Jacks are fine. They have a texture more like pork, but taste like a fish.
While there are "better tasting" fish, if you catch one, why not keep it and cook it up?
Printable View
Jacks are fine. They have a texture more like pork, but taste like a fish.
While there are "better tasting" fish, if you catch one, why not keep it and cook it up?
I thought the jack I caught last year was fine, I'd plan on keeping any I catch this year as well.
If you want to get fancy, run the meat from an average jack through a food processor with a large onion, a large bell pepper, some celery, and a pack of bacon. Patty it up for great burgers, or form it in meatballs, roll them in a little bread crumb, pan fry them, and serve them over rice with the juice that collects in the skillet. We target jacks a few times a year for these recipes, they are both crazy good.
I looked for parasitic worms in the several remora that I caught last year. There were none apparent, though I didn't check the vertebral column. I'm careful not to puncture the internal organs, particulary the stomach, as I fillet my catch - regardless of the species. I suspect that the idea that they have parasities is speculation, based on their status as scavengers. However, scavenging has nothing to do with whether or not intramuscular parasites (like spaghetti worms) invade a host. Large speckled trout often have them, for instance, and they consume live prey, almost exclusively.
It is certainly possible that the ones you cleaned didn't have any, but I have definitely seen worms in them, along with amberjack, wahoo, trout, spanish, and many others. However as VG said, they are not a danger to people. If I see a big cluster of them I'll discard that piece of meat but I'm sure I have eaten many of them without ever noticing. Sounds gross, but honestly what is the huge difference between a shrimp and a cockroach?Quote:
Originally Posted by eym_sirius
Correct. There is no rhyme nor reason. Many will have them and some won't. All it takes is the fish to eat one small fish infected with a tapeworm nymph, and they'll have them.
Not every small fish has nymphs and not every large fish is infected with the larvae.
And ANY species, including those fine eating ones we all love can be crawling with them.
Some fish are just more prone than others due to frequenting areas where infected smaller fish are commonly consumed.
I ended up cleaning three big bull reds over the course of the past three days one of which almost 20# and never saw the first worm. Really tasty fish. Not brim or crappie, but good fish. Was hoping to catch one more this morning to take home, but instead of reds it was a school of jacks that came through this morning.
Yeap, I cleaned a Crevalle Jack today for making our canned dogfood, and someone asked about the worms. Confident that there would be some, I flipped over the fillets to show them worms, and to my surprise, there weren't any. Lol
About $6.99 a pound!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierless
This year, I'm going to try:
Cigar minnows, scaled sardines, Jack Crevalle, and bonito..
I'll continue to keep large remoras, large pinfish, large hardtails, etc. Especially when I can't fill the box with pomps, whiting, specks, flounder, spanish, kings, reds, or black drum!
For seasoning, I like to use a little garlic powder and "SlapYaMomma" spice. Good stuff!
Actually ate a Remora when I was down a couple of weeks ago. My son insisted we try it. It was very white meat and really good fried. The problem was I had the picture of that thing in my head while eating it and I got grossed out. Other than that everyone liked it better than the Spanish and Bluefish that I cooked it with.
I prefer fried remora to most other fried fish! And because it's a scavenger and because it tastes so great fried, I'll keep preparing them that way! I think that they look like cobia - I'm not put off by their appearance at all! I'm glad that your son encouraged you to taste something new!
I tried Jack a few weeks ago (when they were here) and it was great! I bled it out for about 15 minutes as soon as it was caught and only took the top loin behind the head for a taste test. It never once smelled like fish while it was raw or being cooked. I also tried some as sashimi before I blackened it and it tasted fine. Lil bit of Zataran's blackening season in a black iron skillet...It tasted great. Meat was light pink (like Tuna) and flaked apart wonderfully (like Tuna). Everyone should keep their next Jack and at least try it. I for one will not be throwing anymore back to the fish gods!
If you ask me, there is no such thing as a "Do not eat fish"
Has anyone eaten ladyfish? I haerd that theyre bony so you have to scrape the fillet with a spoon and make little balls out of them and fry them. Any traction to this?
I think you're on the right road but I think there's more to it than that. That would be VG's bailiwick. I think he has a potion he makes out of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by LunkertardSTL
I am pretty sure he posted the recipe in the recipe section.
Yes, if you properly clean a ladyfish, then there are no bones or (per the mythical rumors) oily flesh.
Instead, their meat is pink and very versatile. I think someone posted the recipe from my book here on the forum somewhere.
I will offer some advice in short to assist you on trying them out. These are not treated like traditional fish when cooking.
Scale them and keep them whole on wet ice no less than 6 hours (not frozen or refrigerated), and up to 12 hours is recommended. The ladyfish meat is required to age for this period of time. Scaling isn't required, but helps keep the fine scales from getting in the meat once cleaning it.
Gut and evacuate the blood line. Rinse thoroughly.
Now, fillet one side. Take a spoon, and from the tail toward the head, hold the spoon sideways while pressing down firmly but not too hard. With practice, you can achieve this without breaking off bones. Make multiple passes, and the meat will roll off like ice cream. Bones will remain on the skin (which is the only oily part of the fish). You can collect a good bit of meat, and even make an incision under the rib cage for more meat if you desire. There will also be extra meat along the spine as well. Flip, and repeat on the other side.
Just place the scoopings in a bowl. Do NOT rinse, as water will turn the meat into mush. Keep all surfaces clean throughout so the meat is never contaminated during the process by scales, blood, etc.
Now, spray or coat a little cooking oil on your hands so the meat doesn't stick. Slap the meat against a flat surface 12-20 times until it firms up like dough.
Now, mix your vegetables, seasonings and some fish fry batter into some oil, and then mix-press that into the meat ball. Tenderize with a few more slaps against a flat surface. Roll out into either hushpuppy balls or hamburger patties.
Now, dip in egg/(butter)milk mixture and roll in fish fry batter as if you were frying regular fish.
Get your peanut oil HOT!!! I mean 7.5 on a 10 point stovetop and crackling. You need the crust to brown in under a minute. Do NOT submerge. Make the oil no more than 1 inch depth (about halfway up the patty).
Brown quickly on both sides (about 1 min each side). If you overcook it, the meat will turn into rubber. You want the meat rare to medium rare like a filet mignon. If it rubbers up, you can still eat it, but it'll be on the chewy side. If done right, the texture will be similar to a chicken McNugget.
The taste is neutral. So it will conform to whatever spices or vegies you choose. I personally like adding mushrooms and colored bell peppers, as they give it added interior moisture.
You can eat the patties like a crab cake, hush puppy, or make a fish sandwich. Lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon on a wheat bun and chow down.
If you want a healthy substitute for chicken in stews or casseroles, Ladyfish meat will fit the bill and suppliment white meat chicken. Kids never know the difference.
Ladyfish meat will hold in the freezer for at least a year and longer if you vac seal it. Each ladyfish will provide enough meat for 2-4 burger patties.
Have fun!
what about spade fish, i caught one of those in sanibel island and had no idea what it was and threw it back. i hear you can eat em hows the taste?
Spadefish are 'sea bream'.
"Chicken of the sea" with a little jelly on the side ;-)
Their diet consists of a large part of jellyfish (along with varying amounts of small invertebrates).
Depending on the species they are eating the flavour may vary a little, but I have always found them delectable!
Easy! Spadefish is awesome.
Clean it and cook it like a crappie.
Dehead. Degut.
Either scale it for grilling, baking, smoking, streaming or broiling.
Otherwise, make an incision just under the skin on the dorsal side after removing the head, and peel the skin off without scaling it. Then batter it and fry in peanut oil.
Don't overcook. It benefits basically from adding heat quickly and keeping medium rare in the middle for best flakiness.
Taste is that of triggerfish or grouper. Texture is like flounder.
If you fry it, the fins come out like potato chips and can be eaten. One of the best over the counter fry batters I've used is Louisiana Southern Crunchy.
Spadefish are freaking great eating.
Scale, gut & head on or off.
Lay out tinfoil, butter or olive oil, season to taste, wrap an place on very hot grill.
I'm drooling thinking about it.
I once cleaned and skewered a large Hardtail, rubbed it with olive oil and garlic salt, roasted on the grill with the spades.
It was actually pretty decent... There has to be a reason the Sabiki Brigade sells them for $2.00 per # to the Asian markets.
I will be down October 1st for the month. I plan to eat fish at least twice a day every day for the month. I therefore am quite open to most types. The key is freshness and cleaning.
I've eaten quite a few hardtails on the grill---cut the red out and wait three beers.
does that help hide the taste ,I think I will stick to spanish,flounder and pompano,although whiting is on the must try menu this year and maybe spade's ....I get stuck in a rut when there and like the excitement of the screaming drag and chaos on the endQuote:
Originally Posted by Haywire
Pier#r wasn't that one of the fish Mads and I caught when fishing with you? Spadefish? We ate it and it was delicious!
Sure was Terri.
I've eaten those 'striped seabream' since I was a kid (and that was a while back ;-) LOL
Susan and I recently added ladyfish to our list of fish we've eaten.
We had a single 2# fish and did the fish cakes.
She made a mush with the ingredients and they fried up with a slightly 'chewy' consistency similar to chicken McNuggets.
They were good though, kinda bland really with NO fishy taste or smell.
Susan said she would season them "appropriately" next time ;-)
Recently, I had a sashimi taste test and we used the loin of a large hardtail; it was very good. I have used bonito for sashimi and I'll bet a jack would be good. I would try anything that sports fins and scales, but my wife unfortunately forbids me to bring home any fish but flounder or mangrove snapper for cooking. I will sneak in a sheephead, but they're too fishy for her taste. I would go out on a limb and say that most of the "good" fish are over-rated and most of the "bad" are under rated, and that you have to taste it for yourself. Kind of like beer.
P#r, one of the ways we cured the chewy texture was by mixing vegetable matter and moist food pieces into the cake prior to cooking. Helps loosen it up--also don't cook it as long.
Add minced bell peppers (we love mixing all colors), onion, mushrooms, and even bits of crab.
Ladyfish has no flavor, so will only taste like the seasoning you use. Oddly enough, one of my favorites is blackened redfish magic.
So, it is chewy and has no flavor. Sounds a bit like wet cardboard. I'll pass!Quote:
Originally Posted by Viking Guy
Quote:
Originally Posted by FinChaser
:rainQuote:
.....so will only taste like the seasoning you use
Beat me to it. If you aren't starving, what's the point of going to all that trouble when there are plenty of moist, flakey, full of flavor fish?
I actually just made some and the chicken mcnugget comparison is spot on. Weird. I would not call it chewy unless you consider a chicken nugget chewy. I didn't let it sit on ice for bone removal. I just tossed the fillets with meal mix in the food processor until the bones were no longer noticeable. It was not a laborious preparation at all.
My son apparently prefers skipjack to scamp, and only one of those is available in the backyard.Quote:
Originally Posted by divedeep
It was 'chewy' because it was overcooked (and all smushed up)!Quote:
Originally Posted by FinChaser
And I didn't say it had no flavor, it was "bland" because we intentionally 'under seasoned' it to find out the 'true' taste.
Not 'strong' smelling or tasting.
Like many fish, it needs a bit of seasonings, and finding the right amount is the trick ;-)
This was just our first attempt to properly prepare an under utilized species (and we learned a LOT)!
Funny thing, in the past 20, 30, 40 years I've had people give me a hard time about keeping and cooking triggerfish, amberjack, sheepshead, black drum, gafftop catfish and croaker among others.
I guess we must be starving ;-) LOL
This is what my "what's the point" comment referred to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Viking Guy
ETA --- #r, a lot of people might starve, but.......
Who was it that first said "waste no, want not"?
Not everyone is a 'rich retiree' (like Finchaser ;-)
eating grouper, crab legs and filet mignon every day. LOL!
Probably HaywireQuote:
Originally Posted by Pier#r
I think that is actually "waste not, want not", whatever!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pier#r
#r your intel is way off, I do not eat crab legs, every day! LOL
Rich retiree ;-) LOL!
Ok, let me offer a better explanation here.
When I say no flavor, I'm referring to that of a comparison to other fish.
What I mean, and what #er is trying to convey is that it is not fishy. The taste is neutral and will conform well to seasonings. It's not like other fish are jumping with flavor other than levels of fishiness, until you add salt n pepper, etc.
Ladyfish is more comparable to unflavored white meat chicken, and let me tell you, if you've ever slaughtered, and prepped a chicken for use, and then seasoned and cooked it, then you've worked much harder than what is necessary to prep a Ladyfish.
The better term would be to say, Ladyfish is not fishy and easily seasoned. Once you know how to prep, it takes less time to prepare than most traditional fish.
If I hand you an unprepped flounder, redfish or sheepshead, I guarantee I'll have an unprepped ladyfish on the table before you finish cooking your fish.
The prep seems like "a lot" in reading, but it's not. Just have to describe more in the "how to and why."
The real test came when our friends, family and tourists, who refuse to eat fish, would try ladyfish--not knowing the local "trashfish" rumors everyone spreads, and absolutely loved it. Some said it was the best chicken they've had--not even knowing it was fish at all.
Yet, try as I might, any other fish I prepped for these people, they'd detect it as fish. Although, I did get a few to settle on eating Spadefish, and now that is the only fish those few individuals touch--and they've demanded I freeze and ship them some every year. Lol.
So no, definitely not like eating cardboard. I just failed to properly describe the meaning of the neutral flavor.
Prepped properly, it's like biting right into a juicy chunk of boneless white chicken breast, but with all the health benefits of eating fish over chicken; and much more flexible since the meat starts out ground, and doesn't have to be processed.
Not to mention, the meat is parasite free and very clean. Since the final product is more like a crabcake (which is also harder to prepare), those people who are too squeamish to eat fish will dig right in.
That's right. You forgot about Scallop Saturdays. LolQuote:
Originally Posted by FinChaser