Fish/shellfish

[rabet]

I mentioned this on another thread recently but no one explained the reason for their preference. The thing is that I am genuinely at a loss to understand why so many people say they won't eat fish, or indeed any seafood. In our house ( I do the cooking!) we eat all kinds of fish and shellfish. When I was a child we lived near the coast and frequently had plaice, skate, mackerel, crab, mussels, winkles, whelks and many other seafoods, all of which I eat today. Mrs R did not have these in her childhood but now loves them.
Please could somebody explain why they find such foods unpalatable? Or perhaps join me in recommending them? I really would like to know why people find, let's say, a grilled sea-bass unacceptable?

[FrogNog]

I enjoy most shellfish of those I'vev tried. Grit will stop me eating anything forever so cockles are out though.
Some fish just tastes too, well, fishy.
Rotting food smells a bit fishy, so maybe we're hard wired to draw back from the more pungent stuff.
Looks are half of it too I think. I don't mind eating tentacles but I don't like fish serves with its head on and I won't eat a fish bones and all, no matter how small it is.
Shellfish is tender and sweet and delicate and I would crawl over hot coals for some nice scallops.

[Tilly2]

I love fish and shellfish so I can't really help, rabet

[TonyV]

Rabat can only agree skate wing lovely smoked mackerel etc + all those good oils as well as flavour

[DTCwordfan]

Because some folk are allergic to fish. Being highly allergic to bananas - i.e send me to hossie, I can fully sympathise.

Seafood - for a lot of folk, they often have had a bad incident with it, resulting in long sessions worshipping the big white telephone and they don't want to risk it again.

[Prudie]

I love love all seafood except scallops. I find all white fish totally boring, tastes the same and would never pick it off a menu indeed I think there's a lot of trendy carp where fish is concerned. Sea bass was 'the' thing to have a few years back, now it seems to be monkfish. All the same to me.

[AlwaysConfused]

I'll eat any fish. My dad and uncles used to fish and bring home some great delicacies. We'd sit at home in anticipation of what they would catch, it was so exciting. I don't remember any dilemmas of 'how do you bone/cook this', there was no Rick Stein book at hand, they just knew what to do. Me and MrAC went winkling last year, a great laugh, good exercise.....stank the friggin house out and had sand between my teeth for the next week. I guess we just lost the knack somewhere down the generations!

[TonyV]

Frognog you just got the taste buds going lol scallops on black sausage mmm

[Tilly2]

I did have pike once. That was a bit difficult to eat.

[rabet]

Fish, bones and all? Try whitebait, with vinegar and crusty fresh bread. Lush!

[237SJ]

I`m like you - was brought up beside the sea (Atlantic coast) and I love all fish and seafood. I don`t know anyone who was brought up beside the sea that doesn`t like fish/seafood unless they were allergic to it. I have a townie friend and she hates fish and she said that she just has an aversion to the look of fish. She hates anything about them - whether it is fish or fish designs in interior design/fabrics etc.

[woofgang]

rabet, for the same reason people find other foods unpalatable or off putting.

[AlwaysConfused]

whitebait! crunchy, tasty goodness

[DTCwordfan]

Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines - love them, on white fish, give a lemon sole and possibly monkfish if roasted.....

Seafood, anything but cockles - love scallops, crab, lobster, langoustines, spoots etc. - keep the cooking 'simple' please.

[DTCwordfan]

TonyV - try scallops on Hog's Pudding for a variation.....

[AlwaysConfused]

DTC - I agree with keeping the cooking simple. My favourite starter has to be mussels. I chose Mexican spiced mussels once in a restaurant. Totally ruined the taste. A little garlic butter would have been suffice

[mazie]

Halibut, the food of the gods.. Love all seafood

[rabet]

I agree about pike tilly. Full of bones! But to anyone that wouldn't eat cockles ~ rinse them thoroughly (fresh, not pickled in vinegar), Google a recipe for "vongole" and try that.

[BlackadderV]

I very rarely eat fish, even though I love it; the reason being that it is so expensive that it is cheaper to buy prime fillet steak. Of course, we all know whose fault that is!

[Tilly2]

I remember we had a very heavy red wine with the pike. That helped it go down.

[rabet]

Hi woofgang, thanks, but that is not an explanation.