# Gross "Flounder" Meal



## SeaBreeze

Just got finished eating some wild fresh "flounder" fillets, that looked very nice in the store, a bargain at $3.99 lb.  We kind of remembered having flounder a long time ago that wasn't good, but we both enjoyed fresh caught flounder as children that was delicious.

Well, we went on a seafood diet today.  Not the kind where you see food and eat it, but the kind where you make seafood and half of it ends up in the trash.  We didn't even give any to the dog or cat, because the fish was soooo mushy, that the seasonings mixed in...and we don't give spicy, salty or peppery stuff to our furkids.

This flounder was grilled in the oven for around 12 min, no turning over.  When I tasted it, I put it back for another minute or so to be sure it wasn't undercooked.  Well...it didn't taste too bad, but the texture was like mashed potatoes, mushy and sickening really, made you want to gag.   It fell apart so bad, that we joked about serving it and eating it with a spoon.

So, I went online to find out about flounder.  They said that a lot of flounder sold was a less desireable "Arrowtooth" flounder.  This fish is supposed to excrete an enzyme that breaks down the flesh, so when preparing it, it becomes pastey or mushy, regardless of how it's cooked or how long.  They say sometimes the sellers mislabel fish, and even Turbot or Sole, can wind up being this arrowtooth flounder. 

:shark:


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## SifuPhil

THAT is nasty! 

I confine my piscatorial pursuits to the tin-can variety with the "Bumblebee" label on it. It might have mercury and lead, but at least it's firm.


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## Steve

We happen to be very lucky when it comes to fish..
I buy only frozen salmon and I make sure it isn't KETA salmon as that is no good..

During the fishing months, we only eat the fish we catch which is mostly MUSKY ...
We catch a big variety of fish and keep most of it to freeze for the later months..

Flounder is a very particular fish.. It is very thin and can be difficult to cook.. Perhaps frying or broiling the fish would be better, but if it is that weird variety, throw it out !!!!!!

You might be safer sticking to the basic fish..


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## Ozarkgal

Being from Oregon where seafood was fresh and plentiful at one time,  we used to eat it at least once a week.  Several years ago hubby developed an allergy to shellfish that almost took him out, so as much as I love it, it doesn't come in the house anymore.  

 I am very leery of fish and shellfish these days with all the pollution in the water, coupled with the fact that most either comes from China or is processed there. Also, it has been reported recently that much of the fish these days is mislabled and consumers are being warned that a high percentage of the time they are not buying the fish they thought they were. Too much to beware with fish consumption these days.

 I do miss the days of halibut, salmon, dungeness and king crab, clams, oysters on the half shell and shrimp...Those were good eating times....sigh..Even if I were inclined to buy it I refuse to pay $15 a pound for a piece of halibut, and being in rural Arkansas it is a moot point anyway.


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## rkunsaw

Ozarkgal, in Arkansas you can catch, crappie, bass, catfish, walleye, sauger, trout, and many fish in the bluegill family. 

You can also get salmon, mackerel, tuna, etc. but they come in a can.


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## SeaBreeze

Steve said:


> I buy only frozen salmon and I make sure it isn't KETA salmon...
> 
> Flounder is a very particular fish.. It is very thin and can be difficult to cook.. Perhaps frying or broiling the fish would be better, but if it is that weird variety, throw it out !!!!!!



I agree, we won't buy Keta salmon (or Silverbrite) either!  I did broil it in the oven, and my mother used to prepare fresh flounder, usually fried, and always tasty and good texture.   Hard to tell it's a weird variety, when it looks white and fresh, and is labeled fresh wild caught flounder.  But I will have to go with more familiar fish from now on.

We recently had some cod and rockfish that was really good.  Farm raised salmon is bad, and a lot of it is farmed in Chili.  But we've had some really good farm raised Norwegian salmon and lox (smoked salmon)...from Norway it always tastes good.  Also like the wild caught Alaskan salmon.  I like to get in my Omega 3s, with fish, flaxseed and supplements...lots of health benefits.


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## SeaBreeze

Ozarkgal said:


> Being from Oregon where seafood was fresh and plentiful at one time,  we used to eat it at least once a week.  Several years ago hubby developed an allergy to shellfish that almost took him out, so as much as I love it, it doesn't come in the house anymore.
> 
> I am very leery of fish and shellfish these days with all the pollution in the water, coupled with the fact that most either comes from China or is processed there. Also, it has been reported recently that much of the fish these days is mislabled and consumers are being warned that a high percentage of the time they are not buying the fish they thought they were. Too much to beware with fish consumption these days.
> 
> I do miss the days of halibut, salmon, dungeness and king crab, clams, oysters on the half shell and shrimp...Those were good eating times....sigh..Even if I were inclined to buy it I refuse to pay $15 a pound for a piece of halibut, and being in rural Arkansas it is a moot point anyway.



We had some good fish when we camped on the Oregon coast! We went out fishing on a boat, and caught some Ling Cod that was awesome, also some good crab legs.  Spread out the newspapers on the tiny table in our camper, got out the pliers, and heated up the butter...yummm.  

Now they say that radioactive poison is hitting the coastline from Fukushima, and affecting the waters too.  Between the pollution, chemicals/metals being sprayed on us from above, and the GMO crops...we're doomed! 

Too bad hubby is allergic to shellfish, glad he's okay.  PS: love your cute little crabby!


http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...d=sm_gplus_wap


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## rkunsaw

Just looking over your chart Seabreeze. I noticed there are 4 different kinds of Mackerel ranging from one of the healthiest fish to one of the worst. I doubt there is any way of knowing which kind you are buying, especially the canned kind which is what I buy.


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## SeaBreeze

I know, unless you were able to research that particular company and find out what kind of fish they use, and then you'd have to trust their answer.  Here's another older listing of fish regarding mercury...



> Consumer Guide to *Mercury* in *Fish
> 
> *The list below shows the amount of various types of *fish* that a woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant can safely eat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. People with small children who want to use the list as a guide should reduce portion sizes. Adult men, and women who are not planning to become pregnant, are less at risk from *mercury* exposure but may wish to refer to the list for low-mercury choices.
> 
> Protecting yourself -- and the *fish*: Certain *fish*, even some that are low in *mercury*, make poor choices for other reasons, most often because they have been fished so extensively that their numbers are perilously low. These *fish* are marked with an asterisk (read more below).
> 
> This list applies to *fish* caught and sold commercially. For information about *fish* you catch yourself, check for advisories in your state.
> 
> LEAST *MERCURY
> 
> *Enjoy these *fish*:
> 
> Anchovies
> Butterfish
> Catfish
> Clam
> Crab (Domestic)
> Crawfish/Crayfish
> Croaker (Atlantic)
> Flounder***
> Haddock (Atlantic)***
> Hake
> Herring
> Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
> Mullet
> Oyster
> Perch (Ocean)
> Plaice
> Pollock
> Salmon (Canned)****
> Salmon (Fresh)****
> Sardine
> Scallop***
> Shad (American)
> Shrimp***
> Sole (Pacific)
> Squid (Calamari)
> Tilapia
> Trout (Freshwater)
> Whitefish
> Whiting
> 
> MODERATE *MERCURY
> 
> *Eat six servings or less per month:
> 
> Bass (Striped, Black)
> Carp
> Cod (Alaskan)***
> Croaker (White Pacific)
> Halibut (Atlantic)***
> Halibut (Pacific)
> Jacksmelt
> (Silverside)
> Lobster
> Mahi Mahi
> Monkfish***
> Perch (Freshwater)
> Sablefish
> Skate***
> Snapper***
> Tuna (Canned
> chunk light)
> Tuna (Skipjack)***
> Weakfish (Sea Trout)
> 
> HIGH *MERCURY
> 
> *Eat three servings or less per month:
> 
> Bluefish
> Grouper***
> Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
> Sea Bass (Chilean)***
> Tuna (Canned Albacore)
> Tuna (Yellowfin)***
> 
> HIGHEST *MERCURY
> 
> *Avoid eating:
> 
> Mackerel (King)
> Marlin***
> Orange Roughy***
> Shark***
> Swordfish***
> Tilefish***
> Tuna
> (Bigeye, Ahi)***
> 
> ** Fish in Trouble! *These *fish* are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods. To learn more, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which provide guides to *fish* to enjoy or avoid on the basis of environmental factors.
> *** Farmed Salmon* may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects.
> 
> *Sources for NRDC's guide:* The data for this guide to *mercury* in *fish* comes from two federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration, which tests *fish* for *mercury*, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which determines *mercury* levels that it considers safe for women of childbearing age.
> 
> 
> 
> *About the mercury-level categories: *The categories on the list (least *mercury* to highest *mercury*) are determined according to the following *mercury* levels in the flesh of tested *fish*.
> 
> Least *mercury*: Less than 0.09 parts per million
> Moderate *mercury*: From 0.09 to 0.29 parts per million
> High *mercury*: From 0.3 to 0.49 parts per million
> Highest *mercury*: More than .5 parts per million


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## R. Zimm

Much of what is sold as one fish or another is actually another species. That is one of the big problems in the grocery and restaurant seafood business and most of the public does not know what's what. I suggest you start going to a local fish market, get to know the staff, ask questions, do some research. I've noticed fillets in the store that could not be what is claimed because the shape is just wrong.

I used to work in a fish market in college btw.


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## rkunsaw

R. Zimm said:


> Much of what is sold as one fish or another is actually another species. That is one of the big problems in the grocery and restaurant seafood business and most of the public does not know what's what. I suggest you start going to a local fish market, get to know the staff, ask questions, do some research. I've noticed fillets in the store that could not be what is claimed because the shape is just wrong.
> 
> I used to work in a fish market in college btw.



That sounds like good advice but local fish markets don't exist in Arkansas. The only fish I buy is the canned kind. Fresh fish I catch myself.


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## SifuPhil

I wonder if, in some parts of the world, goldfish are considered appetizers?

Or, in certain cases, the main meal ...


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## Ozarkgal

rkunsaw said:


> That sounds like good advice but local fish markets don't exist in Arkansas.


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## R. Zimm

I find wild caught frozen flounder at my local Super Target from time to time and it is very nice. Keep an eye out for it.


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## rkunsaw

What's a Super Target? Is it something like walmart supercenters?  They have a Target store in Fort Smith (55 miles) but I don't know if it's Super.


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## Ozarkgal

SifuPhil said:


> I wonder if, in some parts of the world, goldfish are considered appetizers?
> 
> Or, in certain cases, the main meal ...
> 
> View attachment 440



I would be surprised if they didn't eat them.  In some countries much more "exotic" things are eaten.  Goldfish are a carp and can grow much larger than the one in the picture, if they have the room, such as in a river.


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## Ozarkgal

rkunsaw said:


> What's a Super Target? Is it something like walmart supercenters?  They have a Target store in Fort Smith (55 miles) but I don't know if it's Super.



Yes, same concept.  They have a lot of them in Texas (every thing is bigger). I seldom shopped there because the traffic was such a boondoggle around the one closest to me, you took you life in your hands getting in and out of there.  Also, something never captured my interest in the merchandise or layout.


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## jayb

Most of these posts missed the POINT. It was a variety of flounder known as Arrowtooth, and it is disgustingly awful ...which is one reason that it can sell for as little as $2 a pound, and it is caught in Alaska--slimy , mushy fish ...One store near me sold it as Alaskan Flounder , next day after I brought it back ......they changed it to just ."flounder filets-wild caught" That is like having a sale on exotic sought after fruit -without the name -Durian.    Arrowtooth flounder BEWARE "Inedible'' is the word the Alaska Department of Fish and Game once used to use to define the arrowtooth as table far


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## SeaBreeze

Thanks @jayb, that's probably what I bought without knowing it.


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## jujube

We used to eat Tilapia until I learned how it was "raised" in China, which seems to be where most of it comes from. Ugh.....  the conditions are disgusting.


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## SeaBreeze

jujube said:


> We used to eat Tilapia until I learned how it was "raised" in China, which seems to be where most of it comes from. Ugh.....  the conditions are disgusting.


I agree, tried it years ago when my mother in law was buying it.  I never liked the taste, and when I found out about the farming conditions for these fish, I was really turned off.  They call it 'tofu of the sea'


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## fmdog44

rkunsaw said:


> What's a Super Target? Is it something like walmart supercenters?  They have a Target store in Fort Smith (55 miles) but I don't know if it's Super.


Yes there are Super Targets in some places.


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## fmdog44

If the flounder was frozen defrosting may be the key.


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