I’d like to start eating a little fish but I’ve always been one of those that “doesn’t like seafood”. In reality, I haven’t tried that much. It stems from eating fresh caught trout as a kid… the bones weirded me out.

I DO like canned tuna. And I DO like “fish sticks” (Trader Joes Fish Nuggets are amazing).

Today is my shopping day and I’m down to try something new. What is a nice, mild starting place, and how should I cook it?

Salmon on the grill.

Tilapia is a good white fish, Cod is also a good choice, not as "fishy" tasting. Sea Bass is excellent, although a bit pricey compared to the others listed.

Find a good market to buy the fish, and learning to properly cook it is important.

Salmon is excellent, Costco sells a three filet pre seasoned pan, just pop in the oven or on the grill the butter on top melts while it cooks. Very good stuff...

Blackened Salmon is amazing and really doesn't taste fishy at all.
Black Cod, also called butterfish, is also one of my favorites.

I personally stay away from Tilapia. Most of what you'll find is farm raised, and farmed fish are usually higher in pollutants.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Tilapia is a good white fish, Cod is also a good choice, not as "fishy" tasting. Sea Bass is excellent, although a bit pricey compared to the others listed.

Find a good market to buy the fish, and learning to properly cook it is important.

Salmon is excellent, Costco sells a three filet pre seasoned pan, just pop in the oven or on the grill the butter on top melts while it cooks. Very good stuff...

Tilapia fish tacos with a good dressing and slaw is not so fishy tasting.

Grilled salmon & tilapia.

If you don't mind fried, catfish can be non-fishy as well.

I have been serving this to my special guests for years, and we have converted some folks who don't like fish to loving the salmon. It is my most requested recipe. FY I use orange marmalade in place of orange zest.
https://biggreenegg.com/recipes/cedar-planked-salmon/

I eat a lot of grilled Salmon. I usually get filets with the skin on and coat it with a little olive oil and sprinkle Cajun seasoning on it. Major yum!

Jim

I'd eat fish if it didn't taste like fish or have that weird texture.

I will eat Shrimp, Lobster Crab and clams though

Grilled Tuna and other salt water white fish are bone free and as long as they are fresh don't have a fishy taste or smell.

Pollock is another very mild white fish.

People who "who don't like fish" because "it's fishy" often have been ruined early in their lives by BAD FISH, fish that is either old or spoiled and they think all fish is like that.

OP, try:

Baked Cod with a herbed breadcrumb topping and a mustard cream sauce

Or

Grilled Teriyaki marinated Salmon

Getting FRESH good fish is key. That's why you have to be able to see and smell it first.

Any of my suggestions would cost you an arm and a leg since they would be Gulf seafood. But, in order, my choices are;
Scamp, Triple tail, Grouper and Red Snapper. Cooked on the grill and then have some lemon butter to sprinkle on it.
If you get over this way these are what you should try, in my opinion.

Try this. I fix the first recipe all the time (without the taters). It's quick, easy, and very yummy. Don't overcook it!

Grouper and Red Snapper are excellent choices...

Get fresh or quality frozen. I like to make salmon on the grill—your choice of a glaze like brown sugar bourbon or something bottled from the supermarket will significantly influence your appreciation. Halibut, Chilean Sea Bass, maybe grouper are good. Do you know anyone who can show you cooking technique? You bring the fish and they cook it. Don’t overlook cold water lobster and king crab. You might do well to try a lunch at a good seafood restaurant.

I think Trader Joe’s has frozen, vac packed filets of both cod and salmon. Would that be a decent way to start, or should the frozen stuff be avoided?

I'm fond of fish and chips, beer battered or panko but I prefer panko.

2 tips
first off try MahiMahi, it has a very firm texture, so its similar to chicken and that makes the new fish eater transition a little easier.

Pro restaurant tip here. This comes from a guy I knew RIP who has owned about 5 high end restaurants. Vodka wash all shrip and cuts of fish before prep and cooking.

Take a shallow paper bowl or similar, pour a little vodka in it, not good stuff but not shitty, like absolute or sky, not popov nor kettle one, rinse the fish in it, then wash with water. Something about the vodka chemically neutralizes the slime that fish gets on it as it sits. Even fresh fish will kind of seep and oil sheen, this wipes that out and doesn't change the taste of the fish. I find this super helpful for shrimp cocktail especially.

Fishy tasting fish is somewhat neutralized by a milk marinade. Submerge in milk in the fridge for 24 hours.

If you don't like fishy fish...make sure to remove the skin first.

Generally the larger the fish, the easier it is to remove the bones.

Halibut and Cod are both a white fish with a very neutral flavor to begin with. Remove skin, milk marinade, and then cook however you like...they'll both, like chicken, take on the flavors of what you cook them in.

Another trick to making nasty fish taste good is to make a cheese & mayonnaise mixture, put it on in the last 3-5 minutes of cooking under a broiler.