Tim wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:16:51 +0100:

>> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy to
>> me.

> It does a bit sometimes, I agree.
> Have you tried grilling or frying it? That's how I do it, roll
> it in flour+spices of your choice first.

I bought some frozen tilapia because each fillet was sealed individually
(TJs, I regret to say!). Defrosted, dipped in beaten egg and then Panko
crumbs and oven fried, it was not bad but I've never been very
enthusiastic about fresh-water fish apart from trout (I suppose salmon
could count too.)
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton wrote:
> Tim wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:16:51 +0100:
>
>>> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy to
>>> me.
>
>> It does a bit sometimes, I agree.
>> Have you tried grilling or frying it? That's how I do it, roll
>> it in flour+spices of your choice first.
>
> I bought some frozen tilapia because each fillet was sealed individually
> (TJs, I regret to say!). Defrosted, dipped in beaten egg and then Panko
> crumbs and oven fried, it was not bad but I've never been very
> enthusiastic about fresh-water fish apart from trout (I suppose salmon
> could count too.)

Re farm-raised tilapia, you might want to look into items like this:



--
Jean B.

James Silverton wrote:
> Tim wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:16:51 +0100:
>
>>> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy to
>>> me.
>
>> It does a bit sometimes, I agree.
>> Have you tried grilling or frying it? That's how I do it, roll
>> it in flour+spices of your choice first.
>
> I bought some frozen tilapia because each fillet was sealed individually
> (TJs, I regret to say!). Defrosted, dipped in beaten egg and then Panko
> crumbs and oven fried, it was not bad but I've never been very
> enthusiastic about fresh-water fish apart from trout (I suppose salmon
> could count too.)

Uh, hit the send button too soon... Like this:

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39831

--
Jean B.

Jean wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:07:05 -0500:

> James Silverton wrote:
>> Tim wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:16:51 +0100:
>>
>>>> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy
>>>> to me.
>>
>>> It does a bit sometimes, I agree.
>>> Have you tried grilling or frying it? That's how I do it,
>>> roll it in flour+spices of your choice first.
>>
>> I bought some frozen tilapia because each fillet was sealed
>> individually (TJs, I regret to say!). Defrosted, dipped in
>> beaten egg and then Panko crumbs and oven fried, it was not
>> bad but I've never been very enthusiastic about fresh-water
>> fish apart from trout (I suppose salmon could count too.)

> Uh, hit the send button too soon... Like this:

> http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39831

Interesting! Tilapia is a very fast growing fish that was raised in
flooded rice paddies before harvesting the rice. Given Japanese and
Chinese traditional method of fertilization, I'm a bit dubious about
eating it. Could it ever be "wild caught"?

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton wrote:
> Jean wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:07:05 -0500:
>
>> James Silverton wrote:
>>> Tim wrote on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:16:51 +0100:
>>>
>>>>> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy
>>>>> to me.
>>>
>>>> It does a bit sometimes, I agree.
>>>> Have you tried grilling or frying it? That's how I do it,
>>>> roll it in flour+spices of your choice first.
>>>
>>> I bought some frozen tilapia because each fillet was sealed
>>> individually (TJs, I regret to say!). Defrosted, dipped in
>>> beaten egg and then Panko crumbs and oven fried, it was not
>>> bad but I've never been very enthusiastic about fresh-water
>>> fish apart from trout (I suppose salmon could count too.)
>
>> Uh, hit the send button too soon... Like this:
>
>> http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39831
>
> Interesting! Tilapia is a very fast growing fish that was raised in
> flooded rice paddies before harvesting the rice. Given Japanese and
> Chinese traditional method of fertilization, I'm a bit dubious about
> eating it. Could it ever be "wild caught"?
>
If it's wild caught in the US it is because some escaped from a fish
farm. See this reference for more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia

I don't eat them because I can go down to the local bayou and catch
"wild" perch on any given day, plus the perch taste better than anything
raised in a commercial farm pond. I tried Tilapia once and didn't care
for it. I really don't like farm raised catfish that well but will eat
it in a pinch, provided it is American raised.

Saw some frozen rabbit at the grocery yesterday and was thrilled, until
I read the label "Made in China." No thanks. I've got to find me a local
4H kid with rabbits for sale as we do like the little furry varmints.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:59:53 -0800 (PST), KevinS wrote:

> On Nov 20, 11:26�am, "James Silverton" >
> wrote:
>
>> By the way, I have successfully cooked scallops
>> the way I mentioned using defrosted large scallops
>> from Trader Joe's.
>
> Trader Joe's? Cue Jill.

<snort>

your pal,
blake

In article .net>,
Blinky the Shark > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > "SteveB" <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:
> >
> >> I have eaten scallops, and to me they had the consistency of cooked
> >> shrimp,
> >> somewhat chewy. A few days ago, I got some in a restaurant, and they had
> >> the consistency of yogurt. Or at least, very soft. The lady that took us
> >> to dinner said they were supposed to be that way, but I sure didn't care
> >> for
> >> them. What is the consistency of scallops supposed to be?
> >>
> >> Steve
> >
> > Slightly softer than shrimp ime.
> >
> > I've avoided them for awhile now tho'. That shit they add to them to
> > retain moisture gives them the flavor of earwax.
>
> Mmmmmmm! Can you share a good earwax recipe?

Nevermind... ;-) It's a _very_ young childhood memory having to do with
a pencil eraser.
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

In article >,
"jmcquown" > wrote:

> > I've avoided them for awhile now tho'. That shit they add to them to
> > retain moisture gives them the flavor of earwax.
> >
> > I'm not a fan of "bitter".
>
>
> It's too bad you can't find decent scallops. Even the frozen ones, if you
> read the bag, don't necessarily have shit (LOL) added to them. I didn't buy
> any this time around... my grocery cart was already full

I may work up the nerve again someday and try some that are not from the
fresh fish counter.

That way I have a label to read.

The last two tries were just too nasty for words!
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith wrote:
>> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>>
>>> Scallops should be extremely soft and almost gelatinous. The
>>> preferred way to cook them for those that like them is to sear the
>>> outside and serve them raw on the inside. Some people just think
>>> they should be warmed through. They are like raw oysters, you love
>>> them or you don't.
>>
>>
>> I don't know how anyone could not like scallops. I think they are
>> delicious. I don't know which way I like them best. I like the large
>> ones pan seared, in a bon femme sauce and cheese (Coquilles St
>> Jacques), breaded and broiled, in a sea food souffle, or even breaded
>> and deep fried.
>
>
> The OP has simply had crappy scallops in restaurants, Dave. But he seeks
> to learn more. They certainly shouldn't be the consistency of yogurt. Or
> "gelatinous" as Paul "Cook" claims. He obviously can't cook. But then
> again, he can't meet a woman who can make a cup of coffee so there ya' go
>


Wouldn't touch you if you cooked like Escoffier and looked like Jayne
Mansfield. Old, bitter and ugly is no wat to spend the last half of your
life.

Paul

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith wrote:
>> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>>
>>> Scallops should be extremely soft and almost gelatinous. The
>>> preferred way to cook them for those that like them is to sear the
>>> outside and serve them raw on the inside. Some people just think
>>> they should be warmed through. They are like raw oysters, you love
>>> them or you don't.
>>
>>
>> I don't know how anyone could not like scallops. I think they are
>> delicious. I don't know which way I like them best. I like the large
>> ones pan seared, in a bon femme sauce and cheese (Coquilles St
>> Jacques), breaded and broiled, in a sea food souffle, or even breaded
>> and deep fried.
>
>
> The OP has simply had crappy scallops in restaurants, Dave. But he seeks
> to learn more. They certainly shouldn't be the consistency of yogurt. Or
> "gelatinous" as Paul "Cook" claims. He obviously can't cook. But then
> again, he can't meet a woman who can make a cup of coffee so there ya' go
>


Oh almost forgot to ask: what is the ideal consistency of fishsticks? Do
you make your own tartar sauce or use jarred? Batter dipped or crunchy? Or
do you make some from that little packet of whatever it is they put in the
box?

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote :
>
>
> Wouldn't touch you if you cooked like Escoffier and looked like Jayne
> Mansfield. Old, bitter and ugly is no wat to spend the last half of your
> life.
>

I imagine Jayne is looking pretty bad about now.

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> Interesting! Tilapia is a very fast growing fish that was raised in
> flooded rice paddies before harvesting the rice. Given Japanese and
> Chinese traditional method of fertilization, I'm a bit dubious about
> eating it. Could it ever be "wild caught"?

Go to <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia_as_exotic_species> and book
your next vacation. I don't mind Tilapia but my wife loathes it. I tried
to substitute it for cod in a fish and chips recipe once. It tasted fine
to me but not to her.

leo

cybercat BLARED:

> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote :
> >
> >
> > Wouldn't touch you if you cooked like Escoffier and looked like Jayne
> > Mansfield. Old, bitter and ugly is no wat to spend the last half of
your
> > life.
> >
>
> I imagine Jayne is looking pretty bad about now.


And her daughter Mariska Hargitay is beautiful, talented, and successful,
Jayne blessed us with a wonderful legacy in her...you can't top that. Jayne
in heaven must be mighty proud...

We're afraid that your only "legacy" will be a dusty archive of idiotic
Usenet posts, cyberfailure, future generations that bother at all to peer at
them will think "How sad...!!!".


--
Best
Greg

" I find Greg Morrow lowbrow, witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that
we are some
kind of comedy team turns my stomach."
- "cybercat" to me on rec.food.cooking

On Nov 20, 10:15*pm, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> Jill wrote:
> > SeaPak (brand name) makes a most excellent (Argentinian) flash-frozen
> > artichoke/pesto encrusted tilapia fillet that is wonderful for a quick
> > "pop in the oven" meal.
>
> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy to me. But I
> recently received my annual hardbound collection of the Cook's Illustrated
> magazines for this year, and they address that particular problem. It turns
> out that the muddy flavor isn't necessarily from mud; it's from a chemical
> that the fish's flesh contains naturally. The Cook's Illustrated people
> found that soaking tilapia (and catfish) fillets in buttermilk causes a
> reaction which destroys the muddy-tasting chemical and thereby makes the
> fish taste better. I'm looking forward to trying it!
>
> Bob

The folks in Hawaii are well-acquainted with the tilapia. Most
consider it a dirty pest fish. The idea of eating one of those is
funny and disgusting at the same time. That said, it's obvious that
there's a big push to market this as a new white fish.

I was at the local Ruby Tuesday's recently and there was breaded
tilapia on the menu. There was also broiled tilapia and an
unidentified fish dish that was described only as a flaky mild white
fish. My guess it's tilapia and that the reason it's on the menu is
because it must be a really cheap fish. It's interesting that they
would put these on the menu considering the local feelings on this
fish.

I have tried frozen breaded tilapia fillets and they're not too bad
considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)

dsi1 wrote:
> I have tried frozen breaded tilapia fillets and they're not too bad
> considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
> negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
> handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
> awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)

I have seen Tilapia in our fishmongers, although I haven't tried it yet.

On Nov 22, 1:23*am, "Ophelia" > wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
> > I have tried frozen breaded tilapia fillets and they're not too bad
> > considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
> > negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
> > handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
> > awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)
>
> I have seen Tilapia in our fishmongers, although I haven't tried it yet.

You should try it. It's likely the future of fish - just as white
bread is the generic loaf so shall be tilapia be the generic white
fish. I could be wrong, but the signs don't look too hopeful. :-(

dsi1 wrote:
> On Nov 22, 1:23 am, "Ophelia" > wrote:
>> dsi1 wrote:
>>> I have tried frozen breaded tilapia fillets and they're not too bad
>>> considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
>>> negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have
>>> this handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is
>>> not too awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)
>>
>> I have seen Tilapia in our fishmongers, although I haven't tried it
>> yet.
>
> You should try it. It's likely the future of fish - just as white
> bread is the generic loaf so shall be tilapia be the generic white
> fish. I could be wrong, but the signs don't look too hopeful. :-(

Oh dear

On 2008-11-22, dsi1 > wrote:

> You should try it. It's likely the future of fish - just as white
> bread is the generic loaf so shall be tilapia be the generic white
> fish.

Talapia is a soft-flesh fish as opposed to catchfish, a more firm-flesh
fish. The thing they both have in common is both fish can be farm raised on
plant/veg matter rather than fish protein like salmon. Both have become
insanely overpriced despite farm raising. I've seen talapia filets going
for $8-9lb, whereas they used to be only $3-4lb a few yr back. Hot tip!:
look in ethnic markets for whole talapia as cheap as $1.98lb. Steam/poach
like oriental fish or deep fry like Mexicans do it. My first talapia was
whole deep-fried. Excellent.

nb

notbob wrote:

> My first talapia was whole deep-fried. Excellent.

"If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, now, would it?"

Bob

On 2008-11-22, Bob Terwilliger > wrote:
>
> "If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, now, would it?"

Peeling the meat off the bones is why god gave us fingers and forks.

nb

notbob wrote:
> On 2008-11-22, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> You should try it. It's likely the future of fish - just as white
>> bread is the generic loaf so shall be tilapia be the generic white
>> fish.
>
> Talapia is a soft-flesh fish as opposed to catchfish, a more firm-flesh
> fish. The thing they both have in common is both fish can be farm raised on
> plant/veg matter rather than fish protein like salmon. Both have become
> insanely overpriced despite farm raising. I've seen talapia filets going
> for $8-9lb, whereas they used to be only $3-4lb a few yr back. Hot tip!:
> look in ethnic markets for whole talapia as cheap as $1.98lb. Steam/poach
> like oriental fish or deep fry like Mexicans do it. My first talapia was
> whole deep-fried. Excellent.
>
> nb

This is a good tip. I have seen the whole fish in ethnic stores for
years. It has only been recently that I've seen frozen prepared fillets
from national food companies and on restaurant menus. However, I could
catch as much free stinking tilapia as I would want from the stinking
waters of the Ala Wai canal on Oahu, of course, eating that might be
unwise from a health standpoint. :-)

SteveB wrote:
> Tilapia tastes like crappie to me.

You sure got that right pal! Oddly enough, this guy on TV just now
called the tilapia the fish of the future. What the hell is the odds of
that happening?

>
> Steve
>
>

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
On Nov 20, 10:15 pm, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> Jill wrote:
> > SeaPak (brand name) makes a most excellent (Argentinian) flash-frozen
> > artichoke/pesto encrusted tilapia fillet that is wonderful for a quick
> > "pop in the oven" meal.
>
> I've been avoiding tilapia because it always tastes muddy to me. But I
> recently received my annual hardbound collection of the Cook's Illustrated
> magazines for this year, and they address that particular problem. It
> turns
> out that the muddy flavor isn't necessarily from mud; it's from a chemical
> that the fish's flesh contains naturally. The Cook's Illustrated people
> found that soaking tilapia (and catfish) fillets in buttermilk causes a
> reaction which destroys the muddy-tasting chemical and thereby makes the
> fish taste better. I'm looking forward to trying it!
>
> Bob

The folks in Hawaii are well-acquainted with the tilapia. Most
consider it a dirty pest fish. The idea of eating one of those is
funny and disgusting at the same time. That said, it's obvious that
there's a big push to market this as a new white fish.

I was at the local Ruby Tuesday's recently and there was breaded
tilapia on the menu. There was also broiled tilapia and an
unidentified fish dish that was described only as a flaky mild white
fish. My guess it's tilapia and that the reason it's on the menu is
because it must be a really cheap fish. It's interesting that they
would put these on the menu considering the local feelings on this
fish.

I have tried frozen breaded tilapia fillets and they're not too bad
considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)

Orange roughy used to be called mudfish.

Steve

Tilapia tastes like crappie to me.

Steve

In article >, dsi1 > wrote:

> SteveB wrote:
> > Tilapia tastes like crappie to me.
>
> You sure got that right pal! Oddly enough, this guy on TV just now
> called the tilapia the fish of the future. What the hell is the odds of
> that happening?

Depends on how polluted the oceans and lakes get. I went camping in a
pristine place last summer. I asked the camp host about fishing, as the
camp was on a river. He said forget it. The lake that fed the river
was built on some old mercury mines. He pointed me to some signs posted
in the camp that specified how much fish you should eat. I believe it
was zero for pregnant women.

I think we get part of our drinking water from that river!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Scallops are weird. One minute OVER cooked, they are tough and chewy.
One minute UNDER-done, they're slimy and flabby.

I use either a HOT saute pan OR my electric grill. Either way, two
minutwes PER side works out fine. A perfect scallop is a thing of
beauty. Sacrifice ONE, to cut into to check for opacity throughout at
the two minute per side point. Then IF necessary, cook another 30
seconds on each side.

It aint rocket science, but damn close.
Ideally, the outside should be lightly crusted, the center opaque, but
not dry.

LassChance

On 2008-11-23, SteveB <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:

> considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
> negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
> handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
> awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)

All total nonsense. Talapia and catfish and orange roughy all have the same
basic physiology, one that doesn't keep whatever they feed on in the system
as some sort of dirty lurking toxin. Mainland Americans attach this same
stigma to carp, a fish revered in the orient. It's all bullshit.

Hopefully, we will overcome this stupid bias and start eating carp. Silver
carp in the Mississippi-Missouri river basin, which have become an
ecological nightmare as well as a serious safety hazard, will finally find
it's way to US dinner tables and will then, no doubt, be on the brink of
extinction within a decade.

nb

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> SteveB wrote:
>> > Tilapia tastes like crappie to me.
>>
>> You sure got that right pal! Oddly enough, this guy on TV just now
>> called the tilapia the fish of the future. What the hell is the odds of
>> that happening?
>
> Depends on how polluted the oceans and lakes get. I went camping in a
> pristine place last summer. I asked the camp host about fishing, as the
> camp was on a river. He said forget it. The lake that fed the river
> was built on some old mercury mines. He pointed me to some signs posted
> in the camp that specified how much fish you should eat. I believe it
> was zero for pregnant women.
>
> I think we get part of our drinking water from that river!
>
> --
> Dan Abel
> Petaluma, California USA
>

IIRC, three lakes in southern Utah are on the mercury list. So, they made a
nice new one at Sand Hollow near St. George. This lake is unusual as it is
purely recreational, and the inflow and outflow are pipelines. It is a
sizeable lake. They have put largemouth bass and other game species in
there, and so far, the fishing has been good.

Fast forward to a month ago. They posted a mercury warning.

Ah, our tax dollars at work. Ya gotta love it.

Steve

On 2008-11-23, SteveB <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:

> IIRC, three lakes in southern Utah are on the mercury list. \

The whole San Francisco Bay and CA Central Delta that feeds it is polluted
from mercury from way back in the CA gold rush. Not quite as bad, but one
shouldn't eat more than two fish (or waterfowl or crawdads, etc) per month.
That's too scary for me.

There's hardly a river in the US that isn't grossly polluted by something.
I'm only 60 miles from the pristine origins of the Arkansas River here in
CO. Guess what is right at the beginning of the very first snow trickle
runoff. An ex toxic waste site, the Climax Mine, a molydedenum mine that's
been polluting for over a century. It's been pretty much cleaned up, now,
and a fish and game biologist swears there's no real threat of of tainted
fish, but....

You pays your money and takes yer chances.

nb

"Lass Chance_2" > wrote
> Ideally, the outside should be lightly crusted, the center opaque, but
> not dry.
>

MMm hmmmm! Perfect.

"Lass Chance_2" > wrote in message
...
> Scallops are weird. One minute OVER cooked, they are tough and chewy.
> One minute UNDER-done, they're slimy and flabby.
>

This is the reason I pour off the water that cooks out of them, because by
the time I reduced it, the scallops would be tough. I suppose I could remove
the scallops and reduce the water, make some sort of sauce, but I like them
plain.

cyber**** wrote:

>> Scallops are weird. One minute OVER cooked, they are tough and chewy.
>> One minute UNDER-done, they're slimy and flabby.
>>
>
> This is the reason I pour off the water that cooks out of them, because by
> the time I reduced it, the scallops would be tough. I suppose I could
> remove the scallops and reduce the water, make some sort of sauce, but I
> like them plain.

If your scallops are exuding water in any appreciable amount, then either
you're cooking them wrong or you got suckered into buying phosphate-treated
scallops.

Bob

notbob wrote:
> On 2008-11-23, SteveB <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:
>
>> considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
>> negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
>> handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
>> awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)
>
> All total nonsense. Talapia and catfish and orange roughy all have the same
> basic physiology, one that doesn't keep whatever they feed on in the system
> as some sort of dirty lurking toxin. Mainland Americans attach this same
> stigma to carp, a fish revered in the orient. It's all bullshit.
>
> Hopefully, we will overcome this stupid bias and start eating carp. Silver
> carp in the Mississippi-Missouri river basin, which have become an
> ecological nightmare as well as a serious safety hazard, will finally find
> it's way to US dinner tables and will then, no doubt, be on the brink of
> extinction within a decade.

You have good points. I too hope the folks here lose their ridiculous
prejudices and start making all those Ala Wai tilapia extinct soon.
Hopefully, they won't miss my contribution to the cause too much. :-)


>
> nb

On 2008-11-23, dsi1 > wrote:

> You have good points. I too hope the folks here lose their ridiculous
> prejudices and start making all those Ala Wai tilapia extinct soon.
> Hopefully, they won't miss my contribution to the cause too much. :-)

I like talapia. It has a nice flavor. My only reservation is that it's a
soft flesh fish and the filets fall apart when cooked. Not a bad thing in
the proper dish, but useless for fish and chips, etc. Better to cook whole
and pick flesh off the bones like trout.

nb

notbob wrote:
>
> Hopefully, we will overcome this stupid bias and start eating carp. Silver
> carp in the Mississippi-Missouri river basin, which have become an
> ecological nightmare as well as a serious safety hazard, will finally find
> it's way to US dinner tables and will then, no doubt, be on the brink of
> extinction within a decade.

Have you eaten this species? Are they good?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_carp

That's the same as Flying Carp. I saw a news
segment on TV that showed how they leap a few feet
out of the water when disturbed by a passing boat,
sometimes landing in the boat. When I saw that,
my first thought was there must be a way to build
a special-purpose boat to harvest these fish.
It would have a middle portion which would be
like a basket made out of chain-link fence
to catch the fish, lower toward the front,
with pontoons on either side for floatation.

And there would be a sort of framework that
extends forward to apply electrical and/or
acoustic stimulation to the water in the path
of the carp harvesting boat. Intense light
flashes should be studied to see if they can
have effect, alone or in combination with the
others.

I suppose the engines and propellors would be
on the pontoon sections, with both differential
thrust and rudders used for steering, the latter
for augmenting steering under normal conditions
and for providing control with one engine out.

I was thinking if these fish were abundant,
considered a pest, and so easily harvested,
they could be used for protein meal for animal
feed. Industrial contaminants could be a
problem. Are there any fish in the Mississippi
Missouri river basin that are harvested for
human food?

notbob wrote:
> On 2008-11-23, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> You have good points. I too hope the folks here lose their ridiculous
>> prejudices and start making all those Ala Wai tilapia extinct soon.
>> Hopefully, they won't miss my contribution to the cause too much. :-)
>
> I like talapia. It has a nice flavor. My only reservation is that it's a
> soft flesh fish and the filets fall apart when cooked. Not a bad thing in
> the proper dish, but useless for fish and chips, etc. Better to cook whole
> and pick flesh off the bones like trout.
>
> nb

The fish seems to be well suited for production line fillets. Typically
they'll be frozen, breaded or battered in bags.

I'm not so keen on the idea of eating carp. The ones I'm used to are the
large beautiful carp that reside in fish ponds or hotels and are not
thought of as food. We don't see too many wild carp around here.

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2008-11-23, SteveB <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:
>
>> considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
>> negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
>> handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
>> awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)
>
> All total nonsense. Talapia and catfish and orange roughy all have the
> same
> basic physiology, one that doesn't keep whatever they feed on in the
> system
> as some sort of dirty lurking toxin. Mainland Americans attach this same
> stigma to carp, a fish revered in the orient. It's all bullshit.
>
> Hopefully, we will overcome this stupid bias and start eating carp.
> Silver
> carp in the Mississippi-Missouri river basin, which have become an
> ecological nightmare as well as a serious safety hazard, will finally find
> it's way to US dinner tables and will then, no doubt, be on the brink of
> extinction within a decade.
>
> nb

I have eaten carp from flowing clear water, and it was good. I also had
tilapia with sautéed shrimp sauce this evening, and that was good, too.
Catfish is delicious, and look what they eat.
Where would the Jewish nation be without gefiltefish? (sp?)
STeve

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2008-11-23, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> You have good points. I too hope the folks here lose their ridiculous
>> prejudices and start making all those Ala Wai tilapia extinct soon.
>> Hopefully, they won't miss my contribution to the cause too much. :-)
>
> I like talapia. It has a nice flavor. My only reservation is that it's a
> soft flesh fish and the filets fall apart when cooked. Not a bad thing in
> the proper dish, but useless for fish and chips, etc. Better to cook
> whole
> and pick flesh off the bones like trout.
>
> nb

I cook mine in a yard sale red electric wok. I have a round screen that
keeps the fish just above the bubbling water. Steam them for ten minutes.
Put slices of lemon or onion or whatever spice you like. Slide the fillet
off with the wires so they don't tear. All soft fish will cook firm
(including sole) in an electric wok using water to steam. A very easy way
to cook, and consistent flaky fish every time. Great for any type of fish,
even firmer fleshed ones.

Steve

dsi1 wrote:
> notbob wrote:
>
>> On 2008-11-23, dsi1 > wrote:
>>
>>> You have good points. I too hope the folks here lose their ridiculous
>>> prejudices and start making all those Ala Wai tilapia extinct soon.
>>> Hopefully, they won't miss my contribution to the cause too much. :-)
>>
>>
>> I like talapia. It has a nice flavor. My only reservation is that
>> it's a
>> soft flesh fish and the filets fall apart when cooked. Not a bad
>> thing in
>> the proper dish, but useless for fish and chips, etc. Better to cook
>> whole
>> and pick flesh off the bones like trout.
>> nb
>
>
> The fish seems to be well suited for production line fillets. Typically
> they'll be frozen, breaded or battered in bags.
>
> I'm not so keen on the idea of eating carp. The ones I'm used to are the
> large beautiful carp that reside in fish ponds or hotels and are not
> thought of as food. We don't see too many wild carp around here.

Try waterskiing on the Missouri river. The damned things will jump
right out of the water to say hello. I honestly have no idea how fast
you have to get going in order to get up on the skis but I can tell you
from personal experience that it's plenty fast enough to make being
slapped with an airborne carp quite memorable.

Some months back there was some discussion here in St. Louis about what
to do about these exotic pests in our waterways. There was a suggestion
that they should be harvested and processed into a low cost food that
could be fed to the prison population, or shipped overseas to starving
nations - sort of a Purina Prisoner Chow Kibble. "Nutritious, and it
keeps your teeth white, too!"

Or, we could use them in interogating suspected terrorists... As an
alternative to waterboarding we could make them eat fish biscuits until
they confess. On second thought, I bet the Geneva Convention and
Amnesty International would probably have something to say about those
particular ideas.

One canny commercial fisherman suggested re-naming the species "silver
salmon". After all, when "orange roughy" was known as "slime head" you
practically couldn't give the stuff away.

Personally I think we need to put our best and brightest to work on
figuring out how to process them into a non-polluting, self-renewing,
alternative fuel. "Put A Fish In Your Tank!"

In article >, dsi1 > wrote:
>On Nov 22, 1:23=A0am, "Ophelia" > wrote:
>> dsi1 wrote:
>> > I have tried frozen breaded tilapia fillets and they're not too bad
>> > considering this was done on a dare and that I grew up with a very
>> > negative view of these fish. You folks on the mainland don't have this
>> > handicap - the best I can say about this is that tilapia is not too
>> > awful and somewhat less repulsive than catfish. :-)
>>
>> I have seen Tilapia in our fishmongers, although I haven't tried it yet.
>
>You should try it. It's likely the future of fish - just as white
>bread is the generic loaf so shall be tilapia be the generic white
>fish. I could be wrong, but the signs don't look too hopeful. :-(

What? You don't already have basa over there?

I could be wrong, but ISTR basa is a SE Asian aquaculture product
based on bloody catfish! It seems to have become the most common
cheap "white fish" here in Oz in recent years -- in fact it wouldn't
stretch the point to say "the only *cheap* white fish" now.


Cheers, Phred.

--
LID