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[nessbrain]

Ok, someone that is experienced at choosing and cooking fresh fish, can I please get some advice? I'm looking to increase my fish intake and fresh grilled fish is far niced than frozen stuff cooked in the oven so I need/want to learn how to cook it and how to choose it. So far my knowledge consists of knowing that if it smells strongly like fish

Comments

[nclean]

OK, my curiosity is piqued... why exactly do you want to increase your fish uptake? Mercury levels feeling a bit depleted? :P

[nessbrain]

As one of a few ways I will be trying to boost my Omega-3 intake. I intend to be quite careful about which types of fish I eat and how much of it (shark and tuna bad!), plus also increasing my intake of other omega-rich things, hopefully avoiding most of the heavy mercury contamination :-P. This is all mainly because there is research coming out that higher levels of Omega-3 in mine/babies diet lower the chances of bub having asthma and is also good for bubs neurological development. Having dealt with asthma most of my life and seeing the long-lasting effects the preventive medications have I would very much prefer my child does not get it, it really isn't a fun disease/condition to have (for the person with it or those around).

[winikoff]

Walnuts and flax seed. Far better sources, and no need to worry about mercury and other heavy metals.

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/omega3.html

http://www.annecollins.com/dietary-fat/omega-3-efa-6-chart.htm

(as always, feel free to ignore any advice you receive, such as this, it's your baby, so your decision, and your business!)

[anonymous]

Hi Ness,

Sal's an my fave: Take gutted whole fish. Rub outside with butter/margarine, Stuff with sliced lemons, sliced almonds and coriander leaves (or any herb you want/line), sprinkle some sliced almonds over the top. Warp in allfoil to seal the whole thing in. Bake in oven until done (=it steams the fish, cause it's wrapped). Open up. Die halfway from yummy smell. Eat. Die from yummy taste. Let me inherit the money ;P

PS: works as well with fillets... :)

[heavyside]

yeah, and I should have logged in before I posted this... :}

[nessbrain]

Yummm, sounds pretty damn good :-) How long does the fish take to cook and how do you choose good fish at the shop?

[heavyside]

depends on the size on the fish obviously. Half an hour? Read Jamie Oliver. ;)

As for fresh: definitely fishmonger. not smelly. eyes clear and not turbid. The fish, not the fishmonger... ;P

[badylugz]

Perhaps easier is baked fish - get a fillet (ling, mullet, salmon, any that you think you'd like to try) and put a small bit of butter or oil on a piece of aluminium foil. Put the fish on, then some salt and pepper and a few slices of citrus fruit (lime, lemon, orange) and bake on 200C for about 10 minutes. Eat.

[badylugz]

How to buy good fish - get fresh, not frozen. Buy from a fish monger, not a supermarket. Look for Australian caught fish as they're fresher than imported.

[quadrapop]

australian sardines are tasty and full of Omega 3s and also a good calcium source.

If you are not in a coastal city or on a large clean river with suitable fish stocks then it is unlikely you will get the freshest fish

fresh fish is firm, clear eyed with a slippery but not slimy feel to the scaled fish - your fishmonger should happily clean, gut and, if big enough, fillet your choice for no extra cost - they can usually also give you some idea of the best way to cook you choice or how long it should take to cook in your chosen manner

remember it is more to do with your ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s etc that will make the greatest difference - similar situation as you have with good and bad cholesterol levels in blood

[thornae]

(F*!$^ng LJ ate this comment when I tried to post it - redoing...)

I am forever spoiled for fish due to growing up on Kangaroo Island, living on a hill overlooking the Bay of Shoals.

My friend Paul and I, as young teenagers, used to take a tinny (aluminium dinghy) out into the channel and catch half a dozen or so King George whiting and a couple of flathead. Usually we'd take them home and cook them that night, but a couple of times, we gutted and scaled them in the boat, then cooked them in alfoil over a fire on the beach within an hour of catching them.

There is no better way to eat fish.

However, being twenty years later and not on KI, I recommend asking around friends in the restaurant business where they buy their fish, and when.

Also, there's an incredibly simple but fantastic recipe in Birmingham and Flinthart's How to Be a Man:
Ingredients: Thick, red tuna steak