I hate fish. Please help me like it.

[HIU8]

I hate pretty much all fish. I hate the look, taste, smell, feel etc.... I will do lox and whitefish and kippered salmon but that's it. I can choke down a salmon fillet or a tilapia fillet if I have (but I hate to do it). DS also refuses to eat fish. I am attempting to show him that he should eat fish (but how can I when I cannot stand to eat it).

Help me to tolerate fish to that DS will at least try it.

[BillK]

No Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Clams either?

I'm not a "huge" fish fan myself - but shellfish I LOVE and could eat for every meal of every day for the rest of my life.

Maybe try Sea Bass, Orange Roughy as they tend to be pretty mild.

[mommylamb]

I love fish, but I'm not sure you can learn to like something that you've never liked. I wish I could learn to like yogurt, but just the smell makes my throat close up.

But, fish is such a broad category. There are so many kinds with such different tastes. If you haven't tried certain types of fish, try them. Try them in a good fish restaurant so that you know they've been cooked well and that they taste the way they're meant to taste.

[HIU8]

hate shrimp. will eat crab but I do actually get an upset stomach from it. Won't touch lobster, clams, muscles etc... Plus, we don't bring it into the house anyway so when out I might get a crabcake (which doens't make me ill for some reason--eating crabs straight does though).

[boolady]

I have texture issues with some fish, but like fish that is flaky yet has substance, if that makes sense. I'm not a tilapia fan...it's too thin and textureless for me. I know lots of folks love it. I like mild, white fish, but ones that are thicker...like cod (Pacific...Atlantic is gettingcompletely overfished), grouper, halibut, mahi mahi, etc. I think you live in an area with Wegman's-- their flash frozen Pacific cod is excellent, as are their other flash/individually frozen fish. I used to love Chilean Sea Bass, but won't b/c it's been completely overfished. These are what I'm talking about.

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=368249

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=572944

Last year, in the fresh fish case, they had some line-caught Atlantic cod, which the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch considers a good choice b/c it's not trawled, and it was delicious.

I have lots of different fish recipes we really like...do you think you would like fish steamed in foil or parchment packets with vegetables, or do you think you would prefer it baked with an herby/crumby topping, or some other way? I can post any recipes I have that we enjoy, if that would help you.

[dogmom]

OK, a few questions:

What about the texture do you not like?

Have you ever had really fresh fish (just out of the water that morning)?

Do you not like the smell before or after cooking, or both?

[HIU8]

Yes, please post recipes you like (or you can pm me with them). I do like tuna steaks (but I like them seriously well done--which DH hates). I am a huge whitefish, lox and kippered salmon person (but I grew up eating those weekly and am used to them). They are very expensive to be purchasing on a regular basis though.

[boolady]

Have you ever had really fresh fish (just out of the water that morning)?

Do you not like the smell before or after cooking, or both?


I think these are great questions, and the suggestion to go to a good restaurant and have well-prepared fish is a great one, too. Fish that is "fresh" or "good" should never smell fishy or be slimy, either before you cook it or after. It should just smell clean and oceany.

I used to always buy fish only from a fresh local store that brought it in daily until we moved 8 years ago, and there are no places like that. I have been so pleasantly surprised by the Wegman's fish I linked you to, given that it's frozen. They do have a really good fish counter for a grocery store, though. Last summer, they had lots of dayboat fish and scallops caught right off of the coast of my state, but I think my love affair with Wegman's is well-documented. :rotflmao:

[boolady]

Yes, please post recipes you like (or you can pm me with them). I do like tuna steaks (but I like them seriously well done--which DH hates). I am a huge whitefish, lox and kippered salmon person (but I grew up eating those weekly and am used to them). They are very expensive to be purchasing on a regular basis though.

You got it. I can't do it right now, but I will!

[HIU8]

What about the texture do you not like?
Pretty much all textures except really thick solid fish.

Have you ever had really fresh fish (just out of the water that morning)?
No, just the thought of that is gross. I have caught fish before and I won't eat it. I don't like cleaning fish and I have to have someone else cut off the head for me.

Do you not like the smell before or after cooking, or both?
Neither

I know it's a hangup I have, and I see I've passed it to DS (so now I have to find some way to "fix" it).

[kijip]

Sometimes there is just no arguing with taste. Like a pp, the tiniest whiff of yogurt and I start feeling like I am going to vomit. I can bake with it but only if I don't breathe through my nose. At all. There is no changing that. If I could, I would. When the kids are eating it, I tend to stay out of smell range.

My kids love a lot of foods I don't like- namely the large number of dairy products that I despise. I think the key is to be really low-key in your distaste and comfortable serving it to the family.

I would serve lox and smoked salmon for breakfast somewhat regularly to expose him that way and just keep eating the fish you like.

I also agree with the advice to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant and try fish expertly prepared. Eventually you might find something you like more.

[liamsmom]

My husband makes a cioppino which is basically an Italian fish "stew." I say "stew" because he sort of makes it into a seafood meat sauce served over pasta. He uses a lot of the shell fish that you hate, but he often includes a non-offensive white fish, like cod. I wondering if your DS would like fish if it were presented in a more familiar way, like with spaghetti and red sauce. PM if you're interested in a recipe; DH would kill me if I just posted it on the web. (And I still want him to cook for me:)

[mezzona]

I've always hated fish until I had some freshly caught parrotfish. it was steamed whole w/o head, with julienned ginger in it's flesh. when done, drizzle hot garlic infused peanut oil over it and some soy sauce.

another recipe: fry filets dipped in flour. plate. sauce: melted butter and soy sauce, about 2:1. drizzle sauce over fish and squeeze a lemon over it.

i make both with firm, ocean fish. mahi, parrot, sea bass, roughy, cod.

eta. fresh fish does not at all smell or taste fishy or slimy. if you have a great source of fresh fish, their fish should taste better than the frozen stuff. also, they will clean and cut the fish for you.

[o_mom]

What about something like fishsticks? I know it's not a super-healthy, foodie, gourmet, fish, but if your goal is to get DS to eat more fish, maybe a kid-friendly option would be the way to start.

[HIU8]

He won't eat anything breaded. I have to make separate chicken etc.. for him when we do breaded chicken etc... DD is a fish and fishstick fiend. She is like DH. She will eat anything.

[Ceepa]

Once in a great while I'll have some tuna, but for the most part I don't like the smell of seafood, the taste of it, the idea of it. :ROTFLMAO: I've tried a variety of fish at home and in restaurants here and abroad. Still a no go.

[mikeys_mom]

hate shrimp. will eat crab but I do actually get an upset stomach from it. Won't touch lobster, clams, muscles etc... Plus, we don't bring it into the house anyway so when out I might get a crabcake (which doens't make me ill for some reason--eating crabs straight does though).

It's actually very common for Jews to have allergies/sensitivities to seafood. Because for many years it really wasn't consumed at all they are now discovering that genetically we have not developed enough immunity to these types of foods to be able to digest them properly. That could explain why you get an upset stomach.

As for fish in general, I really dislike it as well. I know what you mean by the fishy smell and texture. I've had fresh fish and to me it still has a gross smell.

I can handle salmon if it is well cooked and has some sort of sauce on it but only the altantic salmon. I find the pacific and wild salmon way too fishy for me. Poached or steamed, makes me gag. Tilapia really has no taste or smell, so I usually make a tomato and pepper sauce to throw on top and I can handle it. Sea bass is good but expensive so I never buy it unless we go out to a restaurant.

My kids don't love fish, but they tolerate it and don't know about my aversions. I let them eat it with ketchup and mayo and that seems to reduce the complaints. Fish sticks are always a big hit as well especially because I do it as a rare treat about once a month.

Funny that you like tuna. I find that to be the "fishiest" for me and always steer clear of it.

[khalloc]

I LOVE fish. My absolute favorite is Swordfish. I dont eat it that often because its expensive and because I cant feed it to DC because of the mercury content. I ate it growing up though. I guess mercury wasnt something parents thought of in the 80's? I love the texture of it and the taste.

I also love salmon, all sorts of whitefish, tuna. LOVE LOVE LOVE calamari and crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops. I'll eat other fish as well, but listed the ones I am most likely to eat/buy myself.

Will eat clams but not loving those.

I dont like previously frozen fish. I will only buy cod or haddock that is previously frozen and I try not to. fresh is much better.

I am not a big fan of fried seafood, except fried calamari. Most seafood I cook broiled with a tiny bit of breadcrumbs on top and butter or olive oil (just a tiny bit). Except for salmon. I broil that also, but LOVE to put caribbean jerk seasoning on that.

[BabbyO]

FWIW, when DH and I first lived together he wouldn't eat fish at all. I insisted on eating salmon at least 2x/mo (you have to start somewhere). Anyway, I found a recipe that basically uses salmon fillets.

You crust them with a honey-mustard sauce that is a combination of honey & dijon or brown mustard. Then you mix bread crumbs and some herbs (parsley, S & P, I can't remember what else, but I always added what sounded good).

You spread the honey-mustard over the fillet, then sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the honey-mustard and bake the fillet. This was the only way DH would eat salmon for a while, then he started trying new recipes and now we just eat it with olive oil and herbs sprinkled on the fillet, then baked.

Anyway, something about the honey mustard/bread crumb mixture covered enough of the flavor and texture at first for DH to get accustomed to it...now he asks why we don't have salmon more often and we've added Tuna steaks and other fish to our regular menu.

[justlearning]

Yes, please post recipes you like.

Here's a well-reviewed salmon recipe from Barefoot Contessa: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/asian-grilled-salmon-recipe/index.html

I made this for company and everyone really liked it. I bought some large fresh (not frozen) salmon fillets and grilled them on our gas grill. If you prepare and cook it outside, perhaps the smell won't bother you as much?