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Gryphon's Aeire
Food Fact - Fish
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More Salt Water Fish: Today we hope to finish with all of the fish.
Pollack: This is a close relative to the cod with a firm texture.
Fresh it usually weighs in at 4 to 12 pounds. It is best when sold as fillets.
Pompano: If you see this featured in a restaurant, it will be expensive.
This is rated as one of the best eating fish of all. It has a moderate fat
level and a firm texture. It isn’t readily available in your local supermarket,
but a good fish market will be able to order it up for you.
Porgy: This firm textured, low-fat fish weighs from 1/2 to 2 pounds and is
primarily caught in the New England waters. It isn’t readily available on the
West Coast.
Red Snapper: This fish has a very rose-colored skin and red eyes. It is
low-fat with a firm texture. It is excellent for soups and stews as well as
baking with sauces.
Rockfish: This is available in more than 50 different varieties.
It is often sold under the name of Pacific Snapper and they have a firm texture
and are low-fat. Cook as you would Red Snapper.
Sablefish: Also known as Alaskan Cod or Butterfish. It is a very high-fat
fish with a soft texture due to the fat content. It makes an excellent smoking
fish and is usually sold as smoked.
Salmon: Red salmon is the highest in fat, but it is the good cholesterol.
It is the most expensive and the highest grade. The lower grades are the sockeye,
Chinook or king and pink salmon is the lowest grade. Three ounces of salmon
contains 120 calories. 1/2 cup of salmon contains more grams of protein than
two lamb chops. Salmon used in sushi gives you a 1 in 10 chance of consuming a
roundworm from the “amisakis family” of parasites, according to the FDA in samples
from 32 restaurants. Smoked salmon (Lox) is heavily salted unless you purchase
the “Nova” variety. Salmon used for smoking is usually raised on aquaculture farms
and has never had a reported incidence of parasite contamination.
Sardines: These are actually soft-boned herring. They are descaled before being
canned and the scales used to make artificial pearls and cosmetics. The Norwegian
bristling sardine is the finest. Maine sardines are almost as good and cost
considerably less. They are high-fat and best used for appetizers.
Sea Bass: A moderate fat fish with a firm texture, it has a mild flavor and is a
popular seller. You can bake, barbecue, broil or fry it.
Sea Trout: This moderate fat fish has a fine texture and is excellent either baked
or broiled. It is usually caught in the Southeastern United States.
Shad: This is a high-fat fish with a fine texture. It is a difficult fish to bone
and almost always is sold as fillet. The eggs (shad roe) are considered a delicacy.
Shark: This low-fat, firm, dense textured fish is fast becoming a popular eating
fish and is often featured in restaurants. It is one of the most vitamin-rich
foods in the sea. There are 350 species of Shark. In Asia, dried Shark Fins
sell for $53 per pound and are used to make Shark soup. In Hong Kong, a bowl
of Shark soup sells for $50 per bowl.
Skate: The wings are the only part that is edible. The flavor is similar to
scallops and are low-fat with a firm texture.
Swordfish: The flavor is not as strong as Shark and is best served as steaks.
It is somewhat higher in fat than Shark, but has a similar texture.
Tuna: White Tuna is from Albacore tuna and is the best grade of tuna. Light Tuna
comes from the other five species of tuna. It is nutritious and usually tastes
almost as good. Tuna packed in oil has 50% more calories as water packed tuna.
There are several grades of tuna with the solid pack being the highest and is
composed of the loins of the tuna with a few flakes attached. Chunk tuna will
include pieces that will have a part of the muscle structure attached.
Flake tuna has the muscle structure and a high percentage of the pieces are under
1/2-inch. Grated tuna is just above a paste. Watch the tuna label for the
chemical pyrophosphate, a preservative that you should not eat.
Turbot: This is a low-fat fish with a firm texture. It is similar to flounder,
a flatfish and is usually sold only as fillets.
Whiting: This fish is a relative of Hake. It is low-fat with a firm texture
and is best broiled or steamed.
OK, we’re on the home stretch. Just the Freshwater Fish and there are only
nine of them.
Buffalo Fish: This is a moderate fat fish with a firm texture.
It is usually caught in the Mississippi and the Great Lakes. It weighs from
2 to 8 pounds.
Carp: This is the first fish to be aqua cultured hundreds of years ago in China.
It is a scavenger fish which is only recommended for fishing. It is a moderate
fat fish. Think of KOI, those beautiful “carp” you see in ponds.
Pretty to look at, but not for eating.
Catfish: Approximately 70% of all catfish sold are from aqua cultured farms.
There are over 20 varieties of catfish. They are low-fat with a firm texture.
This is another scavenger fish which is healthier and only purchased from the farms.
Perch: This small fish is usually best pan-fried whole. It is low-fat, firm
textured and excellent eating.
Pike: Pike has been fished out of existence. It is an excellent eating,
low-fat fish, the most popular being the Walleyed Pike.
Smelt: This very small fish is usually pan-fried and eaten whole (head and all).
Larger ones are usually cleaned and gutted in the usual manner and are high-fat
with a firm texture.
Sturgeon: This is the largest freshwater fish in the world. They can weigh up
to 1000 pounds. They are high-fat with a very dense texture. Their eggs (roe)
are a favorite for caviar.
Trout: There are three main varieties: Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout and Steelhead.
All contain moderate to high levels of fat with a firm texture. It is one of the
best eating fishes with a delicate flavor. All Rainbow Trout are presently from
aqua cultured farms.
Whitefish: This ranks as the best freshwater eating fish. It is high-fat with
a firm texture and is best when broiled or baked.
Displayed on: Thursday - 24 May 12 - 05:07:31