How to make fish taste "not fishy"?!

[EvilHerbivore]

After watching that programme on channel 4 last night about the worlds best diets and noticing that a big part of all of them was eating lots of fish, I want us to start eating more - only problem is DP doesn't like it!

He'll eat tuna steaks and battered cod but won't eat salmon as it tastes "too fishy" so is there any other fish we could try that taste more meaty than fishy iyswim? Or any good recipes?

Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna (!)) tastes more fishy than white fish like cod, haddock, etc so I'm surprised that he likes tuna! You can make your own 'battered' fish very easily which will be much more healthy than anything that comes out of a box. Dredge fish fillet in seasoned flour, beaten egg (mixed with a touch of Dijon if you like) and then breadcrumbs or panko and then bake in the oven for 15-20 mins at about 200C (or pan fry until golden and crispy). A very easy marinade for salmon (which might take away the 'fishy' taste is soy, Dijon, olive oil & minced garlic. Marinate for 20 mins or so and then pan fry for 2-3 mins per side, depending on how thick the fillet is. Delicious with stir fried or steamed veggies and some sticky sushi rice or noodles.

Monkfish is a very 'meaty' fish which stands up well in curries too, worth a try.

Sea bass is not very fishy, rather meaty

Tuna steak isn't that "fishy" though and it's not that oily in comparison with salmon, herring and mackerel etc.

The gristle fish - dogfish (aka huss), monkfish etc are more "meaty" and have the added advantage of almost no bones :)

Ray/Skate has more bones (although they're all gristly bones, not sharp ones) and doesn't taste that "fishy" - goes very nicely with a black butter and caper sauce!

Currying fish takes all the fish flavour out of it, IME. I'm not a fan (but I'm not a fan of curry!)

Start with the white gristle fish, work up through the white flake fish and then maybe you can move onto pan-fried or grilled salmon - but fgs take any skin off, and the white fatty bits (beyond disgusting!) - and you might want to remove the grey bits (although they have more nutrients in them)

As a fish hater it is not possible to make fish taste non fishy! Some fish might be meatier in texture but its still fishy.

I have tried and tried to like fish and just can't do it.

We like firm white fish like hake or haddock baked in a thick tomato and veg sauce. Seems less like a fish meal somehow!

Make sure it is super fresh.
Thats what has converted me to eating fish, rather than disliking it due to fishyness.

Swordfish is very un fishy, bit like tuna

Strong flavours like curry and pesto will hide much of the fishiness

As someone who will only eat battered cod and cod fishfingers, I think you may struggle to find anything 'not fishy' for the determined fish refuser.

But if he'll eat cod you could try serving that up in different ways to try to encourage the idea that fish is worth eating, then swap the cod for something similar, and see if he can be gently led that way...

Since my DH dislikes fish as much as I do, neither of us have made any effort to convince the other

I hate fish, but I've been revamping my diet for the last month and I'm working my way through them. I watched that programme too, it was a real eye opener. All of that junk! I tend to eat a lot of veg and not a lot of processed junk anyway but it's definitely given me more of a nudge. I'm interested in the Scandi diet, I think that's doable.

With fish, the fresher it is, the less 'fishy' it tastes. Avoid anything that looks slimy/smells very fishy or a fish with cloudy eyes as they have been out of the sea for too long.

As suggested, start with the delicate ones which taste nothing like fish, I'd go for Mahi mahi, then crayfish (nice with mayo and a little dill).

tastes just like chicken! seriously. It tastes nothing like fish.

Crayfish also tastes nothing like fish (or prawns). Scallops are gross.

Dab is lovely and has a very mild flavour but the bones are an absolute PITA.

White crab is lovely. I cook it with diced pancetta and mix with pasta and sundried tomato pesto.

Rainbow trout is fairly nice (it's slightly better than mackerel). Cook in a closed paper bag with some butter and some slightly crushed pepper corns.

Tuna steaks taste different to canned tuna. They can contain trace bits of mercury though so it's best not to eat it too often.

Smoked salmon, cream cheese and gravalax is lovely.

I haven't tried swordfish yet, lobster tastes OK but it's not worth the price.

I cook salmon fillets in soy sauce, honey and Chinese five spice, no bones and you can buy without the skin if you prefer. Serve with stir fry veg and noodles and chilli sauce - tasty and not very fishy as the spices are quite strong.

Two words - salmon teriyaki
Google Nigella's recipe for Chicken Teriyaki and use it for salmon fillets instead. By the way, I don't use any sugar at all as i find it too sweet, and I use frozen crushed ginger (from Sainsburys) rather than grating my own. One cube = a teaspoon. Even the kids like salmon when it's cooked this way!