I wish, I wish, I could love fish

[TamiK]

If anyone can help me--you all can!

I hate fish. The more I chew it, the bigger it gets. DH is on a "Give me more Omega-3" kick. Last week I cooked fresh salmon and started retching every time I walked back in the house and smelled it for 3 days (we were out of propane on the grill). I just about bought out Yankee candles to get rid of the smell. Tonight I cooked halibut, which I can usually tolerate, and gagged on the 2nd bite.

I KNOW it's good for me--but I hate it.

How can I fix it so it's tolerable?

[SusanL]

a delicate flounder or catfish? You seem to be cooking fish that are either very strong flavored or textured. I have some great recipes if you would like them??
We had the chilean seabass with pineapple preserves last night, no fish smell today!

[Paula H]

How do I hate fish? Let me count the ways....

I can't stand fish. Really really really. BUT I've found a recipe that I can handle. Don't like to cook it myself if I can help it, get my flatmate to handle that side of it. Incredibly easy to make. Flavours of the dijon mustard and dill cover up that fishy (gag!) taste. Recommend you give it a go with any "non" tasting fish - avoid strong flavours like salmon.

My fish dish:

Dijon Cod

4 cod fillets (170 grams / 6 ounces each) or any other white fish fillet
3 tablespoons non-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish (leave out if you want a milder taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Choose a baking dish large enough to hold the cod in a single layer. Coat the dish with cooking spray. Place the cod in the dish; turn under any thin ends so the fillets are an even thickness.

In a cup, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish and dill. Spread evenly over the cod. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Drizzle with the oil.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cod is cooked through.

per serving
Calories: 225.5
Fat: 3.1gm (0.5gm saturated)
Calories from fat: 12.4%
Carbohydrates: 5.1gm
Protein: 41.8gm

[Chefzhat]

Here's a fish cooking tip that will help take the "fishy" taste and smell out of fish - soak it in milk for 1/2 hour before cooking. Tames the taste a little, and keeps the smell down. Works great and my kids will eat fish now, when they wouldn't before.

A good homemade tartar sauce will also cover many a fish flavor too - mix light mayo, relish, lemon juice, salt and pepper together and dip away!!

I love fish, but my dh had to learn - these tips have help tremendously. Good luck!

[hlao23]

I don't think you have to eat fish to get omega-3s. Eat more nuts or add ground flax seed to cereals and baked goods. You can also buy waffles and cereal with flax seed already in them.

I'm no nutritionist so you might want to check out other sources to make sure I'm right, but I do believe that these are sources of omega-3s.

[makedah]

I found that I liked fresh tuna made on my cast-iron grill pan. But my other efforts at fish have been disastrous.

When I cooked shrimp, I would soak it in lemon juice for a long time, and that would kill some of the fishy flavor. Now, hard-core fish eaters might tell you not to soak fish in lemon juice because it starts to 'cook' the fish before the cooking process begins.

If you hate fish, just make peace with that fact. Lots of healthful foods out there to eat! :) (I LOVED your statement: the more I chew it, the bigger it gets!!!)

Good non-fish sources of Omega-3 oils (taken from a vegan food guide) are: flaxseeds/flaxseed oil, walnuts and canola oil. I'm looking more into these options now, myself.

Good luck!

[tammy/MN]

have you tried scallops? i really love fresh tuna steaks, had them over new years last year & my girls, 9 & 3, loved them too.

i just slathered on some dijon mustard & cracked pepper corns & pan fried, it was really good.

i, tooo, used to feel that way about sushi, my DH wanted to eat more & i was looking for different fish to eat during lent one year--now i could eat a whole tray of "spicy tuna roll" & then some. i hate to share my tuna rolls!

[Svadhisthana]

I hate fish too, I'm sooo happy that there are other ways to get my Omega-3's. A note about Chilean sea bass-it's really fatty and oily, other bass is better. Also, it is on the (or soon to be) endagered seafood list.

[Curleytop]

Here is another fish hater:rolleyes: , but my DH hates it TOTALLY!
Of course we also feel we SHOULD eat it for a balanced diet, and we have it occasionally. We find that when I buy fillet of sole or talapia at Trader Joe, we can stomach it if I prepare it this way:
Thaw the fish, wash it and place on paper towels. Then, sprinkle some flour on a piece of waxed paper, season with salt & pepper, and coat the thin pieces of fish with the flour mixture on both sides. In a nonstick skillet, place a little olive oil, and quickly, and I mean QUICKLY sautee the fish on both sides, takes only minutes! Place on platter keep warm, and cook the rest of the fish. We serve it with fresh lemon (I am known to also dip it in chili sauce:D
The house does not "stink" and we look at each other very self rightous!
I think salmon is too fat and that is way it smells so bad. The leaner the fish, the less odor.

[browneye]

Hmmm, after reading through your posts, I must comment.
First of all, I love fish. HOWEVER, I think we are quite spoiled where we live, and have some of the freshest fish in the country.

I travel alot for my job, and I have tried to eat fish in other parts of the country. I almost gagged too. Sorry, but the fish you guys out in the Midwest and Arizona get is really bad stuff most of the time. I wouldn't blame you for not liking it. I never order fish in certain parts of the country, even in fine restaurants.
If the fish is smelling up your house that much, you are not getting a really good piece of fish. Even that TJ's frozen stuff is nothing like the real thing.
Don't know what to tell you, really, but try looking for better pieces. Pay more $$ if you need to. Find a fresh fish monger who flies the fish in and find out which days the fish arrives, then be there that day. Don't buy the stuff at the grocery store.
If it smells "fishy" when it is uncooked, it is not fresh and will not taste good when cooked.
Hope this helps.
Also, an afterthought. Always cook the fish the same day you purchase it. Fish does not keep in the frig like other meats. Hopefully, these tips will improve your results. :)

[pmmahan]

Browneye - you are so right! The freshness and quality really makes a difference. I avoid eating fish unless I am in a region that can get it fresh.

Luckily, I live in boston and Love fish!

[BosunsWife]

I totally agree with Browneye, it must be fresh. If it smells "fishy", its probably past its prime and not worth eating anyway.

Now, that said, I'm a born and bred Washingtonian (State that is). I was raised eating most types of fish and shellfish. Until I was in my mid 30's (after marriage), I could not cook and eat fish. I could cook it, but definitely could not consume it. Don't ask why because I've never figured it out. For the longest time if we wanted fish, DH had to cook it. I've gotten past it although maybe grilling it outside has something to do with it. I think I have a problem with the smell in the house. We eat fish AT LEAST once a week.

[RobinC]

I've been trying really hard to eat more fish. My darling BF loves fish and is thrilled that I am trying to fix more seafood. I am not as wild about fish. It has to be very fresh (no smell) for me to eat it. I am also not that crazy about salmon. I try not to say that too loud since I live here in the beautiful Pacific NW.

For me to eat seafood, it is all about the sauce (and eating mild fish). The sea-bass with the tomato mango sauce in the June issue is great. I used halibut rather than sea bass. I also found a great CL recipe for crab stuffed flounder (I use dover sole). It is baked and hasn't left the house smelling fishy.

Scallops have a very nice delicate flavor and texture. I did some really simple shrimp and scallop kabobs that worked out nice.

Ahi Tuna steaks have worked nicely. Tuna has a much more firm texture - much less fishy and more like chicken. I made the Greek garlic grilled tuna steaks (I think it was the June issue of CL) these were very good. Easy fish for me to eat.

[SandyM]

I've given up making fish at home. I'll leave it to the experts. In the last week I've tried tilapia and swordfish (on the grill - I won't cook fish in the house because DH can't handle the smell). The texture is 2nd most important to me (after flavor), and I can't handle a soft, mooshy fish. That's why I don't eat scallops. There's a thin line between not yet done and overdone, even at restaurants.

I love, love, love fish, and I know I'm not getting enough....but I'm tired of wasting the money and having icky fish.

We do live in Michigan, afterall......

[heatherfeather]

I agree with Bornweye. It really does depend upon where you are getting your fish - and especially whether or not you are eating fresh or frozen fish. I grew up in NY where I could go to the fishmarket and get the fresh catch of the day. I grew up eating lots of fish, all types of fish - and loving it. Then I got married and moved all over the country. The first time I tried fish cooked at a restaurant in a midwest restaurant, I sent it back. It tasted so incredibly awful. I also threw out fish that I had bought in the freezer case at my grocery - yuck! It had a completely different texture and an awful salty, fishy yucky ick taste and smell. This was not a spoilage smell, but more like a freezer residual odor. Awful! Even in the better groceries, where they sometimes carried "fresh" fish - check carefully to make sure it is not "previously frozen." This fish costs more yet still can have the same nasty freezer burn taste of the still frozen stuff. The only fish that can seem to hold up well to freezers are shrimp, crawfish, crab, and lobster. The shrimp is still delicious after freezing (although even better fresh) and the crab and lobster are good, but more watery than when cooked fresh. I only use the frozen crab and lobster in things like chowders, casseroles etc. Well - that was until I moved to sunny California where I can once again get plently of fresh fish. It tastes 100 times better to me now that I have the frozen fish to compare to. I think the only way to mask frozen fish is to fry it, and who wants to add that fish of fish to your waistline?

[browneye]

Okay, I'm gonna try to help you fish haters out, here.....

Here is a recipe that I have prepared for a few fish haters, and they loved it...... amounts are approximate, you will have to improvise a little but the exact amounts are not critical....

Miso Sea Bass with Two Dipping Sauces:

mix together:
Miso paste (the light yellow kind) about 1/4- 1/3 cup
saki-about 2 tblsp.
mirin- about 1 tblsp
rice vinegar- about 1-2 tblsp
sugar-about 1 teaspoon
ginger-about 2 tblsp. chopped fresh
Whisk above ingredients together. Cut your seabass into "fingers" sticks or about 1" by 4" length strips....
marinate the sea bass in the miso paste mixture, about 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the two sauces like this:
Wasabi cream sauce:
Just whisk wasabi paste with nonfat or lite sour cream until it is very pale green, or to taste.
Soy-Lime Syrup:
Place about 1/3 cup soy sauce into a small sauce pan. Add the juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lime, and about 2 tblsp brown sugar. Heat and stir until this turns to a thin syrup consistency. If it doesn't turn syrupy, add more brown sugar. If it is too thick, add more soy or lime or both.
Grill the fish either inside or outside (fish haters, go outside) it will cook very quickly, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Prepare the plates by drizzling the soy-lime syrup in a decorative manner around, then dabbing the wasabi cream also in a decorative pattern. Or you can just blob them on the plate.
Place the seabass "fingers" amid the sauces, top with chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve with hot jasmine rice or whatever turns your crank. Also very nice with a cucumber-rice vinegar salad.

This ought to appeal to some, I hope.......


:D

[TamiK]

Okay, I've read the posts. Do you really think it might have something to do with living in the middle of a big, dry desert!?! The little critters are all worn out by the time they get here. I do like ahi tuna, but have had trouble getting it here lately. It "feels" better in my mouth. :D

I'll try all your ideas--one at a time. I may need a few days to recover, though, from the last attempt. I don't even want to look at a koi pond! (Although--they look pretty fresh, swimming around in there. Hmmm....)

At least I know I'm not alone. Every time I can't eat the fish, DH says, ":rolleyes: "

[HARRYET]

Another fish hater checking in!

Growing up on NE, you'd think I'd love fish, but no way! My DH loves fish. So as a general rule I cook him fish and cook myself (and kids) a steak.

The problem is living in AZ, there is no where that I have found in the 9 yrs living here to get good fresh fish. I generally have to rely on TJ's.

I definetly agree w/Browneye, you can't beat fresh fish for taste (according to DH) and smell!

TamiK, if you find somewhere in AZ to buy good fresh fish, please pass on the info, my DH would appreciate it. I have no problem driving distances for good food.

Thanks Ann :)