Fish suggestions..

I am trying to eat fish, really I am but I can only handle a very little bit of the fishy taste.  I made some baked Orange Roughy last night and was so excited because while I was preparing it there was no fishy smell, even while it baked for 30 minutes, but I could only eat a really small piece even though I was mixing it with bites of veggies..  Does anyone have any ideas, about the only fish I can handle has been breaded and deep fried then covered in mayo or some other sauce.  I would really like to be able to eat something other than chicken all the time...  

Try a mild fish like haddock or cod.  What I do is spread a little bit of Dijonaise on the fish and pat a little bit of Panko Crumbs and bake....yummy and very low in calories.

Fish only smells "fishy" when it's spoiling.  Your choices are wide open, as long as you buy fresh fish.  My personal favorites are swordfish and halibut. 

[damn double posts!]

I used to love french fried halibut as much as any fish I have ever eaten.

Since I pretty much have given up french fried foods, I switched to using a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper,and granulated garlic in a skillet and cooking halibut that way.

Another thing I have discovered that baked halibut is just as good as the above method.  The key for me is to NOT use high-calorie sauces with my fish. 

Also, grilled and broiled halibut is outstanding.

Yes, I love to eat halibut.  I wish it was not darned high price.

Yeah - if you're not used to eating fish, *all* fish smells fishy, fresh or not. That "smell of the sea" that sites will tell you to look for when buying fish is (at least to my nose) the "fishy" smell that people who don't eat fish talk about. I started eating fish about 8 years ago, and I still think all raw fish smells...briny. I've learned to like the taste, but I still mostly prefer firm whitefish, rather than the oily fish that are really good for you.

That being said, the first fish I ate and loved was blackened, pan-fried tilapia. This only works if you like spicy foods, but if you do, it's a great way to break into fish. The blackening spices (you can buy a mix, or look up recipes online - it's easy to make) smell and taste great  - and they're powerful! Tilapia is one of my favorite fish, as it's very mild, pretty cheap, environmentally friendly and low-mercury.

When I make it at home, I coat both sides of the fish with a teaspoon or so of blackening spices, then in a non-stick pan, add a little (~1 tsp) olive oil, and cook the fish for about 2-3 minutes per side, until the thick part of the fillet flakes easily with a fork.

I have to agree with the tilapia choice.  That and basa are both good meaty fish that don't have the fishy smell.  My favourite fish recipe is broiled parmesan tilapia (although you can use pretty much any fish for this recipe).  You can find it at the following link to allrecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broiled-Tilapia- Parmesan/Detail.aspx

It's amazing!  I only use about 1-2 Tbsp of butter rather than the 1/4 cup it calls for as well as light or fat-free mayonnaise.

Ok, you two talked me into it.  I have tilapia, salmon, and halibut fillets in the freezer.  I was going to choose salmon, since I save halibut for rare occasions; but instead I am going to thaw out the tilapia.

Lande, I'm sensitive to "fishy" taste too.  That said, I really like Mahi Mahi.  It's a very meaty fish, you don't need a big portion to feel full.  And the taste is mild.  I cook it in a skillet with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of lemon juice and pepper.  It's also good with a little Dijon mustard.

Try soaking it in fat free butter milk in the fridge overnight to take away the "fishy" taste.

Original Post by ofabulousme:

I have to agree with the tilapia choice.  That and basa are both good meaty fish that don't have the fishy smell.  My favourite fish recipe is broiled parmesan tilapia (although you can use pretty much any fish for this recipe).  You can find it at the following link to allrecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broiled-Tilapia- Parmesan/Detail.aspx

It's amazing!  I only use about 1-2 Tbsp of butter rather than the 1/4 cup it calls for as well as light or fat-free mayonnaise.

I love that recipe! I make it all the time - but I take a common suggestion in the reviews to add some breadcrumbs. I find that it keeps the topping from sliding off the fish.

My new favorite Tilapia recipe is as follows (it's so simple, but so awsome):

Heat up some olive oil in a pan

Coat the fillets with McCormicks "Montreal Chicken" seasoning

fry em up for about 2-3 minutes each side

squeeze some fresh lemon to taste and bam, delicious.

I decided to coat my tilapia fillets in yellow mustard and dust them with Napa Valley fish rub with sea salt.  I liked the mustard part; the rub was a bit strong for my liking.  After eating the four 4 oz fillets, I would have to say the tilapia itself seems a bit on the flavorless side, when compared to salmon and halibut.  Also, it is not that firm of a fish.  But, yes, I am just giving an opinion.  I know many of you would prefer tilapia over salmon or halibut.  From what I experienced with the tilapia, I would choose flounder and red snapper over it.  I did enjoy it, though, since I like most fish.  I have 3 more packages of it in the freezer, so I shall try to fix it some other ways eventually.

I LOVE cod.  It's very mild.  I just cook it in a frying pan with a tablespoon of butter or spray the pan with butter-flavor PAM.  I add a little salt and pepper and that's it.  If I'm running okay with my calories for the day, I might use a little tartar sauce.

Mmmm, Eel... Ah ha ha! I don't think this is the first fish you should try, but it certainly DOESN'T taste like fish, it tastes like heaven!

Original Post by giasbash6260:

Mmmm, Eel... Ah ha ha! I don't think this is the first fish you should try, but it certainly DOESN'T taste like fish, it tastes like heaven!

 Mmmmm...Unagi!

Original Post by pilgrimdude:

I decided to coat my tilapia fillets in yellow mustard and dust them with Napa Valley fish rub with sea salt.  I liked the mustard part; the rub was a bit strong for my liking.  After eating the four 4 oz fillets, I would have to say the tilapia itself seems a bit on the flavorless side, when compared to salmon and halibut.  Also, it is not that firm of a fish.  But, yes, I am just giving an opinion.  I know many of you would prefer tilapia over salmon or halibut.  From what I experienced with the tilapia, I would choose flounder and red snapper over it.  I did enjoy it, though, since I like most fish.  I have 3 more packages of it in the freezer, so I shall try to fix it some other ways eventually.

Actually I would preffer salmon sashimi, or halibut steak. :) I also really like orange roughy, but I think I will stop buying it. I read that it is being over fished. :(

UD

UD:  I agree.  I hope the other species being over fished don't run into trouble, too.

Ok, these are some grilled "cuts" of fish and other sea food I got on the East Coast on the several occasions through the years when I visited Boston, the Outer Banks, Williamsburg, etc.

• fresh tuna steak -- cut for me at the fish store
• shark steak -- very firm and a complex flavor, I thought
• Maine lobster -- both select and chicken
• callarobi
• blue crab
• snow crab
• mussels
• scallops

These are my favorite fish that I love eating when I get fish in the Great Plains:

• crappie and large sun fish (blue gill) --these are amazingly nice tasty fish
• lake trout
• walleye

These are fish I have gotten sent to me or given to me from my brother, nephew, neighbor who have fished in Alaska.

• halibut
• salmon --- 3 different kinds

These are the shell foods and fish I eat on the West Coast such as in San Francisco and Lincoln City, Oregon:

• dungenous crab
• Alaskan king crab
• jumbo shrimp
• ocean perch
• oysters

These are canned/packed  sea foods I eat:

• chunk can tuna packed in water
• sardines
• smoked oysters
• smoked mussels
• smoked salmon
• pickled halibut (but it is hard to find)

Lande518:  There is a lot of good seafood and fish.  Happy fishing!

Original Post by pilgrimdude:

I decided to coat my tilapia fillets in yellow mustard and dust them with Napa Valley fish rub with sea salt.  I liked the mustard part; the rub was a bit strong for my liking.  After eating the four 4 oz fillets, I would have to say the tilapia itself seems a bit on the flavorless side, when compared to salmon and halibut.  Also, it is not that firm of a fish.  But, yes, I am just giving an opinion.

No worries, pilgrimdude - that mild flavor is precisely what makes it such a good starter fish I'm myself just getting to the point where I enjoy salmon. I do really like halibut, but it's so expensive.

Tilapia flakes easily, but it's got a substantial chew - not as much as tuna or salmon, but not quite the slithery texture I always associated with fish.Do you find red snapper firmer than tilapia? I've only had it once, but I thought it was really soft. Flabby, almost. Maybe I just got a bad piece.

One of my favorite fish is actually imitation crab!  They make it from fish bits, and it's pretty yummy.  I also eat tilapia, catfish, cod, and tuna.

The other suggestion I have, one I use with tuna all the time, is that the fishy taste seems to be neutralized by fats.  I use (relatively) healthy fats in moderation, like light miracle whip (delicious with tuna).

Baked tilapia with rice has always been my favorite, with some veggies on the side.

Soak the fish in your fridge overnight, it takes away that fishy smell and overwhelming taste.