Locally about the only fish I can get are:
Salmon - favorite
Cod- second favorite
Catfish - third favorite
Flounder - fourth favorite
Tuna - Take it or leave it
Swordfish - rarely seen
Talapia - won't touch it.
I'm too far from the coast adn too far from fishing centers for much else.
Salmon - favorite
Cod- second favorite
Catfish - third favorite
Flounder - fourth favorite
Tuna - Take it or leave it
Swordfish - rarely seen
Talapia - won't touch it.
I'm too far from the coast adn too far from fishing centers for much else.
We like to call Tilapia - Louisiana ditch fish as it is 'hired' to keep the irrigation canals free of algae and the like.
One fish you want to avoid for sure is Basa. It comes from the side ponds along the Mekong and is so full of uglies, that the locals won't even eat it, yet it's here in big supply.
One fish you want to avoid for sure is Basa. It comes from the side ponds along the Mekong and is so full of uglies, that the locals won't even eat it, yet it's here in big supply.
I'm too far from the coast adn too far from fishing centers for much else.
That's interesting almost all the fresh fish at the Publix Mkt. in FL is from New England. As you would expect a good Asian fish market near us (when we are there) has a large selection of whole local fish, I was told the locals don't like the taste of warm water fish. I like the yellow snapper a lot.
Scott, not too many native Floridians buy fish in a chain grocery store, I’m thinking your warm water fish theory was brought down with the plethora of Yankees on the east FL coast.
Yellowtail is one of the best eating snapper, we usually catch more lane snapper (bi catch when grouper fishing) which is just about as good.
Slayed the Spanish mackerel yesterday, we fillet as soon as we get home, wrap up in tin foil with Olive oil,lemon slices,salt/pepper,and Hungarian paprika throw on a hot grill for about 5 minutes then let it rest for 5 more.....ooh yah!
Yellowtail is one of the best eating snapper, we usually catch more lane snapper (bi catch when grouper fishing) which is just about as good.
Slayed the Spanish mackerel yesterday, we fillet as soon as we get home, wrap up in tin foil with Olive oil,lemon slices,salt/pepper,and Hungarian paprika throw on a hot grill for about 5 minutes then let it rest for 5 more.....ooh yah!
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Scott, not too many native Floridians buy fish in a chain grocery store, I’m thinking your warm water fish theory was brought down with the plethora of Yankees on the east FL coast.
No, it was the local guys working on my house. In any case just like at home I stick with the Asian markets, they carry just about everything. I'm in Leesburg BTW not the coast, some restaurants will have grouper and/or red snapper but never saw pompano, mullet, or mackerel at any restaurant around here.
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What area? Sounds blasphemous!
There’s a Greek family in Apalachicola that makes a dried mullet roe (Avgataro?) that can be had if they like you!
Fried mullet and mullet roe are on most menus in the area, as is whole flounder stuffed with blue crab, fresh tuna, smoked amberjack, etc all on the menus depending on the season. I’m getting tired of fresh shrimp!
Restaurants and local groceries around here know how to work the bounty.
Sorry didn’t see leesburg, I’ll look it up.......ok, it’s an hour from the Gulf coast, should at least be able to get some nice stone crab?
There’s a Greek family in Apalachicola that makes a dried mullet roe (Avgataro?) that can be had if they like you!
Fried mullet and mullet roe are on most menus in the area, as is whole flounder stuffed with blue crab, fresh tuna, smoked amberjack, etc all on the menus depending on the season. I’m getting tired of fresh shrimp!
Restaurants and local groceries around here know how to work the bounty.
Sorry didn’t see leesburg, I’ll look it up.......ok, it’s an hour from the Gulf coast, should at least be able to get some nice stone crab?
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There is a slim chance I will be on a mercy mission to Lake City FL this week. Is it worth taking an ice chest and trying to find some fish while I am down there?
There’s a Greek family in Apalachicola that makes a dried mullet roe (Avgataro?) that can be had if they like you!
should at least be able to get some nice stone crab?
It's Bottarga we have a good Greek market here. Not trying to be difficult but do you have any links to these "most" restaurants because none of the ones with websites on Google seem to. BTW I don't particularly like stone crab vs ME lobster which I can buy live in any super market here.
EDIT- If I expanded to the whole panhandle there were some but the reviews of some were not complimentary.
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There is a slim chance I will be on a mercy mission to Lake City FL this week. Is it worth taking an ice chest and trying to find some fish while I am down there?
That's what I do whenever we go to some coastal cities. Some years ago before we got kids, if I saw a good spot or if there seemed to be shoaling/schooling fish I'd just pull over and break out my fishing rod. Takes a bit more time to get where you're going, but it was very nice.
The pike and walleye population in Lake Erie was depleted to almost zero in the early 1970's -- and then regulations regarding industrial waste and agricultural runoff rebuilt the population. Every older tavern, restaurant in northern Ohio will usually have walleye on the menu -- fried!
New Jerseyans like bluefish -- but it doesn't keep well. There's a limit of 3 per day now.
New Jerseyans like bluefish -- but it doesn't keep well. There's a limit of 3 per day now.
It's Bottarga we have a good Greek market here. Not trying to be difficult but do you have any links to these "most" restaurants because none of the ones with websites on Google seem to. BTW I don't particularly like stone crab vs ME lobster which I can buy live in any super market here.
EDIT- If I expanded to the whole panhandle there were some but the reviews of some were not complimentary.
It’s usually a ‘special’ on the board, things like that are random depending on season, weather, etc..... Mullet especially as it doesn’t keep well.
I looked it up and I guess it is bottarga like you say but they call it avgotaraho which is supposedly a regional version from a specific type of mullet. I suppose it’s akin to calling sparkling wine ‘champagne’
unless they import it? I was under the impression they made it though.
I’ve had it a couple times in a spread on crackers and once it was on boiled eggs which was surprisingly good.
I looked it up and I guess it is bottarga like you say but they call it avgotaraho which is supposedly a regional version from a specific type of mullet.
Different names for the same thing I guess, there are too many salted fish roe products from too many countries to count. From Greece I like the taramosalata which is made from several kinds of roe including mullet, without speaking the language these things are hard to sort out.
I guess Leesburg is just a restaurant black hole.
Speaking of roe, we have a nice selection here.
Urchin, smelt, trout, salmon, herring and prawn come to mind, and if you get them fresh, they aren't pre-salted so can be seasoned anyway you want.
Urchin, smelt, trout, salmon, herring and prawn come to mind, and if you get them fresh, they aren't pre-salted so can be seasoned anyway you want.
I suppose it’s akin to calling sparkling wine ‘champagne’ unless they import it?
Champagne and Cognac come from the Champagne district in France.
Champagne - Wikipediain the EU and some other countries, it is illegal to label any product Champagne unless it came from the Champagne wine region of France and is produced under the rules of the appellation.
Exactly the same as: If you make something similar to Cognac but in another country or territory, it's called Brandy.
Much the same as for instance Prosecco from Italy.
Prosecco - WikipediaItalian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco.
Or Cava from Spain.
Cava (Spanish wine - Wikipedia)a sparkling wine of Denominación de Origen (DO) status from Spain. ... Only wines produced in the traditional method may be labelled "cava"
It doesn't matter for me what it's called as long as it tastes good, plenty of very nice "sparkling wines" about. But in my opinion you cannot just call any kind of wine things like "Champagne", "Prosecco" or "Cava". No matter how good it is.
Edit:
Here's another page that has most of the important bits in one handy chart.
The Differences Between Champagne, Prosecco & Cava [INFOGRAPHIC] | VinePair
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Speaking of roe, we have a nice selection here.
Urchin, smelt, trout, salmon, herring and prawn come to mind, and if you get them fresh, they aren't pre-salted so can be seasoned anyway you want.
Shad is the big once a year local speciality. The uni is usually taken neat. 🙂 I made the mistake saying I like uni in Japan when I was the guest of honor, I do but I wanted to try some other things too.
My goodness yes. Hanh's family asked me if I liked the traditional roast duck. I should have said no. 🙂 I made the same mistake with the black bean sparerib dish at Dim Sum.
Ya, IIRC I tried cooking Uni once and it turned into a puddle.
Ya, IIRC I tried cooking Uni once and it turned into a puddle.
Shad is the big once a year local speciality. The uni is usually taken neat. 🙂 I made the mistake saying I like uni in Japan when I was the guest of honor, I do but I wanted to try some other things too.
One must be very careful in Japan. It is way too easy to get spoiled to the point of "too much". I made a similar error with shochu. I do love it, especially kome shochu and mugi shochu from Kumagun, but when my in-laws and their friends found out that I enjoyed it - bottomless glass for the entire trip. 😱
(I return the favour to my father-in-law when he visits Canada - he really, really likes his share of Canadian Club w/Canada Dry. 🙂 )
EDIT: Well, would you look at that?! CC is now made by Beam Suntory - and has been since 2011. Had no idea. The connection to Jim Beam is obvious, and "Suntory" - well, it's obvious.

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A nicer meal for Ascension day. Would be easy for 4, a bit of a chore for 25.
So:
- half ball of mozza di buffala wrapped in Parm ham, with bruschette (recipe below),
- simple parsley/butter/garlic scampi, served with capellini and a ratatouille,
- vanilla ice cream with strawberries and red fruits sauce.
So for the bruschette, here's my favorite mix:
- take 1/2 tomatoes (good ones), 1/4 red pepperbell, 1/4 zucchini (in proportions, quantities are up to you).
- start by cutting in two the tomatoes along the length. Discard the watery core and the hard bit. Slice and dice fairly thin.
- then slice the peperbell, as thin as you can. Chop coarsely afterwards.
- drop the tomatoes and the peperbell in a sieve with a bit of salt and black pepper.
- cut the zucchini: cut in two along the lenght and then in a few segments. Then place the flat part of the cut on the cutting board and remove the long sides, to have roughly a rectangle with the skin on top. Dice so that every dice has an equal share of skin.
- heat a pan with quite a bit of olive oil and roast the zucchini with some thyme. Don't overcook, as soon as they start getting translucid, remove the pan. Drop with the rest and mix well, to cool them as quick as possible.
- let everything rest for at least half an hour. Then season with a bit of oil and balsamic vinegar.
- serve on roasted bread.
So:
- half ball of mozza di buffala wrapped in Parm ham, with bruschette (recipe below),
- simple parsley/butter/garlic scampi, served with capellini and a ratatouille,
- vanilla ice cream with strawberries and red fruits sauce.
So for the bruschette, here's my favorite mix:
- take 1/2 tomatoes (good ones), 1/4 red pepperbell, 1/4 zucchini (in proportions, quantities are up to you).
- start by cutting in two the tomatoes along the length. Discard the watery core and the hard bit. Slice and dice fairly thin.
- then slice the peperbell, as thin as you can. Chop coarsely afterwards.
- drop the tomatoes and the peperbell in a sieve with a bit of salt and black pepper.
- cut the zucchini: cut in two along the lenght and then in a few segments. Then place the flat part of the cut on the cutting board and remove the long sides, to have roughly a rectangle with the skin on top. Dice so that every dice has an equal share of skin.
- heat a pan with quite a bit of olive oil and roast the zucchini with some thyme. Don't overcook, as soon as they start getting translucid, remove the pan. Drop with the rest and mix well, to cool them as quick as possible.
- let everything rest for at least half an hour. Then season with a bit of oil and balsamic vinegar.
- serve on roasted bread.
That all sounds good. And remember, it's never a chore, it's a labour of love. You are, after all, sharing it with friends and loved ones.
Last night I rummaged through the the fridge and came up with a salad. Too many ingredients to list but really good nonetheless.
My little friend was eyeing it up wondering which parts I wasn't going to eat. When I offered him the seaweed lips and the kelp he decided daddy's sense of humour had really gone south. He asked about the sausage and the ribs.
I said 'no walk for you tonight!'
My little friend was eyeing it up wondering which parts I wasn't going to eat. When I offered him the seaweed lips and the kelp he decided daddy's sense of humour had really gone south. He asked about the sausage and the ribs.
I said 'no walk for you tonight!'
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