[guht]

I am trying to introduce healthier fish into our home diets, and my significant other doesnt like 'most' fish.

He likes tuna in just about any form, from the can, in sushi, etc.

He likes shrimp, but ONLY grilled shrimp.

He likes trout, but usually covered in butter.

He also likes marinated Tilapia. 

General consensus seems to be:

Tuna is OK, but only once a week due to mercury content.

Shrimp is the same as Tuna.

Wild trout is good, but probably not covered in butter. ;-)

Tilapia is considered a garabge fish and should be avoided. 

It seems like the only fish critics can agree is healthy now adays is the wild caught atlantic salmon. I am looking for ways, recipes, to prepare this for someone that just doesnt like salmon.

Any input is much appreciated! Thanks =)

 

[koukouvagia]

Well, the way that I see it a person will learn to like something if they WANT to.  The challenge is on them to be receptive to the food, it is not your responsibility to find the one miraculous way to cook it so that they will like it.  If someone is determined not to like something there is nothing you can do.  

At a point I did not like salmon.  I didn't grow up on large fish, Greeks eat little fishes like anchovies, red mullets etc and they eat them whole.  I didn't really care for that, cleaning little fish is a lot of work and the pay off is small.  There were no options of filets and although Greeks do know how to cook fish well (who doesn't like whole grilled fish?) it gets tiresome if it's not your most favorite thing in the world. Long story short I never ate it growing up.  It took a lot of time and trying different methods of cooking it that I finally started to appreciate it but only because I really WANTED to like it.  I wasn't sitting around waiting for someone to come up with the right recipe that would entice me.  

Shrimp have mercury?

 

[guht]

Well, the way that I see it a person will learn to like something if they WANT to. The challenge is on them to be receptive to the food, it is not your responsibility to find the one miraculous way to cook it so that they will like it. If someone is determined not to like something there is nothing you can do.

At a point I did not like salmon. I didn't grow up on large fish, Greeks eat little fishes like anchovies, red mullets etc and they eat them whole. I didn't really care for that, cleaning little fish is a lot of work and the pay off is small. There were no options of filets and although Greeks do know how to cook fish well (who doesn't like whole grilled fish?) it gets tiresome if it's not your most favorite thing in the world. Long story short I never ate it growing up. It took a lot of time and trying different methods of cooking it that I finally started to appreciate it but only because I really WANTED to like it. I wasn't sitting around waiting for someone to come up with the right recipe that would entice me.

Shrimp have mercury?

I appreciate your viewpoint, and mostly agree with you. He actually wants to like Salmon, and is willing to try different presentations of it.. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be wasting my time. ;-)

I meant to say Shrimp is like Tilapia, it is a bottom feeder, and generally bottom feeding fish are considered garbage...

Thanks again for your response!

 

[chefbillyb]

If you don't like fish it's really hard to make it the star of the show. The way I would serve salmon for a small dinner party was Blackened Salmon Linguini. I would use about a two inch salmon filet and blacken one side in olive oil then finish in the oven. The pasta could be tossed is some olive oil, butter, garlic and spices to bring some flavor to the tossed pasta. After plating the pasta you can lay the filet on top of the pasta. This will give the person a bit of fish then move to some pasta for a different taste. You can also serve some garlic toast and salad. You can also make a scampi sauce sauté in some shrimp along with the pasta for more flavors. Starting around June look for Copper River Salmon this is a run that has the most Omega 3 fatty acids The fat brings more flavor to the salmon. You could also make Cioppino using Halibut or Salmon. It could be poached right in the sauce and served with steamed clams, shrimp and other shell fish. Again, this is letting the person work around the plate getting a lot of different flavors of the dish. Fresh wild Pacific Salmon is wonderful, fish will lose a lot of it's quality after it's frozen. I do freeze the Copper Rive Salmon during it's has it's run. You can't buy it after the run is through. What you want to show him is it doesn't have to be covered in fat to be good. .........The Best.........Chef Bill

 

[chefbillyb]

You can see the white are the fats in the Salmon. These are the good fats Omega 3's.......

copper river salmon 1.jpg

• chefbillyb
• Dec 29, 2015

Copper River salmon.jpg

• chefbillyb
• Dec 29, 2015

 

[ordo]

Ceviche. SO will never know.

 

[pete]

If your husband doesn't like salmon why force the issue?  There are plenty of other types of fish out there many of them more mild and with a less distinctive flavor than salmon.  Sure, salmon might be higher in Omega-3s but fish, in general, is a much healthier choice than many other meats.  Sole, flounder, haddock, cod, snapper, grouper, herring, sardines (fresh), mullet are just a very small sample of choices you might have in your area.

If you are set on coming up with ways to cook salmon, then I second the idea of blackening it.  That will help mask the flavor somewhat.  Or I would poach it, break it into large flakes and serve it with greens tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and pickled vegetables.  Or I might top it with a horseradish crust (breadcrumbs, butter, prepared horseradish, fresh parsley, salt and pepper) and bake it.

 

[maryb]

You can't make salmon edible to me! Way to oily! But I hate trout too! Swap to a fish he likes. Haddock is good, cod is good and both are healthy! But I would shy away from Pacific fishes right now!

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

012.JPG

• kaneohegirlinaz
• Dec 25, 2015

This is a Salmon dish that is well received: Lomi Lomi Salmon,

it's a Hawaiian dish and it's super easy.

https://mykitcheninthemiddleofthede...7/lomi-lomi-salmon-its-time-for-another-luau/

It's only 4 ingredients that can be made in the proportions that you think

folks at your table would enjoy.

I've served this and not told anyone what it was, to those who

claim to not like fish at all, but they gobbled this down.

We enjoy it the most served with Kalua Pork and Cabbage.

kalua pig and lomi.jpg

• kaneohegirlinaz
• Dec 30, 2015

 

[cerise]

You might start small with an appetizer, chilled salmon, avocado and halved cherry or grape tomatoes (a little Dijon vinaigrette) i.e.

Salmon "Martini"

http://www.recipe.com/salmon-martini/

I like chilled salmon salads with cold asparagus and cherry tomatoes etc.

I wouldn't force it either. You could use any fish or shrimp, and ingredients you like. Just some ideas to play with.

 

[cerise]

You might start small with an appetizer, chilled salmon, avocado and halved cherry or grape tomatoes (a little Dijon vinaigrette) i.e.

Salmon "Martini"

http://www.recipe.com/salmon-martini/

I like chilled salmon salads with cold asparagus and cherry tomatoes etc.

I wouldn't force it either. You could use any fish or shrimp, and ingredients you like. Just some ideas to play with.

I'm thinking the salmon martini would make a nice New Years Eve nibble, topped with finger limes.

Other salmon ideas...

Salmon burgers/patties (on a bun/roll) w tomato, avocado etc.)

Salmon tacos

Salmon en croute/Wellington

Salmon croquettes w white sauce (had them years ago - probably made w canned salmon)

Again, not forcing salmon if one does not care for it. Change it out w fish of choice, and experiment.

 

[koukouvagia]

I appreciate your viewpoint, and mostly agree with you. He actually wants to like Salmon, and is willing to try different presentations of it.. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be wasting my time. ;-)

I meant to say Shrimp is like Tilapia, it is a bottom feeder, and generally bottom feeding fish are considered garbage...

Thanks again for your response!

Oh I see, if he wants to like it then he eventually will with a little practice. Does he like sushi? I find that salmon has the most mild flavor when eaten raw. Sushi and in a salmon avocado roll is my favorite. You can try making salmon poke too. M
Smoked salmon may be another way to go, it's a good intro to the fish. We also love to grill it on a cedar plank on the outdoor grill. It gets slightly smoky.

I went from hating fish to loving salmon more than anything so it's possible! It's so versatile. I like to oan grill it with chili oil, poach it in veggie stock, or cook it in parchment with veggies. One of my favorite ways is to smear it with a mixture of grainy Dijon, minced garlic and parsley then roast in the oven. Salmon is lovely when you don't ovecook it so leave it a little pink inside.

I never thought of shrimp as bottom feeders. I love them.

 

[chefross]

There are many reasons people don't care for fish but one of the main ones is that it tastes "fishy."

That being said many people are/were exposed to fish that may not have been fresh.

Fresh fish doesn't smell, but that is a hard one to convince people of.....

As an example with salmon, that Omega 3 fatty part that is supposed to be healthy, if you leave it on and cook it right away it's going be good.

If you leave it on then freeze the fish then thaw it, that fat makes the fish taste rancid.

 

[pete]

Oh I see, if he wants to like it then he eventually will with a little practice. Does he like sushi? I find that salmon has the most mild flavor when eaten raw. Sushi and in a salmon avocado roll is my favorite.

I agree, salmon that is raw or served medium rare tends to be much more mild than salmon that is fully cooked, IMHO. That being said, my wife does not like salmon at all, but there is a restaurant in town that does these curried salmon cakes, as an app., that she loves. I think it's because the curry slightly masks the "fishy" taste of the salmon. Just another option.

 

[loomchick]

Not all salmon is created equal and what you start with has a lot to do with what you end up with.   The older the salmon is and the warmer the water, the more fishy it is.  

For me, salmon has to be fresh, wild-caught salmon.  Plus, the colder the water the salmon is in, the better.  My personal preference is a white King salmon . . . preferably grilled.  It's one of the advantages of living in the Seattle, WA area and being married to someone who has an obsession with fishing.

Why hasn't anyone mentioned halibut?  Yes, it has some of the same issues as some of the other fish mentioned, but I like it because it's such a meaty fish and holds up better after being frozen than many other fish.

I can't help but wonder . . . Why would anyone go through so much effort to prepare fish for someone that doesn't like fish?  If it's for health reasons, I think fish can be overrated.  Once or twice a week is all I want to eat fish.  I try to have a variety of protein choices throughout the week.

If the objective is to limit meat, there may be more opportunities for some great vegetarian dishes.  Also, there are ways to minimize the amount of meat and still get a lot of meat flavor . . . like a pasta carbonara.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

@Koukouvagia Smoked Salmon Poke is DA BOMB!

Also, Salmon Nigiri sushi, MMM

Hawaii May 2012 126.JPG

• kaneohegirlinaz
• Dec 30, 2015

Alot of our friends back home would take their

vacations in Alaska to go Salmon fishing,

nothing like really fresh fish.

 

[phatch]

Salmon to me gets quickly pasty and unpleasant when chewed. My preferred salmon is cured and smoked. Curing helps solve most of salmon's textural challenges, and fixes the flavor too. Smoking fixes even more.

http://www.primalgrill.org/recipe_details.asp?RecipeID=6&EpisodeID=1

I rather disagree with your other characterizations of qualities of fish as well.

 

[maryb]

There are many reasons people don't care for fish but one of the main ones is that it tastes "fishy."

That being said many people are/were exposed to fish that may not have been fresh.

Fresh fish doesn't smell, but that is a hard one to convince people of.....

As an example with salmon, that Omega 3 fatty part that is supposed to be healthy, if you leave it on and cook it right away it's going be good.

If you leave it on then freeze the fish then thaw it, that fat makes the fish taste rancid.

 

[koukouvagia]

It's true, I do not enjoy fresh water fish!

 

[teamfat]

Yes, lake fish like perch and bluegill are really good.

We had salmon at my sister-in-law's Christmas evening. Her husband has some sort of intestinal problem, can't recall the name. You'd think after 30 years I'd remember.  Anyway the salmon was not seasoned at all and in the oven for 15 minutes or so too long. I ate it and smiled anyway.  I liked my tea cured salmon in one of my brunch entries much better.

mjb.