Fish for a non-fish eater?

Swampyseifer

Swampyseifer

Swampyseifer

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Hey all,

I'e never really gotten on with fish, but the wife likes it and I cant help thinking that if I could find fish I like (or at least a fish meal that has a sauce/crumb/whatever that makes the fish edible) then we'd be cool and it would give us more variety in what we eat.

As far as I can remember I've tried Fish Cakes from a chipshop (hated), breaded fish fingers (hated), baked salmon (was bareable but not that enjoyable) and breaded scampi (was so so).

So really what I think does it is the fishy taste and smell.

I guess I need to look at freshwater fish (not sea fish?) and also white fish as I think I heard that is generally milder and not as fishy tasting?

Oh and also the sauce/crumb/whatever needs to be healthy...so even tho breaded scampi was the closest to a fish I would eat so far, I cant have it!

Thanks for any suggestions
 
Tuna might be worth a try. It's "meatier" than other fish and tends not to smell too fishy. Tuna from a tin is good in sandwiches - can hide it with mayo and cucumber. Or tuna steaks can be great, DON'T over cook them though, they'll be horrible! Also can put crumbs on top or have with BBQ sauce/ketchup.

The generic pollock/cod/haddock in bread crumbs from the supermarket might also do. Theyre not as greasy/fishy as chippy dish as theyre not cooked in a deep fat froer which doesnt get properly ckeaned ever and us filled with fish 110% of the time! Also can cover with ketchup and have with chips :)

Edit: also smoked salmon! Delicious and not really fishy! If you like scampi then prawns might be worth a try :)

As an ex fussy eater myself my suggestion is to try something in a very small portion as part of a meal you normally like with lots offlavor. If you can convince yourself its baraable, next time more fish until you're just used to it :) also cook it yourself! Everything is les "scary" if you know what it is and what went into it.
 
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im the same, even though i live on an island surrounded by the things. i can stomach those haddock/cod in batter fish things from iceland. or the fishcakes from M&S are pretty damn good.

i just hate the fishy taste if im honest. i tihnk freshwater fish might be muddier/worse if im honest. i heard monkfish can be fairly mild as in fish taste? thats going by memory though.
 
Interesting that you don't like Fish fingers... maybe there's not much hope...

I absolutely detest Tuna, but Smoked Mackerel is the king of fish for me xD

Unfortunately it really does vary from person to person quite a bit :(

kd
 
I'm the same as you. The 'fishier' and 'earthier' the fish the more I detest it.

I've tried various fish for dinner so that our lass can have a meal she enjoys. Sea Bass, Monkfish, Cod and Rainbow Trout all have worked out fine. The Rainbow Trout I was surprised with, I was suggested it by the fishmonger in our local supermarket. I pan-fried it with a lemon reduction with crushed rosemary potatoes. Not as fishy as I'd feared.

You do sound like you have similar taste to me. Fish I avoid like the plague:

Salmon
Tuna (in all it's disgusting, stinky forms)
Mackerel/Kippers
 
I go to a Farmer's market and the fish stall there has a wide variety. I tried something called Butter Fish which was big steaks that was very unfish like and it did have a creamy taste like butter. Their home made fish cakes are great too, the tuna and chili are a big hit it our house. Naturally smoked Haddock is good just baked in the oven, or put into our own version of kedgeree.
 
So fish that isn't fishy?

Tuna is going to have to be a really good quality fresh piece to not taste fishy. It goes well with sweet chilli and lime to further mask the taste and don't overcook it.

Monkfish is a good shout. The ends of it probably went into the scampi you could bear.

Smoked salmon with lots of lemon and pepper is not fishy.

Perhaps shellfish might be a way forward. Tempura batter around prawns? Squid and scallops haven't got a fishy taste and a firm texture too.

I've also found lemon sole to go down well with non-fish eaters.

Do you like tartare sauce? That compliments fish but masks the taste a little if used in copious quantities.
 
Mackerel, Trout, sea bass, monk fish.

Tbh if you don't like cod/haddock which is what most fish cake/fingers are. Then there's probably not much hope.

Best thing you can do is try them all. I'm a bit fussy with fish, some I realy like, like mackerel, others I can't stand and there doesn't seem to be a rule to it either. Which makes trying it the only way.
 
Youngs, 4 large hadock packs from the shops is what i have most of the time if thats something u might like to try.

Also battered fish fingers are really delish compared to breaded and dont get cheap fish fingers there crap compared to proper fillet ones i.e cheap is minced the nice ones arnt.

As has been said, tuna in tins, i prefer sunflower oil ones not brine as dont like brine. There nice if gently warmed up and can kinda make a replacement for steak sometimes especially when used in currys for example.
 
I wish I liked fish, but I really don't like it much at all. Tuna with mayo did work for me, but I found I needed quite a lot of mayo which kind of defeats the object of healthy eating. Other than that, fish fingers and battered / restaurant fish with rich sauces are the only times I ever eat it, that being rarely as I tend to eat vegetarian food in restaurants anyway.
 
Thanks to all of you for your suggestions...maybe I'll persuade the wife to go pick up something fancy for dinner on Friday!

King Damager said:
Interesting that you don't like Fish fingers... maybe there's not much hope...
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Thats what worries me! Fish fingers are surely the most unfishy fish product you can eat? they dont look like fish, they probably barely taste like fish...and yet I dont like them. could just be because I knew they were fish!

Gilly said:
I'm the same as you. The 'fishier' and 'earthier' the fish the more I detest it.

I've tried various fish for dinner so that our lass can have a meal she enjoys. Sea Bass, Monkfish, Cod and Rainbow Trout all have worked out fine. The Rainbow Trout I was surprised with, I was suggested it by the fishmonger in our local supermarket. I pan-fried it with a lemon reduction with crushed rosemary potatoes. Not as fishy as I'd feared.

You do sound like you have similar taste to me. Fish I avoid like the plague:

Salmon
Tuna (in all it's disgusting, stinky forms)
Mackerel/Kippers
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Thanks for the advice! I've heard of monkfish being a possibility before, so maybe i'll give that a whirl

BigT said:
Perhaps shellfish might be a way forward. Tempura batter around prawns? Squid and scallops haven't got a fishy taste and a firm texture too.

I've also found lemon sole to go down well with non-fish eaters.

Do you like tartare sauce? That compliments fish but masks the taste a little if used in copious quantities.
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problem with prawns is that cooked, they look like they did when they were alive...call me a big girly-girl but that bothers me. Much the same with squid!
 
Good to see there are other out there with this similar "problem" with eating fishyfish :)

haha i can really relate to some of your issues :)
 
Glaucus said:
Mackerel, Trout, sea bass, monk fish.

Tbh if you don't like cod/haddock which is what most fish cake/fingers are. Then there's probably not much hope.

Best thing you can do is try them all. I'm a bit fussy with fish, some I realy like, like mackerel, others I can't stand and there doesn't seem to be a rule to it either. Which makes trying it the only way.
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Sorry, but you're saying mackerel is not fishy? It's like the fishiest fish!
 
Yes it is oily, I meant more oily fish. I'm not a big fan of fishy fish and love mackerel as it has a subtle taste. It can't even be compared to the fishy fish.
 
Swordfish steaks nomnomnom :cool:

If tuna steaks smell fishy you're doing it wrong! Grilled rare tuna steak shouldn't smell or taste fishy :p
 
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