Fishy Ideas?

[Nostrodamus]

As a man I should be the hunter/gatherer and as a liveaboard what better way than to catch a few fish for supper. The trouble is unless it comes in batter with chips I have no idea what to do with it.
I am also one of those who hate to see a fish on a plate if the head is still on and looking at me.
There are cookery books but I am looking for your ideas on what fish you can catch where you are and the best way of cooking them.

 

[Ubergeekian]

There are cookery books but I am looking for your ideas on what fish you can catch where you are and the best way of cooking them.

Sailing Today did a series on Cook What You Catch a year or two back. I'll stick to the battered sort, thanks.

 

[Cymrogwyllt]

15 to 20 min in the oven as a rule of thumb. Head off guts out

 

[Boathook]

The RYA do a good book on fishing from boats called Fishing afloat for £13.99. Hopefully the link below will work. http://www.rya.org.uk/shop/pages/pr...de=c&cat=Boat+Angling(RYA+Main)&type=&course=

This book should answer most of your questions.

 

[Quandary]

The book we have on board is from the 'River Cottage' series and is ideal for novices, tells what to catch, (and what not to) how and where, how to recognize the species and then simple ways to cook or smoke it. Simple advice on gear and bait. Written by a sea angler with cooking notes by HF-W. I bought it from Amazon and it was not expensive.
Concise, well illustrated and easy to refer to,

 

[dylanwinter]

spinner

used to trail a spinner - well jill did

caught the occasional mackeral

killing them was always a messy affair, grilling them made the boat smell bad

then I realised the only place we ever caught them was down tide of a sewage outfall

now I just watch the fish

I love watching them come in with the returning tide fater being aground, big east cooast mullet patrolling the new territory that is opening up to them

occasioannly you can see the seals herding the fish into the little tributaries so that they can become killing grounds

Dylan

 

[Quandary]

Mackerel are predators, travel fast in shoals following sand eels etc. and unlikely to haunt sewage outfalls, perhaps you are confusing them with grey mullet, but you are unlikely to have managed to hook one of them and they look very different. A slab of plywood is useful for gutting etc. but the Graudian is an effective substitute.

 

[bromleybysea]

There is nothing, simply nothing, as delicious as a freshly caught mackerel grilled, best of all on a barbie. But it must be really fresh. Even after a few hours the flesh has deteriorated to the extent that it's hardly worth eating. IMHO it's worth investing in one of those clip-on frames that take an instant barbi just for this. BTW, if you leave the head on, it's not really looking at you if you've cooked it properly 'cos it's dead.

 

[Xskipper]

But it must be really fresh. Even after a few hours the flesh has deteriorated to the extent that it's hardly worth eating.

Strange that there is such a big market for all those commercially caught mackerel, I am sure they must be more than a few hours old by the time they have been processed, shipped to the supermarket, sold, cooked and plated...?

 

[Rigger Mortice]

killing them was always a messy affair,

I always used to think that, and disliked killing the things, until a friend showed me how he did it.
Hold mackerel round its body in one hand. Insert fingers from other hand in its mouth. Bend the head back, breaking the fish's back. Quick clean and efficient. Don't try it with conger eels!

TBH I'm probably too much of a townie to enjoy fishing for the sake of it. But catching fresh mackerel and cooking it on the barbie or frying in a pan is one of the joys of boating in fine weather.

I only catch for the pan; to me it seems pointless to catch for sport. Why catch a fish only to put it back again?

 

[Little Rascal]

You can normally get mackerel on a hand line if you're in the right place... even just towing something shiny or feathers etc.... they aren't the cleverest.

 

[bromleybysea]

Strange that there is such a big market for all those commercially caught mackerel, I am sure they must be more than a few hours old by the time they have been processed, shipped to the supermarket, sold, cooked and plated...?

The same reason that there is a market for a lot of poor quality food like battery chickens and tomatoes that taste of nothing at all- because people have never tasted them the way they should be or are unwilling or unable to pay the premium for quality. The flaccid, dull fish that you often see on supermarket slabs will taste of ammonia and have the texture of blotting paper.

 

[Xskipper]

The same reason that there is a market for a lot of poor quality food like battery chickens and tomatoes that taste of nothing at all- because people have never tasted them the way they should be or are unwilling or unable to pay the premium for quality. The flaccid, dull fish that you often see on supermarket slabs will taste of ammonia and have the texture of blotting paper.

I am sorry but I have to strongly disagree here, a large amount of the fish caught in the UK now is caught sustainably, handled well, stored in ideal conditions and will usually arrive on your plate tasting as good as when it was caught.

 

[Neil]

The same reason that there is a market for a lot of poor quality food like battery chickens and tomatoes that taste of nothing at all- because people have never tasted them the way they should be or are unwilling or unable to pay the premium for quality. The flaccid, dull fish that you often see on supermarket slabs will taste of ammonia and have the texture of blotting paper.

Seconded; there really is no comparison. Once took some wasabi and soya sauce on board and had mackerel sushimi, once it had stopped flapping.

Try towing (trolling) a Rappala plug behind with the hope of a nice sea bass. Never managed it myself from the boat, though, only from the shore. Heave to over rough ground for pollack, cod or ling with feathers (bigger than the mackerel ones).

 

[Nostrodamus]

There seems to be quiet at lot of fairly big fish floating around the marinas and ort on the East coast. I asked someone what they were and he told me they were Mullet or sh*t fish because of the places they hang out. H said they were ok to eat but I have never tried one. Any offers on Mullet?

 

[Little Rascal]

You're not the first to ask!

 

[simon barefoot]

Strange that there is such a big market for all those commercially caught mackerel, I am sure they must be more than a few hours old by the time they have been processed, shipped to the supermarket, sold, cooked and plated...?

It all comes down to what you're used to. If you've never tried ultra fresh mackerel (or any other fish, but mackerel is the one that is most noticeable) then you wouldn't realise just how amazing it is. Truly one of the finest foods ever. Its like the difference between stale value bread, and a handmade loaf still warm from the oven...

 

[Nostrodamus]

Looks like I will be staying clear of Mullet. No wonder no one bothers with them.
So where is the best place to catch Mackral, I want to see the difference beween fresh and not so fresh. The only ones I have eaten were in a tin.

 

[fisherman]

I run a fish shop in the summer, and my advice is always 'heat it, eat it'. Once the fish is heated through it is done, so as above, 10-15 minutes in the oven, depending on size. Then you can think about wrapping in foil, cooking on the bone and leaving the head on is good for flavour, add a bit of butter, lemon juice, white wine. A restaurateur friend does plaice, brill, turbot or other flatties thus: in the oven, 200deg, dark side up, 2 mins. remove the top skin, squeeze of lemon juice, knob of butter, back in for 10mins. You can always check the translucency of the flesh to see if it's done.
The problem with the English is, many don't actually like fish, the bones, the taste. That's why monk is so popular, no bones not much flavour, but very good for the barby, or made up dishes involving lime and ginger, coconut milk. Also good to marinade with lime, ginger, wine, garlic, oil, etc etc.
Fish is much better presented these days, with most day boats storing in slush ice a few minutes after being caught, but I still get customers saying that there is no decent fish in their home town, nothing like mine. Don't understand, the transport is all there, why it can't be offered fresh.
A note on freshness: fish other than mackerel, sardines and bass are no good fresh, and need at least 24 hours before eating, but again, no use saying that in the shop, people want fresh, and less fishy flavour mostly. I have taken lemon soles off the counter after a week, eat them myself, they look awful, but taste great. The point about freshness at purchase is knowing how old it is, how long it will keep.

 

[Xskipper]

It all comes down to what you're used to. If you've never tried ultra fresh mackerel (or any other fish, but mackerel is the one that is most noticeable) then you wouldn't realise just how amazing it is. Truly one of the finest foods ever. Its like the difference between stale value bread, and a handmade loaf still warm from the oven...

Strangely enough after having been involved in the fishing industry for over 25 years I have tried ultra fresh mackerel and many other fish and while I can agree there is a great deal of satisfaction in catching, cooking and eating fish which may make it taste that little bit sweeter, to say that the flesh has degraded to such a point that it is inedible a few hours after being caught is rubbish.