Not sure I can help you with the cooking part, as there are so many fish
I've never cooked, but I've been an avid fisherman for many years in the
Great Lakes region. Here as in everywhere, certain fish are labeled as not
safe to eat in certain quantities. the thing to note here is that the main
concern is where the fish come from. Lake trout from Lake Michigan are
labeled as unsafe to eat for the most part, but in other bodies of water,
they are perfectly safe. The best thing to do is know where the fish are
coming from. The species is also a concern to a degree, but for example,
there are several species that are perfectly safe to eat out of the Great
Lakes. Others are frowned upon. The main reasons that the contamination
levels differ among different fish are the fish's diet, the fat content of
the meat, and to some degree, the age of the fish. Fish that are older,
larger, have a higher fat content and/or feed off the bottom are generally
more likely to contain contaminants. A good rule of thumb is to always trim
off the belly fat from the filets or steaks, and also remove the lateral
line. The is a dark line that runs parallel to the fish's spine, but is on
the outside of the rib cage and right under the skin. these two areas almost
always contain higher amounts of the contaminants found in fish. The lateral
line is easily removed by making a small V cut and lifting the small piece
out of the groove made with the knife.
HTH
Chris
"Martha Gallagher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Hey ASDLCers,
As I believe I've mentioned, one of the great joys of my new location is
that there's a multi-vendor fish market within comfortable walking
distance of my building (walking along the waterfront is a perfect cool
down after my evening swim).
The problem is that while I'm an adventurous eater, I'm a somewhat timid
cook. I know what to do with fish sliced into steaks, e.g. tuna, but I
have no idea what I'd do with eels, or squid or even croaker. So, I've
been sticking to the stuff I know how to cook or that they'll cook for me,
which isn't exactly a hardship but woman doesn't live by lobster alone.
So, does anyone have any recommendations for the complete how to cook fish
book? I'd prefer something that has an emphasis on the basics of how you
cook different types of fish (and how you eat them if that might not be
obvious) rather than a lot of specific recipes. There's a place that will
clean the fish for you so I don't have to worry about that part, just what
to do with the fish after it's basically in a state ready to be cooked.
Another thing that would be useful is if anyone can point me to a list of
which fish are safe to eat in any quantities and which should be limited
because of contamination or other issues.
Thanks,
Martha who knows that fish is brain food, 'cause look at Jeeves.
--
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can
go. (T.S. Eliott)
