of our king and snow crab from Russia.  20 percent from the Alaskan fisheries goes to U.S. markets the balance is exported...much of it to Japan.  this is a problem.

What the F?  Where's the logic in that?

[Townhallsavoy]

What the F?  Where's the logic in that?

Russia sells cheap. 

Japan buys expensive.

Just a hypothesis.

[Snaggletiger]

Russia sells cheap. 

Japan buys expensive.

Just a hypothesis.

Pfffft...away with your facts and logic. There's no place for that here.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

What the F?  Where's the logic in that?

At least we can get the Japanese to buy something we export.

[CCTAU]

Read something the other day that 80% of the shrimp consumed in this country come from Asian waters.  No such thing as fresh there.

Should the PC term be "Oriental" waters?


I always get confused with that. Where is the Oriental guy on the board when you need him?

[Snaggletiger]

Should the PC term be "Oriental" waters?


I always get confused with that. Where is the Oriental guy on the board when you need him?

His people are great shrimpers

[Townhallsavoy]

Should the PC term be "Oriental" waters?


I always get confused with that. Where is the Oriental guy on the board when you need him?

I said that once to an Asian friend.  She responded, "We aren't rugs!" 

[Aubie16]

Should the PC term be "Oriental" waters?


I always get confused with that. Where is the Oriental guy on the board when you need him?

No you have it backwards. Snaggle was correct.

People are Asian. Rugs are oriental.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Should the PC term be "Oriental" waters?


I always get confused with that. Where is the Oriental guy on the board when you need him?

I used to work with a Vietnamese guy who bought a used BMW.  Some of the faux wood trim had peeled off and left some sticky stuff and I stuck my arm in it when he was driving us to lunch.  He said, "Sorry, my car has gook all over it."  I died laughing, when I told him why he got pretty pissed.

[CCTAU]

No you have it backwards. Snaggle was correct.

People are Asian. Rugs are oriental.

But what about the waters. Waters aren't people?