Eating freshwater fish

[markcw]

Nope, I was reading a book and wanted to finish it, then had half an hour or so on the laptop. then fell asleep with it still switched on.

 

[tomino2112]

Back home (Czech republic) deep-fried carp is a traditional dish for Christmas. Same as turkey over here. There is great tradition around it, those who know how to fish will go out on the lakes to catch the best looking one for the plate, those who can't will relentlessly search markets. We also put carp scales under our plates in "hope" that it will bring us money in the year to come.

Unfortunately I dislike the taste and so usually have one bite out of tradition and then have deep-fried chicken (Schnitzel). Some people though, like my granny, will freeze the carp and then fry it during the year and eat it with a good movie at night and such, thats how much they enjoy it.

My Grandfather was passionate angler and was coming up with his own recipes for dishes, salads, pickled fish etc so I have eaten many kinds of fish as a young boy. I wouldn't look for it now, enjoy saltwater fish much more, that being said I would love to try well prepared Perch as everyone says they are delicious.

This is it usually looks on markets:

On a plate (with potato salad):

 

[mikench]

I reckon even I could catch one of those carp!!!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I reckon even I could catch one of those carp!!!

Nah, it wouldstill take a angler lol

Interesting post Tomino . . . . .

I like the idea of placing a scale under the plate to bring good luck . . . . over here we simply throw lots of money down the tackle trade’s drain in the hopes of better luck

 

[tigger]

When i was a kid my dad used to take me on his works matches although he never fished himself.
At the end of the match there was always 2/3 fella's collecting all the eels caught.
I can remember my mother was never best pleased when we took some home.
They both liked the eels though but there was just too many bones in for me.
I also tried a pike once but didn't rate that either.
How times change.

Too many bones in an eel .....?

 

[S-Kippy]

Too many bones in an eel .....?

I dont know about too many but they are very sharp edged. That said the way eels are built [?] its dead easy to remove the flesh from the bones.

Dont take eels any more but I have occasion to visit that there London from time to time and if I'm in the right area I cannot walk past a proper old Cockernee Pie,eels and mash shop. Delicious....and always very busy.

 

[Aussie Bob]

Perch (locally known as redfin) is very good eating although a bit of pain to prepare . A lot of local anglers out here rate it over trout nice white firm flesh.

 

[Keith M]

Too many bones in an eel .....?

The first time I had Jellied eels was when the mother in law (from London) cooked up some jellied eel for us to try and I put a large bit into my mouth and crunched away and it was full of bone and I hated it.

When I asked why they didn’t take the bones out before cooking; the wife told me that if you de-boned the eel there wouldn’t be much left to cook and they always left the bones in when making jellied eels - your supposed to eat the flesh off of the bones.

Perch (locally known as redfin) is very good eating although a bit of pain to prepare . A lot of local anglers out here rate it over trout nice white firm flesh.

In an old book I read that the Pike used to be more expensive and more preferred on the plate than the Salmon in times gone by.

In the same book it described Gudgeon parties on the banks of the Thames where the ladies and gents used to Catch gudgeon and then have them fried up on the bank.

It must have been upstream of London though as I thought that the Thames was just an open sewer back in those days?.

Keith

 

[theartist]

I had eel chinese style when I worked in a Chinese restaurant, the bone in the middle is a nightmare, one of the few dishes they made me that wasn't to my liking. I always thought jellied eel was jellied as it was already de-boned therfore easier to eat?

 

[Keith M]

I had eel chinese style when I worked in a Chinese restaurant, the bone in the middle is a nightmare, one of the few dishes they made me that wasn't to my liking. I always thought jellied eel was jellied as it was already de-boned therfore easier to eat?

Thats what I assumed before I ate them, but the wife says ‘no’ they leave the bones in when they cook traditional jellied eels.

Keith

 

[theartist]

Thats what I assumed before I ate them, but the wife says ‘no’ they leave the bones in when they cook traditional jellied eels.

Keith

Yeah but wouldn't they cook it with the bones on but serve it off the bone? I've never had jellied eel(Must be some cockneys on here who know) Maybe the mother in law was trying to bump you off at the time and your missus is in on it lol

 

[mikench]

I had jellied eel at the Camra real ale festival at Aexandra Palace many years ago and it was like needles in jelly! I have also had smoked eel and it was delicious!

 

[theartist]

I had jellied eel at the Camra real ale festival at Aexandra Palace many years ago and it was like needles in jelly! I have also had smoked eel and it was delicious!

Jellied Eel at Ally Pally, You're 'avin a giraffe mate who knew you were a closet geezer

 

[Keith M]

Yeah but wouldn't they cook it with the bones on but serve it off the bone? I've never had jellied eel(Must be some cockneys on here who know) Maybe the mother in law was trying to bump you off at the time and your missus is in on it lol

Her indoors was bought up in Islington and I was born in Balham so we are both originally from different parts of London; and the wife and her side of the family were virtually bought up on jellied eels.

I have never liked jellied eels, mostly because of the bones that are in them although even if there were no bones at all I don’t think I would be very keen on them

Mikes “needles in jelly” description is not far off the mark .

Keith

 

[Philip]

I have to say I was not a fan of jellied Eels either. A local chipie used to sell them in polystyrene cups ...not nice but very popular. People used to have them with "green liquor" - which was basically the water the Eels were cooked in ..and yes it was as horrible as it sounds.

 

[Another Dave]

Do they still sell them? What with eels being on the endangered red list.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I only ever tried jellied eels once and just didn’t like it at all as it felt like eating cotton wool impregnated with pins, which is how I’d describe eating Pike as well, unless made into fish cakes and heavily seasoned.

I have eaten smoked eel, abroad, and that is really quite good but it had been boned prior to being served.