cooking fish...for someone that hates fish

[bgaviator]

Hello all,
Since my wife and I have embarked on a diet, I'd really like to try and incorporate fish into our repertoire. However, my wife absolutely hates fish...unless it's fried fish that she can drown in malt vinegar! Anything "fishy" tasting absolutely turns her off. Are there any particular kinds of fish, readily available say at Kroger, that is completely neutral in taste, and will take on just the flavors of any seasonings or marinades?

Any good recipes that are quick to make with known pre-made marinades or spice blends? I've seen some stuff at Kroger that looks interesting....like Private Selection Mexican Cilantro Lime marinade that sounded interesting for fish maybe.

 

[forktender]

It's called tofu.
Why would you even try to cook fish for someone that hates it?

 

[bgaviator]

I just figured maybe she's never had a real mild fish or she's just had badly prepared fish before...

 

[Steve H]

Flounder and Haddock are mild tasting fish. Search for recipes for them. I like them baked or broiled with butter, lemon, and Panko crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper and a dash of pepper flakes.

 

[Jhunter1]

If she likes sea food. You could do flounder stuffed with crab.

 

[bgaviator]

Thanks! Is haddock easy to find? I'm not sure I've ever seen it at my local Kroger

 

[schlotz]

There is a frozen section by our meat counter at Kroger's that has some nice meal size portions available. Try this for a marinade which removes any fishey odors on salmon. Those in my family love it because of that. Marinate the salmon in the fridge for 1-2 hours (skin side up). To really kick it up, the Pesto is also served.

Marinade:
4 Tbs olive oil, extra light
2 Tbs soy sauce, COLD
2 tbs lime juice, 1 whole lime
1 tbs dill weed
2 dashes ground cloves
14 ozs Salmon fillets, 2- 7oz. filets

Pesto: Basil w/lime & a kick
2 cups basil leaves, approx 4 kroger boxes
1/2 each jalapeno, seeded & soaked in Sprite for 1hr
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts or shelled walnuts, we use unsalted peanuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 each lime juice, freshly squeezed

Pesto Directions:

1. Slice one medium (~3”) jalapeño in half lengthwise, remove the innards & seeds. Scrape out any whiteish rind areas. Slice one half lengthwise again into small strips and place in a bowl of Sprite for at least 1 hour. Sprite reduces the heat factor, longer if you want to reduce the heat more. Discard or save the other half for a different use.

2. Roughly dice the jalapeño strips. Place the basil leaves (stems removed) into the bowl of a food processor along with the jalapeño, olive oil and lime juice. Process by pulsing until the basil begins to puree.

3. Add the garlic, nuts, salt and pepper and process until a smooth sauce is achieved.

4. Add the cheese and pulse to combine.

5. Pour/scrape into a serving dish. You might need to stir it up a bit right before sitting down for a meal.

6. To store, float a very thin layer of EVOO on top before sealing air tight and placing in fridge.

 

[Steve H]

There is a frozen section by our meat counter at Kroger's that has some nice meal size portions available. Try this for a marinade which removes any fishey odors on salmon. Those in my family love it because of that. Marinate the salmon in the fridge for 1-2 hours (skin side up). To really kick it up, the Pesto is also served.

Marinade:
4 Tbs olive oil, extra light
2 Tbs soy sauce, COLD
2 tbs lime juice, 1 whole lime
1 tbs dill weed
2 dashes ground cloves
14 ozs Salmon fillets, 2- 7oz. filets

Pesto: Basil w/lime & a kick
2 cups basil leaves, approx 4 kroger boxes
1/2 each jalapeno, seeded & soaked in Sprite for 1hr
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts or shelled walnuts, we use unsalted peanuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 each lime juice, freshly squeezed

Pesto Directions:

1. Slice one medium (~3”) jalapeño in half lengthwise, remove the innards & seeds. Scrape out any whiteish rind areas. Slice one half lengthwise again into small strips and place in a bowl of Sprite for at least 1 hour. Sprite reduces the heat factor, longer if you want to reduce the heat more. Discard or save the other half for a different use.

2. Roughly dice the jalapeño strips. Place the basil leaves (stems removed) into the bowl of a food processor along with the jalapeño, olive oil and lime juice. Process by pulsing until the basil begins to puree.

3. Add the garlic, nuts, salt and pepper and process until a smooth sauce is achieved.

4. Add the cheese and pulse to combine.

5. Pour/scrape into a serving dish. You might need to stir it up a bit right before sitting down for a meal.

6. To store, float a very thin layer of EVOO on top before sealing air tight and placing in fridge.

The marinade sounds like it would be good with Haddock.

 

[xray]

Tilapia and haddock are good mild fish.

The old bay and lime recipe is a good one for grilling fish. From the Old Bay website:

1/4 c Olive Oil
4 tsp Old Bay
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp. cilantro leaves

I always kicked up the old bay and cilantro plus the addition of pepper flakes. It goes good with a roasted veg and a side of rice...but if diet be damned, they make good fish tacos too.

Also blackened tilapia in a cast iron pan is a good one to try for non-fishy people.

 

[cmayna]

Wife and I eat fish probably 4 days a week. We need to because.....we fish it and I smoke a lot of it. Very rare do we eat red meats. What a difference, huh?

Try pan fried panko crumb covered rock cod or Halibut. Odds are, no matter what I suggest will still be pretty fishy tasting.

You might try some fish taco recipes. They've been known to cover the taste of fish if one is not careful with how much ingredients one uses.

 

[tropics]

Thanks! Is haddock easy to find? I'm not sure I've ever seen it at my local Kroger

I have no idea were Kroger is,your location would always help you getting better answers.
Richie

 

[BigW.]

Since she likes malt vinegar, something heavily spiced might be worth a shot. The mild fish suggested above in fish tacos. More flavor and mixed with other ingredients, she won't be able to focus on fish taste. I also love smoked salmon. Usually use leftover salmon in a fettuccine the next day that all like (even folks that dislike salmon)

 

[johnmeyer]

I grew up outside of Chicago in the 50s, and because shipping was slow, fresh fish simply wasn't available, and the fish that did make it there was pretty old and didn't taste good. As a result, I too never liked fish.

I began to like it when I tasted haddock, so I agree with that recommendation.

What really helped was to not only have access to fish that was fresh, but also to have it cooked correctly. My mother always poached fish, and boiled fish really tastes awful (I still won't eat it). What I DO like is grilled fish. My wife's favorite is salmon on the grill.

Now, salmon does have a strong flavor, but it is not a flavor that one would call fishy. I have a recipe where you oil the salmon; season it with a mixture of salt, pepper, and sugar, and then put a bunch of hickory chips on some aluminum foil and then lay the salmon, skin side down, over the chips. Cook that on the hottest grill you can create for 12-14 minutes, so that the chips begin to emit a little smoke. Then, remove the skin and scrape away the gray stuff that is left under the skin. This removes any hint of "fishiness."

I would also recommend doing something similar with swordfish. This was the other fish that I discovered which didn't seem to be "fishy," and it too comes out really well when grilled. Make sure not to overcook it, because it gets dry really quickly if you cook it too much.

BTW, the other advantage of grilling is that any "fish odors" are left outdoors. This not only helps keep the house smelling nice, but will doubtless make your wife more apt to want to eat the fish. This is a little like eating "stinky cheese," like Stilton, where the odor can be a little off-putting, but once you get it past your nose, tastes great.

 

[Bearcarver]

Hi Aviator!!
If I were you, I'd give it up:
Mrs Bear won't eat any kind of fish or seafood.
She says she used to eat "Fish Sticks" when they had them in High School Cafeteria, but that was probably because as I remember those things didn't taste like any kind of fish. They were more like "Breaded Nothing", and wouldn't be good for any kind of Diet anyway.

So I just gave it up years ago, which is one of the reasons we're still married after more than 50 years now.

Bear

 

[brayhaven]

Pacific cod, & halibut are also very light mild fish. Atlantic seems a little fishy. I also rinse very well after thawing and squeeze a little lime juice over each piece before cooking. You can also use seasoning to cover fishy taste, like Cajun blackened fish. We eat a lot of fish, that we catch and also purchased. Wife doesn’t like fishy fish either.. unless she caught it

 

[johnmeyer]

You can also use seasoning to cover fishy taste, like Cajun blackened fish.

Ah yes, Cajun. I forgot about that one. Find a good recipe for blackened fish. They usually use catfish, but you can use many other varieties (I've never liked the mushy texture of most catfish). Serve with a spicy salsa and black beans.

 

[smokerjim]

not sure where you live, but fresh water fish might work, like perch, bluegill, bass, walleye, but those you will probably have to catch yourself, as the others mentioned haddock would probably be your best bet, I love the fresh haddock but frozen always tasted a little weird to me.

 

[Bearcarver]

not sure where you live, but fresh water fish might work, like perch, bluegill, bass, walleye, but those you will probably have to catch yourself, as the others mentioned haddock would probably be your best bet, I love the fresh haddock but frozen always tasted a little weird to me.

Hard to chew too, huh Jim?!?!

Bear

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Lots of good suggestions so far. My vote is trout in a foil packet with some butter, lemon slices, and SPOG. Very light tasting, heart healthy, and easy cleanup.

 

[smokerjim]

Hard to chew too, huh Jim?!?!

Bear

yeah, definitely has a different texture to it, but edible.