Year Old Sheepshead

Trying to clean out the freeze to make room for some "new meat" for upcoming trips to the pier. This was some I caught back in late March of 2017. It did have a slight "fishy" taste and wasn't even close to the flavor of fresh caught but it was edible. I have had snapper in GS-OB restaurants that were about the same. That was the last pack of sheepshead. Still have a couple of pompano and speckled trout and I will be fishless again. My first try at parmesan risotto turned out delicious. Will definitely make it again.

Parmesan Risotto:

2 cups long grain white rice (recipe called for Arborio). 5 cups chicken broth. 6oz bag of shredded parmesan. 2 TBSP minced garlic. 1 medium onion-finely chopped. 1 TBSP Smart Balance. 3 TBSP canola oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat chicken broth in a saucepan but not to a boil. In a heavy saucepan add canola oil, onion and garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes until transparent but not browned-stir continuously. Add rice and stir continuously for 3-4 more minutes until some grains of rice turn transparent. Add 1/2 cup broth and simmer slowly until liquid is absorbed(stir and stir some more). Add another 1/2 cup broth and simmer until liquid is absorbed while stirring(3-4 minutes). Repeat with 1 cup of broth at a time until all liquid is absorbed to desired tenderness. I got by with 4 cups of broth and 1 cup of warm water. Remove from heat. Stir in Smart Balance(or butter), salt, pepper and lastly the parmesan cheese. This made about 10-3/4 cup servings. Next time I would use another 2 cups of broth and no water to make it a little creamier

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Looks delish. I have run out of fish as well , vacuum sealer and deep freezer are ready for some meat!

A trick for 'old' fish that HR taught me years ago...
Try a dash of ground ginger on the fillet and rub it in before adding the other seasonings and cooking ;-)

Cleaning my freezer out too, hopefully for some fresh to restock
getting grilling weather once again and fired up the deep fryer a couple days ago (haven't done deep fried in a few years)...
..exchange some venison for fish like all the other years....all the venison goes come fall trip, for the new hunting season.
Might have to change it up this year and target pompano .....they were tasty grilled that Mr. Wire gave me in the past

It all looks great!
Risotto is a labor of love to make.
If ya want really creamy risotto make it with the Carnaroli not Arborio, much creamier and forgiving of mistakes.
Asparagus looks nice and crisp too, not limp/mushy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChileRelleno

It all looks great!
Risotto is a labor of love to make.
If ya want really creamy risotto make it with the Carnaroli not Arborio, much creamier and forgiving of mistakes.
Asparagus looks nice and crisp too, not limp/mushy.

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I found the Arborio but it was almost $6 for 2lbs. Same brand as the sushi rice in the little clear plastic tub. I opted for the long grain Walmart white rice that was $1.38 for 2 lbs! It turned out as good as what I have had in restaurants but needed a little more liquid. I will look into the Carnaroli. Thanks for the tip! My cooking skills are almost as bad as my fishing skills.

Yeah, pricey compared to domestic long grain brands, that's about right for any of the Italian risotto rices.

If you've boiled shrimp or fish for some other purpose, I prefer using those stocks to chicken stock, again only if available. Shrimp stock adds a nice flavor profile to the risotto, not better or worse than chicken stock, just different.

Speaking of old fish, I've got some mullet fillets that I packed in salt that have been sitting in the crisper drawer since last April. They are dry. I drained off the liquid that originally formed and added more salt. Any ideas what I can do with them? I think I saw a youtube video about washing off the salt and frying them.