I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
the recipe.

FWIW.

nancy

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
>I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> the recipe.
>
> FWIW.
>
> nancy

Perhaps, I'll have to give it a try for catfish, which in all my
tries has tasted "muddy". Would something really acidic, like
lemon juice, perhaps diluted, work? Buttemilk is not something
that I keep around.



--
Jim Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

"James Silverton" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > wrote

>>I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
>> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
>> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
>> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
>> the recipe.

> Perhaps, I'll have to give it a try for catfish, which in all my tries has
> tasted "muddy". Would something really acidic, like lemon juice, perhaps
> diluted, work? Buttemilk is not something that I keep around.

They said that the lemon water left the texture of the fish somewhat
mushy. But if you have lemon and you have milk, you can make
your own buttermilk.

nancy

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
>I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> the recipe.
>
> FWIW.
>
> nancy
>
Nance, thanks for the trip down memory lane.......my father used to go
catfishing in the PeeDee and bring home some whoppers. He would nail them
to a tree, skin them and cover them with buttermilk. When asked why, he
would mumble about having to 'soak the shit outta 'em'......After eating
farm raised versus fresh caught bottom feeding catfish, I now know what he
meant. Soaking them takes the 'bottom' out of the taste. They don't taste
like shit eaters anymore.
-ginny

"Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > wrote

>>I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
>> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
>> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
>> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
>> the recipe.

> Nance, thanks for the trip down memory lane.......my father used to go
> catfishing in the PeeDee and bring home some whoppers. He would nail them
> to a tree, skin them and cover them with buttermilk. When asked why, he
> would mumble about having to 'soak the shit outta 'em'......After eating
> farm raised versus fresh caught bottom feeding catfish, I now know what he
> meant. Soaking them takes the 'bottom' out of the taste. They don't
> taste like shit eaters anymore.

Haha, that's funny. He had a way with words, I like that. I had
tilapia once, and I guess it was muddy because I really didn't like
it, I just didn't put a name to why it tasted like crap. Heh. I never
noticed a problem with catfish, though. Seems like maybe I got
lucky.

nance

On Apr 8, 10:37*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote
>
> > "Nancy Young" > wrote
> >>I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> >> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> >> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> >> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. *Soak for an hour before
> >> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> >> the recipe.
> > Nance, thanks for the trip down memory lane.......my father used to go
> > catfishing in the PeeDee and bring home some whoppers. *He would nail them
> > to a tree, skin them and cover them with buttermilk. *When asked why, he
> > would mumble about having to 'soak the shit outta 'em'......After eating
> > farm raised versus fresh caught bottom feeding catfish, I now know what he
> > meant. *Soaking them takes the 'bottom' out of the taste. *They don't
> > taste like shit eaters anymore.
>
> Haha, that's funny. *He had a way with words, I like that. *I had
> tilapia once, and I guess it was muddy because I really didn't like
> it, I just didn't put a name to why it tasted like crap. *Heh. *I never
> noticed a problem with catfish, though. *Seems like maybe I got
> lucky.
>
> nance

I don't usually buy farm-raised fish because of various problems with
them. The catfish my son brings home get a soak in salt water for a
few hours at the minimum. This tends (for me, anyway) to take away
the "muddy" taste. I rinse them really well, bread and fry as usual.

N.

On Apr 8, 8:07*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. *Soak for an hour before
> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> the recipe.
>
> FWIW.
>
> nancy


I have noticed the "muddy" taste occassionally with tilapia. In the
past much of the tilapia was coming from Ecuador, but more recently,
it's been coming from China, and that' when I noticed the muddy flavor
more.

There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China, not being all
that safe. I've curtailed buying most anything I can, which emanates
from that country, until they get their quality control act together.

Myrl Jeffcoat

Marl wrote on Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT):

MJ> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China,
MJ> not being all that safe. I've curtailed buying most
MJ> anything I can, which emanates from that country, until
MJ> they get their quality control act together.

I suppose traditionally raised tilapia might well have a muddy
taste since they were grown in the shallow muddy waters of rice
paddies before the fields were drained to ripen and harvest the
rice. It's really a very efficient use of space.

Let's be honest, I don't like the texture of tilapia even ones
I've selected from those swimming in a tank.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Apr 8, 8:07*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. *Soak for an hour before
> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> the recipe.
>
Thanks for the note. I don't read CI as religiously as I used to and
would probably have missed this. I gave up on tilapia after two tries
-- neither taste nor texture were good, imho. Though I don't doubt
the buttermilk soak makes an improvement I'll probably stick to other
fish I know I like. -aem

"aem" > wrote

>On Apr 8, 8:07 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
>> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
>> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
>> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
>> the recipe.
>
>Thanks for the note. I don't read CI as religiously as I used to and
>would probably have missed this. I gave up on tilapia after two tries
>-- neither taste nor texture were good, imho. Though I don't doubt
>the buttermilk soak makes an improvement I'll probably stick to other
>fish I know I like.

I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.

And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.

nancy

On 2008-04-08, Nancy Young > wrote:

> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> the recipe.

Argghh!...... leave the b-milk on and bread it. Why waste good b-milk?

nb

"notbob" schrieb :
> On 2008-04-08, Nancy Young > wrote:
>
>> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
>> the recipe.
>
> Argghh!...... leave the b-milk on and bread it. Why waste good b-milk?
>
Because the muddy taste is now in the b-milk.
BTW : The same method is used for game (eg. wild boar).

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner

Myrl Jeffcoat wrote:
>
> On Apr 8, 8:07 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> > I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> > Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> > Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> > acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
> > cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> > the recipe.
> >
> > FWIW.
> >
> > nancy
>
> I have noticed the "muddy" taste occassionally with tilapia. In the
> past much of the tilapia was coming from Ecuador, but more recently,
> it's been coming from China, and that' when I noticed the muddy flavor
> more.
>
> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China, not being all
> that safe. I've curtailed buying most anything I can, which emanates
> from that country, until they get their quality control act together.
>
> Myrl Jeffcoat

I'm with you there! I'm very wary of any edible product from China.
Heck, the product doesn't even have to be edible. If possible, I'd
rather buy 'local' to support businesses here instead of across any
large 'pond.'

Yesterday while at the grocery store, I looked in the freezer case for
fish. Every single selection/brand was marked "product of China"! I
didn't buy any, not that there was a large variety to choose. I think
I'll stick with (local) shrimp.

Sky, who rarely eats fish anywhoo

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice

Nancy Young wrote:
> "aem" > wrote
>
snip

> I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
> that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.
>
> And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.
>
> nancy

O.k., now I understand. . .you like flounder, cod and salmon. I couldn't
figure out why you wouldn't like tilapia. I don't like flounder, cod and
salmon. It's a texture thingy. I do believe, though, that almost any kind
of fish can have that muddy taste. I think you have to know and choose your
sources first of all and then after that I think it is a crap shoot.
Janet

"Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
...
> Nancy Young wrote:
>> "aem" > wrote
>>
> snip
>
>> I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
>> that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
>> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.
>>
>> And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.
>>
>> nancy
>
> O.k., now I understand. . .you like flounder, cod and salmon. I couldn't
> figure out why you wouldn't like tilapia. I don't like flounder, cod and
> salmon. It's a texture thingy. I do believe, though, that almost any
> kind of fish can have that muddy taste. I think you have to know and
> choose your sources first of all and then after that I think it is a crap
> shoot.
> Janet

I have never tasted this alleged "muddy" taste, and I make catfish
regularly. Mine is always fresh and clean tasting. I do leave off those
gross little fatty strips that have that super fishy taste. I rinse, cut the
filets into plump chunks along the natural divisions, coat them with
Louisiana Fish Fry and deep fry or pan fry. They are perfect every time.



** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2008-04-08, Nancy Young > wrote:
>
>> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
>> the recipe.
>
> Argghh!...... leave the b-milk on and bread it. Why waste good b-milk?
>
I think I would just have to buy a type of fish I actually like the flavor
of.


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news:j5NKj.8122$qB1.7389@trnddc07...
> Marl wrote on Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT):
>
> MJ> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China,
> MJ> not being all that safe. I've curtailed buying most
> MJ> anything I can, which emanates from that country, until
> MJ> they get their quality control act together.
>
> I suppose traditionally raised tilapia might well have a muddy taste since
> they were grown in the shallow muddy waters of rice paddies before the
> fields were drained to ripen and harvest the rice. It's really a very
> efficient use of space.
>
> Let's be honest, I don't like the texture of tilapia even ones I've
> selected from those swimming in a tank.
>
Interesting. I like tilapia but have a problem with the texture of catfish.
It has the same sinewy texture as mako shark.

However, I've been off tilapia since an episode of 'dirty jobs' showed a
fish farmer using tilapia to clean the tanks of farm raised striped bass.
And yes, they sell the tilapia when they get big enough.

Jon

James Silverton wrote:

> *Marl *wrote *on Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT):
>
> *MJ> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China,
> *MJ> not being all that safe. *I've curtailed buying most
> *MJ> anything I can, which emanates from that country, until
> *MJ> they get their quality control act together.
>
> I suppose traditionally raised tilapia might well have a muddy
> taste since they were grown in the shallow muddy waters of rice
> paddies before the fields were drained to ripen and harvest the
> rice. It's really a very efficient use of space.
>
> Let's be honest, I don't like the texture of tilapia even ones
> I've selected from those swimming in a tank.


IIRC they were even the "featured fish" in the enclosed ecosystem of
the movie _Biodome_, which is a dumb parody of the Biosphere project
fiasco of a few years ago...


--
Best
Greg

cybercat fishes:


> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Nancy Young wrote:
> >> "aem" > wrote
>
> > snip
>
> >> I'm with you. *The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
> >> that I didn't like. *Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
> >> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.
>
> >> And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.
>
> >> nancy
>
> > O.k., now I understand. . .you like flounder, cod and salmon. *I couldn't
> > figure out why you wouldn't like tilapia. *I don't like flounder, cod and
> > salmon. *It's a texture thingy. *I do believe, though, that almost any
> > kind of fish can have that muddy taste. *I think you have to know and
> > choose your sources first of all and then after that I think it is a crap
> > shoot.
> > Janet
>
> I have never tasted this alleged "muddy" taste, and I make catfish
> regularly. Mine is always fresh and clean tasting.


That's because you most probably have never had *wild - caught*
catfish, cyberpussy...the catfish we buy in the stupormarket is all
farm - raised these daze.

If you ever had a really muddy catfish, you'd know it from the stench
it emits whilst cooking...not too dissimilar from *your* body odor in
fact.

:-p


--
Best
Greg

On Apr 8, 9:31*am, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
> *Marl *wrote *on Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT):
>
> *MJ> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China,
> *MJ> not being all that safe. *I've curtailed buying most
> *MJ> anything I can, which emanates from that country, until
> *MJ> they get their quality control act together.
>
> I suppose traditionally raised tilapia might well have a muddy
> taste since they were grown in the shallow muddy waters of rice
> paddies before the fields were drained to ripen and harvest the
> rice. It's really a very efficient use of space.
>
> Let's be honest, I don't like the texture of tilapia even ones
> I've selected from those swimming in a tank.
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

A number of years ago, I visited my Dad who was living in Little Rock.
He took us out to a very popular restaurant that specialized in deep-
fried everything, including dill pickles (yuk). The restaurant was
situated in the middle of this extremely muddy pond with decks all
around the outside. After a truly horrible dinner, we walked outside
to see people feeding leftover hushpuppies to the catfish in the pond,
where they must have gotten their fish from. I'll take halibut &
salmon, please!

"Janet Bostwick" > wrote

> Nancy Young wrote:

>> I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
>> that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
>> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.

> O.k., now I understand. . .you like flounder, cod and salmon. I couldn't
> figure out why you wouldn't like tilapia. I don't like flounder, cod and
> salmon. It's a texture thingy. I do believe, though, that almost any
> kind of fish can have that muddy taste. I think you have to know and
> choose your sources first of all and then after that I think it is a crap
> shoot.

I only posted the info because other people here often remark on the
muddy flavors, and there it was in print, the same complaint and a
solution.

nancy

"Michael "Dog3"" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > dropped this

>> I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
>> that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
>> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.
>>
>> And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.
>
> Hon, we should never go out to dinner for fish together I don't like
> catfish and love tilapia. Now, I've never tried bluefish that I know of.
> What's the deal with it?

The guy down the street from us used to go fishing for blues
and he'd bring the leftovers to my parents. Wow, what a
boon, free fish! Ugh, it's so strong and fishy, and all us kids would
just want to croak, we knew we'd be eating bluefish for the
next few days.

nancy

Myrl Jeffcoat wrote:
> On Apr 8, 8:07 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
>> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
>> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
>> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
>> the recipe.
>>
>> FWIW.
>>
>> nancy
>
>
> I have noticed the "muddy" taste occassionally with tilapia. In the
> past much of the tilapia was coming from Ecuador, but more recently,
> it's been coming from China, and that' when I noticed the muddy flavor
> more.
>
> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China, not being all
> that safe. I've curtailed buying most anything I can, which emanates
> from that country, until they get their quality control act together.
>
> Myrl Jeffcoat
>
The last tilapia I saw was a product of Costa Rica. I love tilapia but I
didn't get any that shopping trip.

Jill

Nancy Young > wrote:

> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.

Catfish and carp, sure. But not tilapia IME.

-sw

Nancy Young wrote:
>
> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
> Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.
> Long story short, they recommend an acid soak first, and their
> acidic soak of choice is buttermilk. Soak for an hour before
> cooking ... rinse off the buttermilk, pat dry and proceed with
> the recipe.
>
> FWIW.
>
> nancy

In the one Indian cookbook I have (written and published in India) lime
juice is the recommended acid for treating seasonally-muddy fish.

On 2008-04-08, Michael "Dog3" > wrote:

> Pardon my ignorance but wouldn't the "muddy" taste permeate the buttermilk?

Frankly, I don't buy into the bmilk-removes-muddy-taste in the first place
and find the whole premise of muddy tasting catfish to be dubious in the
second. How is a bottom feeding fish most commonly found in muddy silt
laden water supposed to taste, like it lives in Perrier water? Gimme a
break. I've eaten catfish from all over the US and it always tastes just
fine to me, and without the help of buttermilk. Now, if you want to use
buttermilk to coat that fish before you dredge in cornmeal, I'll even help.


nb

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2008-04-08, Michael "Dog3" > wrote:
>
>> Pardon my ignorance but wouldn't the "muddy" taste permeate the
>> buttermilk?
>
> Frankly, I don't buy into the bmilk-removes-muddy-taste in the first place
> and find the whole premise of muddy tasting catfish to be dubious in the
> second. How is a bottom feeding fish most commonly found in muddy silt
> laden water supposed to taste, like it lives in Perrier water? Gimme a
> break. I've eaten catfish from all over the US and it always tastes just
> fine to me, and without the help of buttermilk. Now, if you want to use
> buttermilk to coat that fish before you dredge in cornmeal, I'll even
> help.
>
>


hahaha! Somebody with some sense!


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 11:07:16 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>Today I got my Cook's Illustrated and they discussed this.

Cook's Illustrated podcasts have to be the most informative "learning"
out there. Fine Cooking and Cook's Illustrated are the definative
source for learning.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> Nancy Young > wrote:
>
>> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>
> Catfish and carp, sure. But not tilapia IME.

Not IME, either. Pretty much all of the tilapia I buy around here (mostly
from Ecuador) is good stuff. Weis frequently has filets on sale, and I love
the loins I've found at Costco.

Mary

On Tue 08 Apr 2008 06:59:03p, MareCat told us...

> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Nancy Young > wrote:
>>
>>> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>>
>> Catfish and carp, sure. But not tilapia IME.
>
> Not IME, either. Pretty much all of the tilapia I buy around here
> (mostly from Ecuador) is good stuff. Weis frequently has filets on sale,
> and I love the loins I've found at Costco.
>
> Mary

I have eaten catfish all my life and fairly often. I have yet to have
eaten one that tasted muddy.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 04(IV)/08(VIII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
6wks 5dys 5hrs
-------------------------------------------
'But I am the Doctor. Check my
hearts. '--Tom Baker as the Doctor
-------------------------------------------

"Blinky the Shark" > wrote

> I'd never even heard of muddy fish taste until this thread kicked off.
> And I've fried plenty of (Mmmmmmm...) catfish.

People here mention it often, that's why I posted it.

nancy

On Tue 08 Apr 2008 08:50:36p, Blinky the Shark told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> On Tue 08 Apr 2008 06:59:03p, MareCat told us...
>>
>>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Nancy Young > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>>>>
>>>> Catfish and carp, sure. But not tilapia IME.
>>>
>>> Not IME, either. Pretty much all of the tilapia I buy around here
>>> (mostly from Ecuador) is good stuff. Weis frequently has filets on
sale,
>>> and I love the loins I've found at Costco.
>>>
>>> Mary
>>
>> I have eaten catfish all my life and fairly often. I have yet to have
>> eaten one that tasted muddy.
>
> Even when they come from muddy waters. Sorry -- I couldn't resist. I
> started reading a biography of blues musician Muddy Waters, today. I'll
> leave now. Nothing to see, here, folks...
>
>

Yes, even the farm-raised catfish tend to get into the muddy bottom. Good
purveyors transfer them to clear water pools with grain for a while before
taking to market. I have a cousin in Mississippi who owns several catfish
farms, and their process always includes that step.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 04(IV)/08(VIII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
6wks 5dys 3hrs 55mins
-------------------------------------------
One man's terrorist is another man's
patriot
-------------------------------------------

"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
news
> cybercat wrote:
>
>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Nancy Young wrote:
>>>> "aem" > wrote
>>>>
>>> snip
>>>
>>>> I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
>>>> that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
>>>> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.
>>>>
>>>> And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.
>>>>
>>>> nancy
>>>
>>> O.k., now I understand. . .you like flounder, cod and salmon. I
>>> couldn't figure out why you wouldn't like tilapia. I don't like
>>> flounder, cod and salmon. It's a texture thingy. I do believe, though,
>>> that almost any kind of fish can have that muddy taste. I think you
>>> have to know and choose your sources first of all and then after that I
>>> think it is a crap shoot.
>>> Janet
>>
>> I have never tasted this alleged "muddy" taste, and I make catfish
>> regularly. Mine is always fresh and clean tasting.
>
> I'd never even heard of muddy fish taste until this thread kicked off.
> And I've fried plenty of (Mmmmmmm...) catfish.
>
>

To me, it is the cleanest tasting fish there is. And I've caught it myself
and eaten it later that day.


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Tue 08 Apr 2008 06:59:03p, MareCat told us...
>
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Nancy Young > wrote:
>>>
>>>> I see people talk about muddy tasting catfish and tilapia.
>>>
>>> Catfish and carp, sure. But not tilapia IME.
>>
>> Not IME, either. Pretty much all of the tilapia I buy around here
>> (mostly from Ecuador) is good stuff. Weis frequently has filets on sale,
>> and I love the loins I've found at Costco.
>>
>> Mary
>
> I have eaten catfish all my life and fairly often. I have yet to have
> eaten one that tasted muddy.

Even when they come from muddy waters. Sorry -- I couldn't resist. I
started reading a biography of blues musician Muddy Waters, today. I'll
leave now. Nothing to see, here, folks...


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cybercat wrote:

> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Nancy Young wrote:
>>> "aem" > wrote
>>>
>> snip
>>
>>> I'm with you. The one time I tried tilapia, there was a texture thing
>>> that I didn't like. Of course, I'm not much for eating fish, I like
>>> flounder and cod, with the occasional wild salmon.
>>>
>>> And there isn't enough buttermilk to make me eat bluefish again.
>>>
>>> nancy
>>
>> O.k., now I understand. . .you like flounder, cod and salmon. I
>> couldn't figure out why you wouldn't like tilapia. I don't like
>> flounder, cod and salmon. It's a texture thingy. I do believe, though,
>> that almost any kind of fish can have that muddy taste. I think you
>> have to know and choose your sources first of all and then after that I
>> think it is a crap shoot.
>> Janet
>
> I have never tasted this alleged "muddy" taste, and I make catfish
> regularly. Mine is always fresh and clean tasting.

I'd never even heard of muddy fish taste until this thread kicked off.
And I've fried plenty of (Mmmmmmm...) catfish.


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Blinky the Shark wrote:
> Zeppo wrote:
>
>
>>"James Silverton" > wrote in message
>>news:j5NKj.8122$qB1.7389@trnddc07...
>>
>>>Marl wrote on Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT):
>>>
>>>MJ> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China, MJ> not
>>>being all that safe. I've curtailed buying most MJ> anything I can,
>>>which emanates from that country, until MJ> they get their quality
>>>control act together.
>>>
>>>I suppose traditionally raised tilapia might well have a muddy taste
>>>since they were grown in the shallow muddy waters of rice paddies before
>>>the fields were drained to ripen and harvest the rice. It's really a
>>>very efficient use of space.
>>>
>>>Let's be honest, I don't like the texture of tilapia even ones I've
>>>selected from those swimming in a tank.
>>>
>>
>>Interesting. I like tilapia but have a problem with the texture of
>>catfish. It has the same sinewy texture as mako shark.
>
>
> Mmmmmmm......sinewy texture.
>
> Blinky loves catfish; Blinky doesn't remember ever having mako shark
> (probably professional courtesy).
>
>

I can't remember locally available shark being identified by species.
And I've cut way back on consumption of top-level predators so I don't
pay much attention to whatever shark might still be available.

Probably the last time I fixed shark, my daughter was just shy of three
but perfectly capable of relaying her thoughts.

Her review of the grilled, teriyaki marinated shark steaks? "Dis
chicken tastes insgustink".

As a parent you're not supposed to laugh at comments like that so I had
to excuse myself, retreat to my bedroom, close the door and put a pillow
over my face.

Michael "Dog3" wrote:

> notbob > dropped this
> : in rec.food.cooking
>
>> On 2008-04-08, Michael "Dog3" > wrote:
>>
>>> Pardon my ignorance but wouldn't the "muddy" taste permeate the
>>> buttermilk?
>>
>> Frankly, I don't buy into the bmilk-removes-muddy-taste in the first
>> place and find the whole premise of muddy tasting catfish to be dubious
>> in the second. How is a bottom feeding fish most commonly found in
>> muddy silt laden water supposed to taste, like it lives in Perrier
>> water? Gimme a break. I've eaten catfish from all over the US and it
>> always tastes just fine to me, and without the help of buttermilk. Now,
>> if you want to use buttermilk to coat that fish before you dredge in
>> cornmeal, I'll even help.
>
> I've never cared much for the taste of cat fish. I've had it in stew type
> dishes and it was okay. I see catfish nuggets here and there but have
> never tried them. Honestly, I have fried fish maybe 3-4 times in the past
> couple of years and it's usually been tilapia used in fish tacos. I prefer
> my fish grilled or baked.

That has got me thinking (ow!). Any reason that catfish don't lend
themselved to grilling?


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Zeppo wrote:

>
> "James Silverton" > wrote in message
> news:j5NKj.8122$qB1.7389@trnddc07...
>> Marl wrote on Tue, 8 Apr 2008 09:25:09 -0700 (PDT):
>>
>> MJ> There was a report awhile back about tilapia from China, MJ> not
>> being all that safe. I've curtailed buying most MJ> anything I can,
>> which emanates from that country, until MJ> they get their quality
>> control act together.
>>
>> I suppose traditionally raised tilapia might well have a muddy taste
>> since they were grown in the shallow muddy waters of rice paddies before
>> the fields were drained to ripen and harvest the rice. It's really a
>> very efficient use of space.
>>
>> Let's be honest, I don't like the texture of tilapia even ones I've
>> selected from those swimming in a tank.
>>
> Interesting. I like tilapia but have a problem with the texture of
> catfish. It has the same sinewy texture as mako shark.

Mmmmmmm......sinewy texture.

Blinky loves catfish; Blinky doesn't remember ever having mako shark
(probably professional courtesy).


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> Muddy Fish (James*Silverton)wrote:
>Perhaps, I'll have to give it a try for catfish,
>which in all my tries has tasted "muddy". Would something
>really acidic, like lemon juice, perhaps diluted, work? Buttemilk is
>not something that I keep around.
------------------------------------------------------
I don't use a lot of fresh buttermilk except in recipes & found this
product to be excellent.

http://www.sacofoods.com/culteredbuttermilkblend.html

In article >, "Nancy
Young" > wrote:
>"Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote
[snip]
>> Nance, thanks for the trip down memory lane.......my father used to go
>> catfishing in the PeeDee and bring home some whoppers. He would nail them
>> to a tree, skin them and cover them with buttermilk. When asked why, he
>> would mumble about having to 'soak the shit outta 'em'......After eating
>> farm raised versus fresh caught bottom feeding catfish, I now know what he
>> meant. Soaking them takes the 'bottom' out of the taste. They don't
>> taste like shit eaters anymore.
>
>Haha, that's funny. He had a way with words, I like that. I had
>tilapia once, and I guess it was muddy because I really didn't like
>it, I just didn't put a name to why it tasted like crap.

You folk over there really eat some strange stuff. ;-)

>Heh. I never noticed a problem with catfish, though.
>Seems like maybe I got lucky.

Our esteemed barramundi also have a reputation for tasting "muddy" if
raised exclusively in fresh water. A local dam is stocked with them
(they won't breed in fresh water) and they've grown bloody *big* in
it, but no one I've met thinks they're worth eating.

In similar vein, a native freshwater crustacean here in Oz has been
commercialised in recent years [the redclaw, _Cherax quadricarinatus_
<http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/3380.html>] but, frankly, I don't
think it's a patch on most species of ocean prawns. However, on one
occasion the blokes who were doing the early R&D on redclaw held some
in a tank of salt water for a day before they were cooked and scoffed
down. Taken with a cold stubbie of beer they were very acceptable.

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID