# Want to incorporate more fish into my diet.



## jcote (Aug 22, 2006)

Hello, all.

I want to incorporate more fish into my diet.  Not really experienced in preparing fish.  I recently fried a breaded fillet of tillapia and it came out pretty good.  Any suggestions on fish types and ways of preparing?

Also, can prepared fish be put in a tupperware the night before for one of my 6 meals the next day?  Will it keep in the fridge ok?

Thanks.


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## GoalGetter (Aug 22, 2006)

Types of Fish:
Salmon (try to get wild salmon vs. farmed whenever possible)
Tilapia
Orange Roughy
Red Snapper
Grouper
Tuna (Big Eye tuna is the best!)
Mahi- Mahi

How to Fry and Grill Fish

How to Steam and Poach Fish

A ton of lighter recipes from CookingLight.com (one of my favorite sites for lower-fat meal ideas)

As for putting fish in tupperware - i don't know about anyone else, but I do it. it isn't as tasty as freshly prepared fish, but it serves its purpose during a busy week. Just be polite and don't use a microwave in an enclosed office area if you know your fishy lunch is going to stink up the place!


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## jcote (Aug 22, 2006)

Wow, that's exactly what I was looking for.  Thanks!  

All these fish are bodybuilding-friendly?
I here some are lean and some fatty....


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## fufu (Aug 22, 2006)

Ahhh Red Snappah! Very tasty!


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## Yanick (Aug 22, 2006)

jcote said:


> Wow, that's exactly what I was looking for.  Thanks!
> 
> All these fish are bodybuilding-friendly?
> I here some are lean and some fatty....



typically even the fatty fish, such as salmon, contain EFA's which are good fats and will promote a healthy lifestyle.


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## GoalGetter (Aug 22, 2006)

Yes, all those are bodybuilding friendly. You can get more info about a bunch of different fish's fat content here.


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## Jodi (Aug 22, 2006)

GoalGetter said:


> Types of Fish:
> Salmon (try to get wild salmon vs. farmed whenever possible)
> Tilapia
> Orange Roughy
> ...



I will add on to her fish list!  I'm a seafood junky 

Halibut
Swordfish
Shark
Cod
Pollack
Haddock
Sole
Scrod
Perch
Flounder

I can't stand the stench of reheated fish    For me, it's fresh or nothing and I hate when people cook it in the microwave at work too 

Good sites GG


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## boilermaker (Aug 22, 2006)

Once you find a good fillet from all the reccomendations here, you can do it this way:

Get a roll of aluminum foil (or parchment paper and a stapler) and lay it out so it's twice the length of the fillet.

Put the fillet on foil and season it with salt and pepper.  Dice up your favorite veggies and put them on top of the filet.  Sprinkle with lemon and wrap the foil up like a tent.  If you use parchment paper, wrap it up and staple it.

Into the oven at 350 for about 18 to 20 minutes.  Cut it open (move your face away from the cut as steam will be escaping).  Check for doneness and enjoy over some cooked brown rice.  You can also add your favorite sauce (terriaki, itallian, ginger, butter  , olive oil) at the beginning of the cooking process.


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## blueboy75 (Aug 23, 2006)

Jodi said:


> I will add on to her fish list! I'm a seafood junky
> 
> Halibut
> Swordfish
> ...


 
Probably the best table fish I have ever eaten is King George Whiting closely followed by Flathead tails. Not sure if they are available in the US but if you get you hands on it definitely give them a try.


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## GoalGetter (Aug 23, 2006)

blueboy75 said:


> Probably the best table fish I have ever eaten is King George Whiting closely followed by Flathead tails. Not sure if they are available in the US but if you get you hands on it definitely give them a try.




Never even heard of those. The best fish I've ever had was in Key Largo, at some local place where they catch their own fish every day. It was hogfish. I've never seen hogfish on a menu anywhere else. I'm not even sure if it goes by any other name and I've certainly never seen it in the grocery stores. My god. what an amazing piece of fish that was.


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## jcote (Aug 23, 2006)

Jodi said:


> I will add on to her fish list!  I'm a seafood junky. Halibut Swordfish Shark Cod Pollack Haddock Sole Scrod Perch Flounder


"Salmon (try to get wild salmon vs. farmed whenever possible)
Tilapia, Orange Roughy, Red Snapper, Grouper, Tuna (Big Eye),Mahi- Mahi"


Ok, is there a fish that is NOT a good choice??


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## blueboy75 (Aug 23, 2006)

GoalGetter said:


> Never even heard of those. The best fish I've ever had was in Key Largo, at some local place where they catch their own fish every day. It was hogfish. I've never seen hogfish on a menu anywhere else. I'm not even sure if it goes by any other name and I've certainly never seen it in the grocery stores. My god. what an amazing piece of fish that was.



I think King George Whiting & Flathead are native to Australia, King George Whiting is arguably our best table fish (many would argue Barramundi).  Im sure they are exported over the world.

Hogfish I believe is know as wrasses in Australia and there are many varieties.  You could be referring to the Blackfin Hogfish - see link.

http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishguide/15863.html


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## GoalGetter (Aug 23, 2006)

jcote said:


> "Salmon (try to get wild salmon vs. farmed whenever possible)
> Tilapia, Orange Roughy, Red Snapper, Grouper, Tuna (Big Eye),Mahi- Mahi"
> 
> 
> Ok, is there a fish that is NOT a good choice??



Yeah - the battered, deep-fried, butter-covered kind.  

Actually not really - not the common fish you can find in your grocery stores. Some, like "fugu" needs to be prepared by a skilled chef who knows how to prepare that fish  because it can be poisonous if prepared incorrectly.

There are a few fish like that, but you wouldn't find those in your grocery store. 

And if you're one of those folks who catches their own fish (which I'm guessing you're not), then you probably know more about fish than I do. 

I'll research some more unless someone else knows more about fish we shouldn't eat and can post that info before I get back to this. I'm taking off to work right now and can't stay on the computer!


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## Gordo (Aug 23, 2006)

Fugu is blowfish....by a more common name.

Don't forget local varieties:

Bass
Whitefish
Pickerel (walleye....amazing taste)
Jackfish (northern pike)
Goldeye
Carp
Trout
Bullhead (catfish)

Great fish varieties up North  

Another fish I've gotten into is Basa. It's a vietnamese catfish (aka ruffy) mild taste, not fishy at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basa_fish


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## Gordo (Aug 23, 2006)

The biggest reason to avoid a certain species of fish, is simply due to ecological (conservation) reasons. Some species are over-fished and risk endangerment.


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## jcote (Aug 23, 2006)

Have to say, as a newbie, I am impressed by the amount of knowledge that members of this forum have.  

So....say I am stuck at a restaurant whose only fish dish is the typical battered & deep fried fillet. Do you stay away from it completely if you are trying to eat clean (or call it a cheat meal) ? 

My guess is that the answer would be stay away because of the bad oil they must use.


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## blueboy75 (Aug 23, 2006)

jcote said:


> Have to say, as a newbie, I am impressed by the amount of knowledge that members of this forum have.
> 
> So....say I am stuck at a restaurant whose only fish dish is the typical battered & deep fried fillet. Do you stay away from it completely if you are trying to eat clean (or call it a cheat meal) ?
> 
> My guess is that the answer would be stay away because of the bad oil they must use.


 
My rule of thumb with fish when dining in a restaurant is to let price dictate the quality.  And if it is a guality fish it is usually on lightly battered (if at all). Many use the batter to disguise the fish appearance and taste in order to use a poorer quality substitute.  If you are really stuck I would peel off the batter and just eat the fish itself.


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## Jodi (Aug 23, 2006)

Stay away from it completely.  Have a chicken breast instead.


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## boilermaker (Aug 23, 2006)

GoalGetter said:


> Yeah - the battered, deep-fried, butter-covered kind.
> 
> Actually not really - not the common fish you can find in your grocery stores. Some, like "fugu" needs to be prepared by a skilled chef who knows how to prepare that fish  because it can be poisonous if prepared incorrectly.
> 
> ...



I'll try and help out a little here.  There are some species that have high levels of Mercury and metals.  They should only be eaten sparingly.  The ones I know of are:

Tilefish
Swordfish
King Mackeral
Great Lakes Lake Trout and Brown Trout

Also for all you Basa Fish lovers.  You may want to read this  Pay special attention to other uses of the water they are raised in.


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## jcote (Aug 23, 2006)

If I eat too much Mercury, will I look like this?


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## GoalGetter (Aug 23, 2006)

Jodi said:


> Stay away from it completely.  Have a chicken breast instead.




I agree 100% - just don't have fish that night.


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## viet_jon (Aug 24, 2006)

jcote said:


> "Salmon (try to get wild salmon vs. farmed whenever possible)
> Tilapia, Orange Roughy, Red Snapper, Grouper, Tuna (Big Eye),Mahi- Mahi"
> 
> *
> Ok, is there a fish that is NOT a good choice??*




no. If you cook it right, every fish is good.


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## blueboy75 (Aug 24, 2006)

viet_jon said:


> no. If you cook it right, every fish is good.


 
I dont quite agree with that.

For example, if a salmon is not bleed immediately after its caught the flesh is compromised and no matter how it is cooked it will taste terrible.

Fish that is not fresh also will taste poor and texture will suffer no matter how it is cooked.

Certain breeds of fish also rate poorly on the taste factor when compared to others.


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## Vieope (Aug 25, 2006)

blueboy75 said:


> if a salmon is not bleed



_What do you mean? _


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## blueboy75 (Aug 25, 2006)

Vieope said:


> _What do you mean? _



sorry, my poor grammar I meant bled.

I dont mean to sound vulgar and I apologise if I offend anyone here.

You bleed a salmon by tearing/cutting one of its gills as soon as it's caught. While the fish flop, their dying hearts pump out most of their blood, retarding the spoilage of the meat. The fish should then be chilled in the hold using ice or refrigerated sea water.

Bleeding is also essential for all sharks in order to remove the ammonia from the flesh.  Failing to do this will render the flesh useless (sometimes freezing may remove a small amount of ammonia).  Its not easy easy to cut a live shark in the gills but I have managed to do it a few times.

Fishing is one of my favourite pastimes.  My dad was also a fishmonger so I grew up literally with seafood all around me.


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## viet_jon (Aug 25, 2006)

blueboy75 said:


> I dont quite agree with that.
> 
> For example, if a salmon is not bleed immediately after its caught the flesh is compromised and no matter how it is cooked it will taste terrible.
> 
> ...



I was kiinda vague when I said all fish is good when cooked right. But your right, only fresh fish is good. But also, that doesn't make frozen fish bad neither. Frozen fish packed by a supplier is usually freshyly quick frozen, and not the same as store frozen. Store frozen stuff is usually left overs from the end of the week, that would cut into profit if thrown out, so they freeze it for sale.


Yes, different breeds taste different. But if you cook the right fish, the right way, they're all pretty good. An example can be moonfish. They're awesome in soup, but taste nasty and meatless fried. Then there's red snapper, awesome fried, but not so awesome in soup. Unless it's giant american Red, not the small trinidad's. Then there's shark. If you scrape the skin, then boil it  and pour sauce over it, it's awesome. But if you cook it in soup with the skin, it's pretty nasty almost unedible.


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## blueboy75 (Aug 25, 2006)

viet_jon said:


> I was kiinda vague when I said all fish is good when cooked right. But your right, only fresh fish is good. But also, that doesn't make frozen fish bad neither. Frozen fish packed by a supplier is usually freshyly quick frozen, and not the same as store frozen. Store frozen stuff is usually left overs from the end of the week, that would cut into profit if thrown out, so they freeze it for sale.
> 
> 
> Yes, different breeds taste different. But if you cook the right fish, the right way, they're all pretty good. An example can be moonfish. They're awesome in soup, but taste nasty and meatless fried. Then there's red snapper, awesome fried, but not so awesome in soup. Unless it's giant american Red, not the small trinidad's. Then there's shark. If you scrape the skin, then boil it  and pour sauce over it, it's awesome. But if you cook it in soup with the skin, it's pretty nasty almost unedible.



Agreed.

Yes, frozen fish can be just as good.  When I have a large catch im forced to freeze much of it so it does not get wasted.  Definitely true that fish needs to be frozen as quickly as possible.  Just keep in mind also that fish is affected by 'freezer burn' much quicker than other foods.  No more than 2 months in the freezer for my liking.


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