One man's trash fish, another man's gourmet meal

[bigoledude]

Someone a couple of posts down just mentioned that he enjoyed eating Jack Crevalle. He took some criticism over this. Personally, I've never eaten Jack.

Well, just add Jacks to the list of sheephead, mullet, gar, gafftops, choupique, hardheads and channel mullet.

How the delicious channel mullet, one of the best tasting fish around, was ever considered trash, is still a mystery to me! And, sheephead, to me, is the sac-a-lait of salt water.

Way back maaany years ago the only way to drive across the MrGo from St. Bernard Parish was on what we called the "Pontoon Bridge". It was a string of very raggedy old leaking barges strung across the ship channel. They were all different heights! A tug boat would swing the barges away when a ship approached. My Mom would drop us off at night with the old guys fishing the speckled trout from under the lights of the barges. When redfish showed up, they'd start cursing "these trash stinking redfish". We'd all reel our lines in and wait for these trash fish to pass through. The only thing you could hear during these lulls in the fishing was the pumps trying to keep these rotten barges from sinking!

Needless to say, for many years now, I really enjoy redfish. Just like the other fish mentioned at the top of my post.

Delacroix Island has a good number of fresh water catfish. A friend of mine owns a camp there and asked me to cook up some hardheads to feed about 12 friends of ours and tell them it was fresh-water cats. I had fried some hardheads for dinner for him and his wife a couple of years ago. This night I fixed the catfish for the guys with white beans and a big salad with my crushed garlic salad dressing.

I don't like feeding people and lying to them about what they're eating. I once saw a guy go off the deep end when fed nutria and was told it was something else. I insisted that my friend tell them afterward it was his idea. They couldn't have cared less!

They ate every single filet of hardhead and loved it. Most of them kept all the keeper-sized 'heads they caught on the next days fishing.

[Robert Haynes]

My wife is Italian. When she makes her spaghetti sauce, she puts pigs feet in it. Now we all know that the only reason the tradition of pigs feet ever started is cuz they were out of the rest of the pig. I'm just sayin...

[bigoledude]

That's right. How many people consider organ meat from beef or pork repulsive? If Winn Dixie don't sell it, it just can't be edible!

Heart, tongue, kidney and many other organ meats are absolutely fabulous. Yet all over Earope organ meat is the most expensive. While in France, we were served or offered horse meat nearly evertywhere. Can you imagine here....

I enjoy most organ meats. However, beef spleen is bad. And, it too is served up all over Europe and Asia. It's what we call "melts" (crawfish bait).

[swamp snorkler]

I wouldn't be against keeping a hard head or a gafftop. Only problem with a hardhead is that you need a 4lb fish to get a 1 oz fillet, they don't have much meat on them. With that said, I have eaten hard heads and they taste like any other catfish.

[speck-addict]

To go on record, All the fish you mentioned are completely different. The reason why those fish get a bad rep is usually to do with there diet or what they look like. The reasons why Jacks get a bad rep is because they eat anything, the smell like ****, and is considered as bait to everyone that fishes offshore. Can you eat it? I'm sure, but the question stands do you really wanna eat that? A lot of work for a fish that really doesn't taste good. To each there own. But a Jack Cruevelle is a Jack Cruevelle

[AlexOrtego]

Originally Posted by bigoledude

That's right. How many people consider organ meat from beef or pork repulsive? If Winn Dixie don't sell it, it just can't be edible!

Heart, tongue, kidney and many other organ meats are absolutely fabulous. Yet all over Earope organ meat is the most expensive. While in France, we were served or offered horse meat nearly evertywhere. Can you imagine here....

I enjoy most organ meats. However, beef spleen is bad. And, it too is served up all over Europe and Asia. It's what we call "melts" (crawfish bait).

i eat bouie(beef) and flisuirs(pork,however you spell it) and i enjoy the gravy and most of the meat

[Cappy]

I have had bouie some call it debree but aint ever ahd pork innards they always got put in the boudin or choudin.

[Elkhunter49]

Just because something's edible doesn't mean it's good to eat!

[Southern Sportsman]

I have heard in my earlier years that coupique, Spanish mack, gar and tons of other fish are not good to eat, when I ask some one what they taste like they just reply " I never tasted it" I have eaten almost every type of fish that I have caught, some are better than others. But no need to tell someone that it is not good if you never have tried it( I am not trying to say YOU have to try it) but a good cook can make almost any thing good. I grew up in country and you would not believe the thinks that I ate with my grandparents and parents and still eat most of those things today. So if you like it eat on!!

[Andy C]

Originally Posted by bigoledude

That's right. How many people consider organ meat from beef or pork repulsive? If Winn Dixie don't sell it, it just can't be edible!

Heart, tongue, kidney and many other organ meats are absolutely fabulous. Yet all over Earope organ meat is the most expensive. While in France, we were served or offered horse meat nearly evertywhere. Can you imagine here....

I enjoy most organ meats. However, beef spleen is bad. And, it too is served up all over Europe and Asia. It's what we call "melts" (crawfish bait).

Horse is actually really good as a stake thats the only why I have had it an it was good!! We was in the south Pacific ex. Could not tell.

[LostKajun]

Originally Posted by Elkhunter49

Just because something's edible doesn't mean it's good to eat!

Andrew Zimmerman would defiantly disagree

[Broke Down]

I feel mostly that is knowing how to trim the meat. I love gaftop and will pass a fresh water cat up for a gaf hands down. Now, the conversation we may have about you dropping one on the floor of my boat may be different....lol!

[Gasper Master]

people wrinkle their nose when i tell them i ate Nutria.

My wife's uncle shot a couple young ones and i tell you, they looked just like rabbits in the pot, very white meat, and they were good!!!

Some, things i just will not try, but if someone says they ate it and it was good, who am i to judge.

[bigoledude]

Originally Posted by speck-addict

To go on record, All the fish you mentioned are completely different. The reason why those fish get a bad rep is usually to do with there diet or what they look like. The reasons why Jacks get a bad rep is because they eat anything, the smell like ****, and is considered as bait to everyone that fishes offshore. Can you eat it? I'm sure, but the question stands do you really wanna eat that? A lot of work for a fish that really doesn't taste good. To each there own. But a Jack Cruevelle is a Jack Cruevelle

Most of the people in this country wouldn't think of eating a crawfish. From coast-to-coast crawfish are mostly used for bait! Ever heard what crawfish eat? Enough to make you puke on your shoes! Can anyone think of an animal that has to be purged three or four times to make them edible? Yet, we eat them by the thousands of tons here.

I've never heard one person ever claim the Jack's diet as the reason why they don't eat them. I've seen thousands of times where Jacks were feeding on schools of mullet. If we quit eating mullet-eaters we'd have to give up some of the finest fish in the water.

Redfish and croakers are bottom scavengers as well as most catfish, freshwater or saltwater.

I think another very common reason people don't eat certain fish is because they don't know how to clean them or, because they take a little more effort to clean.

A sheephead is just plain hard to clean and when finished, the filets are small when you consider the size of fish you started with. I have watched some very experienced outdoorsmen try to clean a gar. Like watching a monkey making love to a football.

For a couple of hundred years people on the east coast considered it a serious insult to be called a "crab eater". Only the very poor and desperate ate crabs.

Hardheads are delicious. But, it's easy to see why they have a bad reputation. Even a tiny cut or puncture from the fin of a hardhead will have you in considerable pain. As I get older my skin has become more sensitive. Just holding a hardhead I can feel the toxicity of their slime burning my hands! I just use rubber gloves to clean them.

There are many reasons people don't eat certain good-tasting fish. Most of them based on ignorance. Like it's been said here, most people will admit they have never tasted the fish they tell you are inedible.

Gasper Master, young nutria are absolutely fabulous!

I was raised on a farm and my father also owned a successful business. We raised our own cattle, hogs, chickens and ducks. My family's garden was very large and diverse. My mom could outcook any one of my 12 aunts by a mile! So, I never ate out of desperation. I eat what I think tastes good.

[bigoledude]

My family on both my mom's and my dad's side were from Avoyelles Parish. Smack in the middle of Cajun Country.

Sometimes when we'd go visit, they'd ride over to Simmsport and buy some gaspergou from the Atchafalaya River hoop-fishermen. They cooked them in a red gravy. That nastiness would have a half-inch of fish oil floating on top! To this day, I don't like any fish cooked in a gravy.

Goo might be edible fixed some other way. But, cooked in a tomato gravy is about the foulest fish or food for that matter, I've ever put to my mouth.

[Renegade]

Originally Posted by bigoledude

Most of the people in this country wouldn't think of eating a crawfish. From coast-to-coast crawfish are mostly used for bait! Ever heard what crawfish eat? Enough to make you puke on your shoes! Can anyone think of an animal that has to be purged three or four times to make them edible? Yet, we eat them by the thousands of tons here.

I've never heard one person ever claim the Jack's diet as the reason why they don't eat them. I've seen thousands of times where Jacks were feeding on schools of mullet. If we quit eating mullet-eaters we'd have to give up some of the finest fish in the water.

Redfish and croakers are bottom scavengers as well as most catfish, freshwater or saltwater.

I think another very common reason people don't eat certain fish is because they don't know how to clean them or, because they take a little more effort to clean.

A sheephead is just plain hard to clean and when finished, the filets are small when you consider the size of fish you started with. I have watched some very experienced outdoorsmen try to clean a gar. Like watching a monkey making love to a football.

For a couple of hundred years people on the east coast considered it a serious insult to be called a "crab eater". Only the very poor and desperate ate crabs.

Hardheads are delicious. But, it's easy to see why they have a bad reputation. Even a tiny cut or puncture from the fin of a hardhead will have you in considerable pain. As I get older my skin has become more sensitive. Just holding a hardhead I can feel the toxicity of their slime burning my hands! I just use rubber gloves to clean them.

There are many reasons people don't eat certain good-tasting fish. Most of them based on ignorance. Like it's been said here, most people will admit they have never tasted the fish they tell you are inedible.

Gasper Master, young nutria are absolutely fabulous!

I was raised on a farm and my father also owned a successful business. We raised our own cattle, hogs, chickens and ducks. My family's garden was very large and diverse. My mom could outcook any one of my 12 aunts by a mile! So, I never ate out of desperation. I eat what I think tastes good.

My sentiments exactly.

Well said.

[Cappy]

When I was a kid we usta fish for Gars fillet them and hang them in the smoke house we used the smoked gar like ya do any other smoked meat. Back then Catholics didn't eat meat on any FRiday. We used the smoked Gar in dishes on friday for the smokey taste. Many a coubion or sauce picant had fish or seafood and smoked gar. It was posed to be a penance but I always looked forwards to seafood Fridays. We still hold that tradition most fridays.

[Jcredeur]

Originally Posted by Cappy

When I was a kid we usta fish for Gars fillet them and hang them in the smoke house we used the smoked gar like ya do any other smoked meat. Back then Catholics didn't eat meat on any FRiday. We used the smoked Gar in dishes on friday for the smokey taste. Many a coubion or sauce picant had fish or seafood and smoked gar. It was posed to be a penance but I always looked forwards to seafood Fridays. We still hold that tradition most fridays.

Garfish are nasty! Don't eat them! I'll come get rid of them for you!!! Lol


I used to turn my nose up to them but now you will not catch me passing up fried gar or a stuffed gar roast in a gravy! Puhhh getting hungry typing over here!


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[PiroguePat]

I make sausage with my gar, then in the smokehouse it goes. I find it last longer in the freezer.


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[eman]

Originally Posted by PiroguePat

I make sausage with my gar, then in the smokehouse it goes. I find it last longer in the freezer.


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If you read up on the subject you can use cure #1 in the sausage and it will last much longer.