10-30-2007, 05:02 PM
[cool][#0000ff]There are many factors which influence the taste and texture of the final product...fish on the plate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Species. Some fish just naturally have firmer flesh and a better "non-fishy" taste. The spiny ray fishes in fresh water (bass, perch, bluegills, etc.) generally are great eating almost any way you prepare them. There are exceptions. I have had bass that tasted terrible, when they came from stagnant lakes with a lot of weed growth.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Water chemistry. Clean clear lakes and streams produce better quality fish in most cases. Fish taken from muddy, stagnant, polluted waters are often nasty tasting. However, alkalinity can have an affect too. Trout taken from the brackish or alkaline lakes in some of the western states will sometimes taste so bad that even predatory animals will not eat them when they wash up on shore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. Diet. This is a greater consideration with members of the trout and char families than with "warm water" fishes. Trout that live mainly on a diet of invertebrates...aquatic and terrestrial insects, zooplankton, shrimp, crawdads, etc....generally have firm pink flesh that has a great taste when properly prepared. Trout that live mostly on other fish, generally have a paler colored flesh and is not as delectable on the table. My opinion.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. Time of year. Fish taken from cold clear water...in winter or spring...are usually firmer and better eating. Fish caught in late summer, from warm weed-filled waters, are often softer and less tasty. Spawning also affects many fish. When the fish quit actively feeding and devote much of their bodies' stored fat resources to the production of eggs and milt...and then beat themselves up during the spawn...they are best left alone until they can put on the feed bag and restore themselves to prime condition.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]5. Methods of cleaning and preparation. Fish to be kept for the table should be properly cared for. That includes killing them and bleeding them out quickly...and then putting them on ice. The longer they remain on a stringer or even in a livewell, the more lactic acid (from stress) builds up in their tissues. Not good. And, the flavor of most fish is improved by skinning...with or without filleting. Much of the taste most people find objectionable in fish comes from leaving the skin on. You can further improve the flavor of many fish by slicing out the line of dark sensory tissue along the lateral line of the fish, after the skin is removed. It usually tastes strong and is also where a lot of the fishy oils are stored. Do not keep fish unfrozen for more than a day or two before eating it. And, if you freeze it, either vacuum seal it or freeze it in water, without any air bubbles...to prevent freezer burn. That REALLY causes some nasty fishy taste when the exposure to air allows the oils in the fish to turn rancid.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]6. Methods of cooking. To many people, all they know is frying fish...with or without a batter coating. True, that is a good way to prepare many fish. However, there are a bajillion other ways to cook fish so that they are tasty, nutritious and more "heart healthy". I almost always deep fry catfish fillets, because they need a lot of cooking over high heat to get them throughly cooked. Other species turn out great by broiling, baking, poaching, steaming, etc...and are ruined with too much cooking. You should know something about the fish you cook to get the best possible end result.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Review some of the recipes on the BFT board.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Those are the main things I can think of, from past experience.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]1. Species. Some fish just naturally have firmer flesh and a better "non-fishy" taste. The spiny ray fishes in fresh water (bass, perch, bluegills, etc.) generally are great eating almost any way you prepare them. There are exceptions. I have had bass that tasted terrible, when they came from stagnant lakes with a lot of weed growth.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Water chemistry. Clean clear lakes and streams produce better quality fish in most cases. Fish taken from muddy, stagnant, polluted waters are often nasty tasting. However, alkalinity can have an affect too. Trout taken from the brackish or alkaline lakes in some of the western states will sometimes taste so bad that even predatory animals will not eat them when they wash up on shore.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]3. Diet. This is a greater consideration with members of the trout and char families than with "warm water" fishes. Trout that live mainly on a diet of invertebrates...aquatic and terrestrial insects, zooplankton, shrimp, crawdads, etc....generally have firm pink flesh that has a great taste when properly prepared. Trout that live mostly on other fish, generally have a paler colored flesh and is not as delectable on the table. My opinion.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. Time of year. Fish taken from cold clear water...in winter or spring...are usually firmer and better eating. Fish caught in late summer, from warm weed-filled waters, are often softer and less tasty. Spawning also affects many fish. When the fish quit actively feeding and devote much of their bodies' stored fat resources to the production of eggs and milt...and then beat themselves up during the spawn...they are best left alone until they can put on the feed bag and restore themselves to prime condition.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]5. Methods of cleaning and preparation. Fish to be kept for the table should be properly cared for. That includes killing them and bleeding them out quickly...and then putting them on ice. The longer they remain on a stringer or even in a livewell, the more lactic acid (from stress) builds up in their tissues. Not good. And, the flavor of most fish is improved by skinning...with or without filleting. Much of the taste most people find objectionable in fish comes from leaving the skin on. You can further improve the flavor of many fish by slicing out the line of dark sensory tissue along the lateral line of the fish, after the skin is removed. It usually tastes strong and is also where a lot of the fishy oils are stored. Do not keep fish unfrozen for more than a day or two before eating it. And, if you freeze it, either vacuum seal it or freeze it in water, without any air bubbles...to prevent freezer burn. That REALLY causes some nasty fishy taste when the exposure to air allows the oils in the fish to turn rancid.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]6. Methods of cooking. To many people, all they know is frying fish...with or without a batter coating. True, that is a good way to prepare many fish. However, there are a bajillion other ways to cook fish so that they are tasty, nutritious and more "heart healthy". I almost always deep fry catfish fillets, because they need a lot of cooking over high heat to get them throughly cooked. Other species turn out great by broiling, baking, poaching, steaming, etc...and are ruined with too much cooking. You should know something about the fish you cook to get the best possible end result.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Review some of the recipes on the BFT board.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Those are the main things I can think of, from past experience.[/#0000ff]
[signature]