Thread: Uncommon edibles

Originally Posted by fordguy

Does anyone base their catch/consumption on the state advisories?

I take selenium and don't pay much attention to the mercury advisories.

Originally Posted by fordguy

Pretty sure I saw something in the advisories on Spanish and bluefish... But I could be mistaken. I've been on the east coast a bit in the last year and in the gulf recently, so its entirely possible that I'm remembering another state's advisory.

http://www.adph.org/tox/assets/Fish_advisory_update.pdf

Originally Posted by CarlF

I don't catch enough fish subject to the advisories to worry about it.
There is no advisory on Spanish macs, only Kings.

Well, that's me, too! I catch mostly schoolie kings, and -- considering that I'm in my sixties, I'm not worried about mercury accumulation anyway. If I start catching too many big king mackerel, I'll face that issue when it presents itself!

Regarding "edible fish", almost all fish are edible. I'll admit to not having sufficient skill to cook them all with a proficiency that would make them all taste great. The only freshwater fish I tried to fix that was horrible - - carp. It tasted like I'd basted it in motor oil (I didn't).

​Seafood Consumption | Florida Department of Health

I'm not sure how the Florida and Alabama gulf can have such different opinions on safe consumption of pelagic species. This is the card that I had printed out and was thinking of.

Originally Posted by ShallowWaterAngler

Speaking of freshwater, I've heard that gar are supposed to be good to eat, as well as drum, but Ive not tried either.

Gar and drum were made into fish patties and fish balls when I was growing up in north Al.

Gar can be excellent. I've eaten them a few times. More meaty than fishy. Getting through the hide can be a chore though. I usually keep my drum and can them with the white bass that I catch. Makes one heck of a good fish chowder in the winter.

An old forum member here, Viking Guy, had a recipe for Ladyfish Nuggets and his recipe had a process for removing the flesh without all the bones.
I can't seem to find it via the Search function.

This may be what Chile is talking about:

Originally Posted by Viking Guy

Yes, if you properly clean a ladyfish, then there are no bones or (per the mythical rumors) oily flesh.

Instead, their meat is pink and very versatile. I think someone posted the recipe from my book here on the forum somewhere.

I will offer some advice in short to assist you on trying them out. These are not treated like traditional fish when cooking.

Scale them and keep them whole on wet ice no less than 6 hours (not frozen or refrigerated), and up to 12 hours is recommended. The ladyfish meat is required to age for this period of time. Scaling isn't required, but helps keep the fine scales from getting in the meat once cleaning it.

Gut and evacuate the blood line. Rinse thoroughly.

Now, fillet one side. Take a spoon, and from the tail toward the head, hold the spoon sideways while pressing down firmly but not too hard. With practice, you can achieve this without breaking off bones. Make multiple passes, and the meat will roll off like ice cream. Bones will remain on the skin (which is the only oily part of the fish). You can collect a good bit of meat, and even make an incision under the rib cage for more meat if you desire. There will also be extra meat along the spine as well. Flip, and repeat on the other side.

Just place the scoopings in a bowl. Do NOT rinse, as water will turn the meat into mush. Keep all surfaces clean throughout so the meat is never contaminated during the process by scales, blood, etc.

Now, spray or coat a little cooking oil on your hands so the meat doesn't stick. Slap the meat against a flat surface 12-20 times until it firms up like dough.

Now, mix your vegetables, seasonings and some fish fry batter into some oil, and then mix-press that into the meat ball. Tenderize with a few more slaps against a flat surface. Roll out into either hushpuppy balls or hamburger patties.

Now, dip in egg/(butter)milk mixture and roll in fish fry batter as if you were frying regular fish.

Get your peanut oil HOT!!! I mean 7.5 on a 10 point stovetop and crackling. You need the crust to brown in under a minute. Do NOT submerge. Make the oil no more than 1 inch depth (about halfway up the patty).

Brown quickly on both sides (about 1 min each side). If you overcook it, the meat will turn into rubber. You want the meat rare to medium rare like a filet mignon. If it rubbers up, you can still eat it, but it'll be on the chewy side. If done right, the texture will be similar to a chicken McNugget.

The taste is neutral. So it will conform to whatever spices or vegies you choose. I personally like adding mushrooms and colored bell peppers, as they give it added interior moisture.

You can eat the patties like a crab cake, hush puppy, or make a fish sandwich. Lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon on a wheat bun and chow down.

If you want a healthy substitute for chicken in stews or casseroles, Ladyfish meat will fit the bill and suppliment white meat chicken. Kids never know the difference.

Ladyfish meat will hold in the freezer for at least a year and longer if you vac seal it. Each ladyfish will provide enough meat for 2-4 burger patties.

Have fun!

That's it, thanks.

We caught some black drum a few years ago off the beach and ate them while down there (brother and his family and my Dad). I don't remember anything about it, that is to say, it wasn't bad enough that I remember it. It was in the 2-3lb range.

Caught a stingray myself (22lbs) that we cleaned and ate. it was good when cooked fresh, it took a long time to clean because we had no idea what to do. A passerby kind of told my brother what to do, but it was mostly guesswork. The 2nd half we ate after freezing was distinctly less good.

Most fish are worth trying at least once if you trust the water source and know they aren't poisonous or something.

I also caught a Jack Crevalle that same trip (not sure on the weight, it was about 25-28 inches long head to tail tip). it was cooked the first day we got back home (so it stayed in the fridge/ice for ~36 hours probably) on the grill. It was alright, nothing special, certainly had worse fish.

On the subject of freshwater...My nephew caught a freshwater drum (3-4lbs) a few weeks ago below Pickwick Dam and we cooked it (1 fillet fried, 1 grilled). I thought it was pretty unappetizing. You go into it expecting the typical fish texture, and it's very meaty. It's not like traditional fish at all. it wasn't flaky, but almost chewy like a very tender steak would be...not my cup of tea.