How do I make non-fishy fish?

By Erica

My husband and I have both had gastric bypass surgery, and while we're not the ideal post-op rule followers, we do try. The one food that's perfect for us is fish. It also happens to be one food that neither of us care for so it's not something I ever make.

The day after Thanksgiving, our whole family went out for lunch to a seafood restaurant. The only non-seafood items on the menu were chicken fried steak and chicken fingers. I don't know about you, but post-Thanksgiving I was a bloated mess and eating fried anything just wasn't going to happen. I decided to be brave and ordered the grilled Tilapia.

I've been told that Tilapia is one of the least fishy-tasting fishes one can choose, but I wasn't optimistic. You see, I loathe seafood. Like dry-heaving-at-the-thought-of-it loathing. I was prepared to choke down a few bites and call it even. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that not only was the Tilapia moist and tender, it was also delicious. There was no fishy taste whatsoever and it was seasoned perfectly. I ended up eating almost half of the large portion I was served and felt great. (I also got that bonus smug feeling for eating something healthy while the rest of the family gorged themselves on fried shrimp and catfish.)

Now that I know there's at least one seafood item I actually enjoy, I'm anxious to add fish to my regular menu rotation. Can you recommend any other varieties of non-fishy fishy that I should try? How about preparation? Give me all of your piscis knowlegde, fellow Lushes.

Comments

[Holly]

I didn't have my first bite of fish until I was 25, so I totally get the fish ick-factor...but now I am a bonafide seafood lover and I give all the credit to Halibut. Totally non-fishy, white, and flaky. Very mild and you can find tons of sauces and marinades that really enhance it's flavor.

[K]

I like tuna steak! It doesn't seem too fishy to me and it's really good seared with Asian style sauces. I've also had orange roughie that was amazing and buttery tasting without using too much butter.

[Christine]

I love fish including (especially) the fishy varieties, but will second halibut as a good choice. Very fresh scallops are nice and buttery without being fishy. Find the larger dry pack scallops, heat a bit of butter in a pan (I like my cast iron, but I imagine any other will do), til it's nice and hot, put the scallops in on a single layer (about med. high heat) cook for a minute or two until brown and crusty, flip and give another minute or two and you're done. Sprinkle with some lemon juice and fresh parsley if you're so inclined.

[Christine]

Oh! The times are variable, and you don't need to even brown the second side, but if your scallops are thick, I like to flip 'em. You don't want them overcooked, but they'll be tasty even if you do manage to over cook them. Good luck!

[Emiliy M]

I'm a big fan of mahi mahi. It has a nice light flavor. I like to squeeze it on some lime juice, season with salt, pepper, brush with olive oil and grill. Then I top it with mango salsa. Yum!

[Tara]

I love love LOVE most kinds of fish, but it definitely took me awhile to warm up to it. One of my favorites is Ahi, which is a tuna. When I make it I usually just put olive oil and salt and pepper on it, then rub it in. I like it baked, my husband likes to pan fry it. I think that pan frying it makes it more fishy; maybe it's just that it's usually medium rare when he does that and it feels more like sushi that way. I also really like swordfish. I prepare all of my fish the same way (as above), which makes it easy and less expensive. And since the reason I didn't like fish for so long is because of the possibility of bones, I recommend spending a bit more money on fish when you buy at the store because usually they've been filleted better and have fewer possibilities of bones. (But, the Target-brands are REALLY good and pretty affordable!) :)

[Becky]

I love tilapia! Sea bass is good & mild too. I went to a buffet once where they cooked it in front of you, and I usually just copy what they did - cooking spray in a frying pan, season the fish, put it in with a few drops of water (just enough to steam), and cover. It cooks through really fast so it's good even when you didn't have anything planned for dinner.

[Home Sweet Sarah]

Halibut it a good one. Here's a recipe I've been DYING to try: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/potato-crusted-halibut-recipe/index.html

[Dawn K.]

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chili_rubbed_tilapia_with_asparagus_lemon.html

MAKE.THIS.FISH.

My husband was a reluctant fish eater, but this recipe right here changed his mind. We always keep frozen tilapia in the freezer (I'm in the Heart of the Midwest, so fresh usually isn't an option) and this is our 'nothing in the house, what ever shall we eat' recipe that has saved us from the unhealthy pizza man many times over. The best part-he's the master of this recipe, so it also means a night off of kitchen duty!

Hmmm, now I know what we're having for dinner!

[kaitlyn]

I LOVE tilapia. I usually mix flour, seafood rub, seasoned salt and some lemon pepper and coat it, and then pan fry it in butter. I squeeze lemon juice while cooking. OK, maybe I turned it into a very non-healthy kind, but it is SO good, and I don't like fishy-fish.

[natalie]

I'm also a new found fish eater. I wouldn't say that I love it, but in an effort to eat healthier we have fish every other week. We typically stick to salmon. We rub it with olive oil and then put salt and pepper on it. Then we grill it about 4 minutes on each side.

I also like to make garlicky shrimp. I just put some butter and garlic in a foil wrap and grill about 3-5 minutes.

My knowledge is not so vast!

[Nic]

I love fish! My favorite way to eat it is in fish tacos: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/fish-tacos-recipe/index.html

[Tamar]

I think the key to non-fishy fish is to make sure that it's fresh. I don't really know any fish that is supposed to taste fishy. Just make sure to get the fish from places that you trust. A good place to start is Whole Foods, they're a bit expensive, but their fish is awesome. Also, Harris Teeters. I'm sure there are good fish mongers by you, you just have to find them.

[Jules]

Swai, Tilapia and Calamari steaks are good alternatives for mild fish tastes. Using a good dry rub (I use the McCormick marinades as a rub) will also combat your fish fears.

For me its not the taste but the bones... One bone crunch while eating fish and I tap out. That is an ewww factor to me.