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[LeicesterCarl]

Which types of sea fish would people recommend are worth eating? I'm not one for keeping vast amounts of fish (for one thing, I don't even CATCH vast amounts of fish!) but me & the family do like to eat fish.

 

Starting with the obvious, we like (fresh) mackerel and if I was lucky enough to catch a legal size school bass I'd certainly keep that for the pot. After that, I'd start to scratch my head a bit.

 

I'm talking mainly summer fish here and particularly ones I am likely to catch off Jersey over the next couple of weeks.

 

Let me just say that I wouldn't consider eating golden-gray, thin-lipped or thick-lipped mullet, before Leon attacks! Not because of what he's said particlarly, just pretty much for the same reasons I wouldn't want to try and eat a carp, chub or roach, just doesn't appeal to me!

 

I also don't have any desire to tuck into a wrasse, ray, dogfish, tope, smoothhound, conger or garfish...

 

However, I find myself wondering about black bream, red mullet (are they catchable off Jersey?), coalfish and pollock.

 

Anyone have any opinions on this?

 

[ 16. July 2003, 02:17 PM: Message edited by: LeicesterCarl ]

[Chippy]

Black Bream is very nice - i've got yesterdays on the menu for tonight!!

[*Ant*]

I've heard that whiting are tasty when grilled with a knob of butter. There are the various "flatties" that you didn't mention.

[gilbertron]

dog fish is delicious, rick stein does a great dogfish curry. pollack is ok, but not as nice as cod or haddock

[Gillies]

If you can get ahold of one of those portable smokers, then Coalfish and Pollack done in it is lovely, especially the Pollack.

 

Dogfish is surprisingly very nice, but if you any fish from the whitefish family you can get a very enjoyable meal I think, the same goes for flat fish ... and if you get them, Gurnards (skinned of course).

 

Gillies

[LeicesterCarl]

Thanks guys. Can't bring myself to believe that dogfish is tasty!

 

Anyone got any links to preparation of these fish? I'm only experienced at gutting & frying or baking trout!

 

As to flatties... will they be around the coast of Jersey in the summer?

 

PS - What about shrimps/prawns from rockpools... aside from being good bait, are they any good for boiling up & eating?

[Jim Roper]

LeicesterCarl:

I also don't have any desire to tuck into a wrasse, ray, dogfish, tope, smoothhound, conger or garfish...

A Cunner (Wrasse) over about 3 lb is a lot better than you would think from the sight of it. Don't let the colour put you off.

You can get a lot of fishcakes out of a Conger. My mother used to make them about the size of a big jam doughnut.

Someone baked some conger, cutlets I suppose you would call them, in foil for me once. That was nice.

People who buy 'Rock Salmon' with their chips, are buying Dogfish. Trouble is, the cod is usually already cooked so you choose that instead.

Nothing wrong with a Pout either.

[corydoras]

Can't beat a nice bit of haddock IMHO.

[LeicesterCarl]

You guys really not having me on? Dogfish is truly edible? Nah... just couldn't bring myself to go for it! I'll stick with the normal stuff I reckon... yeah, I know... big girl's blouse...

 

What about the prawn/shrimp question? Can I just go hunting around the rockpools for prawns and boil them up until they're pink? Or is it a different kind of prawn that we usually eat?

[Alan Taylor]

gilbertron:

dog fish is delicious, rick stein does a great dogfish curry. pollack is ok, but not as nice as cod or haddock

With Pollock, fillet it out and then soak it in salted water overnight. Batter small chunks of it in Chinese batter mix and deep fry until it's cooked, IMHO better than cod unless the Cod has been frozen for 24 hours as quickly a possible after capture.

Just love Dogfish in Batter and a makerel curry.

 

Alan(nl)