Rank Your Favorite Seafoods (Fish haters and lovers of Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks need not apply.)

[Passadumkeg]

I just finished a birthday weekend of eating copious amounts of fresh Maine seafood. We got into a discussion of our favorite seafoods and mine are (subject to change w/out notice
Soft shell or steamer clams, steamed or fried
Oysters on the half shell
Sea scallops
Crab meat
Lobster
Maine shrimp (North Atlantic)
Cherry Stone or Quohog clams
Fishes
Gulf shrimp
I have purposely left out Beluga caviar.
What are yours?

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Bermuda Wahoo
Bermuda Swordfish
Bermuda Lobster
Maine Lobster
Big Eye Tuna (next best thing to Blue fin)
Soft Shell Crabs
Day Boat Scallops
Squid
Octopus
King or Red Crab
North Carolina Fresh Shrimp
Escolar
Clams (little necks)
Apalachicola oysters

Ok now I am very hungry for seafood and all I have for lunch today is chicken!

[Passadumkeg]

Go eat a conch burger for me, please.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Conch is illegal to catch in Bermuda! :(

But thank you....Forgot to mention CONCH!

[SusanSings]

It's hard to assign a particular order of preference but here goes:

Mullet wraparound sandwich (fried mullet, white onion, hot sauce wrapped up in a slice of white bread....really)
Gulf shrimp
Gulf oysters
Rainbow trout
Smoked cobia
Pan seared scallops wrapped in bacon with balsamic reduction
PEI mussels in white whine
Snow crab
Pan seared butter fish....mmm key lime beurre blanc....

the list goes on and on

[shanagain]

Oysters on the half shell
Soft shell crab,sauteed in butter or fried
Clams - steamers or occasionally on the half shell
Scallops, seared and overcooked by current standards (yeah, that's right)
Mahi-mahi, grilled
red snapper sushi

[Sal Vanilla]

talking food not preparation?

First Five:
Hog Snapper and then any other snapper after that)
Grouper
Salmon (Pacific Sockeye)
Steamer Clams
Mussels

Last Five:
Lady Fish
Chum Salmon
Geoduck
Sea urchin roe

[cgarner]

Fishing with my Dad in the back water/bay areas of South Jersey (LBI and Wildwood) caught plenty of flounder back in the day, but on the days we didn’t catch flounder we’d catch stuff like skate, croakers, and sea robins, which are all actually tastier than flounder but not much meat. (we kept them not because we wouldn’t eat if we didn’t bring home fish, just because it was a “loss” if didn’t have so much fish so as to stuff all of us)

Luckily they didn’t put limits on any of the junk fish back in the 1980’s so we’d pull in whatever we could, fillet the meat and eat it simply dredged in flour and pan fried with a squeeze of lemon
Based on nostalgia, I’ve never had better tasting fish than all those “junk” fishes which we ate anyway because it was fun to do.

Also as much for nostalgia as taste, I love smelts, Baccalà (Salt cod) Alice’ (anchovies) and calamari (squid) which has been cooked till it’s tender in a nice red sauce,
They were a part of our Christmas Eve dinner every year

I LOVE oysters and will eat raw malpeque, cape may salts and wianno’s till I just can’t eat anymore… anything bigger than those, I prefer cooked.

I rank a good clean (no sand) raw clam just under the raw oyster, not too big, thank you

I’m kind of over lobster too, but will sit and pick crabs with the best of them!

Maybe I’ve never had a crawdad made the right way, but they taste creeky and muddy to me, not my fave.

Not “sea” food, but other than the above fin fishes, arctic char is my all time favorite fin fish.

[Breezychow]

And just think, these days Croaker, & particularly Skate, command premium prices in fish markets. As well as Monkfish & Squid - two other previously thought of as trash fish.

As far as Sea Robins, I too remember fishing & crabbing with my parents & grandparents & finding these odd creatures on our lines or in our traps. Back they went. Yet today - although not yet sold in any U.S. fish markets I've come across - they're considered a wonderful catch-your-own addition to Bouillabaise.

Go figure.

[Sal Vanilla]

What is a croaker? I mean where do you get it, cook it, what is the taste and texture.

[cgarner]

here's a croaker
http://www.newjerseypartyboat.com/cro...
it's a small bony fish, firm flesh, but not like monk fish firm, and sweet tasting.
Looked it up, they eat shellfish, which makes sense that they're firm and sweet

[bushwickgirl]

Croaker is quite inexpensive in my neighborhood, around $3 a lb whole. Nice flavor but many bones.

[Passadumkeg]

And here's the sea wolf:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawolf_...
The first time I caught one in my gill net, I returned to the house to get a hammer to wack it before removing it from the net.

[Sal Vanilla]

Do you skin and fillet or cook whole? That sounds interesting. I am heading up to Maine for Christmas. I wonder if they have them up there.

[Passadumkeg]

Fillet the sea wolf, fry in butter. Yum! Never saw it in Maine.

[cgarner]

Breezychow
Like Spider Crabs!!!... one of the few things we never kept (and they'd always steal your bait) I don't know why, they seem to have big enough legs to eat... maybe Pop knew something we didn't????

[Passadumkeg]

Stone crabs too.

[Veggo]

Here in Florida the octopus steal the stone crab bait, and the octopus only fetch $3 /lb.

[Breezychow]

Yeah - Spider Crabs were another eel or crab trap catch. No one ever thought of eating them (although I believe they do in other cultures). Ours were just released or turned into more eel &/or crab bait.

[Sal Vanilla]

Two things:
Arctic Char? I have never had it. Why is it your favorite?
What in the devil are sea robins and wiannos?

Thank you for your stories. I may have to try a smelt. I am with you on the not too big part for oysters. I do not like biting them in half and I do not want my cheeks bulging out with oyster as I chew.

[cgarner]

Sea Robins are these ugly/beautiful fish with huge swimmer fins, they've got barbs on them, they're orangey-colored and black (hence the name I guess?)
there's only about a chicken tender worth of meat behind the swimmer fin on either side of the fish, so if we had good fishing day, we'd cut them up and use that piece for bait
(we'd use squid for bait too and if it was a REALLY bad day, we'd have calamari in red sauce for dinner too LOL, it's was a running joke)

Arctic char is red flshed fish, cousin to trout and salmon, but IMHO tastes better than both, it's got a finer flake/texture than salmon and bigger flavor than trout. it's more forgiving to cook than either of those too, which may be why I like it better (tho tends to be more expensive around here than trout or salmon)

Wianno is a type of oyster, they're small and have a slight melon flavor. I eat them with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon and a sip of a martini
(martinis and oysters are just meant to be together)

[nomadchowwoman]

Oh, yes, arctic char is one fine fish.

[Passadumkeg]

Artic char are commonly caught in Maine.

[Sal Vanilla]

You know I got to thinking that I had seen sea robins while diving. Never hooked or scooped one. We make similar calamari jokes. Too often if you catch my drift.

I am gonna try to find arctic char in Maine at Christmas. I wonder if they are caught int e winter. I will have to check.

Wianno. Hmm. I wonder if that is a cold water oyster as well. May have to look around for those as well, but I suspect if it is true, then it is more of a summer item. Unless they are farm raised... I am so excited at the prospect of trying new things!

Jeesh I just went and looked at a sea robin. I do not think I have seen them. They look hideous like a scorpion fish! My gosh I cannot believe I have not caught one. I am known for catching ugly and barely edibles.

[Passadumkeg]

I've caught a lot of char ice fishing.
Where ya goin'? Little Boston (Southern Maine), the Mid -Coast or downeast?

[1sweetpea]

PD, having spent a few weeks in Iceland recently, I had an opportunity to momentarily cast aside political correctness and sample some traditional Icelandic faves, though with modern twists in the recipes. Raw, marinated Minke whale was much tastier than I'd hoped it would be. Porpoise was dense and shockingly bison-like in flavour and appearance. I won't rush for more putrid shark, but it was more palatable than expected (yes, I know that is no endorsement). I enjoyed Icelandic langoustines, as fiddly as they are. Serious highlights for me, though, were the vast array of herring treatments, delicate cod cheeks and chins, tiny rock shrimp, cod, char, trout and even haddock, which takes on a whole new dimension when smoked.

I won't list my standard faves, as I probably have nothing new to add to the extensive lists already put forth by others. I'll merely state that I'm not a fan of swordfish, mahi mahi and mako shark, or any fish that is so low in fat that it dries out almost immediately when cooked. I had a terrible experience with a gooey, slimy scorpion fish that put me off immediately. I'm also not sure about uni, though if anyone could vouch for a specific morsel/batch, I'd happily try it again at a good sushi restaurant.

[linguafood]

Sushi Yasuda in NYC has delightful uni. The best I ever had.

[bigmackdaddy]

I love all of it. Raw, cooked, flesh, fried bones, organs, heads & tails. However, I have a particular weakness for Maine uni.

[Tom Armitage]

How would you describe the difference in taste and texture between Maine uni and California uni?

[bigmackdaddy]

California is mellow and firm, while Maine is not-as-firm and very "earthy", for lack of a better word. Unfortunately, I've never had either right out if the sea. Something which I hope to remedy next October when I drive up to the Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine.

[Passadumkeg]

And Maine uni tastes different form the Korean uni I have eaten. Big mac, email me before you go and I can give you some contacts in Maine.

[bigmackdaddy]

Thanks! Passad, I shall. Yeah, I've always wanted to try uni from the seas surrounding Japan, Korea and Russia for awhile now.

[Sal Vanilla]

Fried bones are so highly underrated. Organs? My stomach turns thinking of it. Which ones are you gnawing on with such delight?

[bigmackdaddy]

Livers, hearts, brains, tongue and eyes from all manner of fish and shell fish. I'll also take any kind of roe if it's available.

[bayoucook]

Oysters on the Half Shell
Oysters any way you cook 'em
Gulf shrimp (same)
Fried Soft-Shell Crab
Maine Lobster
Seabass
Gulf Blue Crabs: boiled, fried, devilled, stuffed.....

[Duppie]

After the first 50 responses, does anyone really care? Honestly.

[Breezychow]

Growing up on the shores of New York's Long Island Sound, fishing & crabbing with my parents & buying fresh seafood right off the incoming boats, there's yet to be any creature of the sea that I don't love in some form or other. In fact, I have to say that except for raw oysters (which I do love fried, grilled, baked, scalloped, etc.), there really isn't anything I've tried & haven't loved. Outside of that I can't really rate them except that I'll always put saltwater fish over freshwater. Am not a big freshwater fish fan (outside of trout caviar :)).

[Passadumkeg]

Growing up near the Jersey shore, I care:
Catching flounder & blues, digging both hard shell and soft shell clams in Barneget Bay, catchin' blue crabs in Raritan Bay (Duck hunting there too.). And waiting for the summer for soft shell crabs.
Smoked whiting & chubs.
Finally to grow up when the Hoboken Clam Broth House was at it's peak, was an experience I shall never find again. Steamers and the wonderful clam zuppa.
In Norway I used to catch all the cod family and sea wolf (Steinbit in Norwegian)too, what tender sweet, white fillets. Caught rays too. The wings poached in white wine, very delicate.
Gonna make up for lost time this summer!

[Sal Vanilla]

I love food catching memories. Maybe that is why we may love a particular food more than others with no logical reason for it.

Is it wrong to bring up the raping of the seas? Who does not have stories of fishing or clamming or whatnot that can hardly be made now with children?

My family (and my husbands) love a good fish tale. We tell the same ones over and over and over. Poor kids.

[mariacarmen]

if you don't care, why did you even open the thread? we care! i like seeing what other people like, may learn about something i haven't tried yet, or remember something i love too.

[Duppie]

My point was how many list of "soft shell crabs,uni,hairy crab,Maine lobster" do you have to read before it becomes repetitive? just saying.

[Glencora]

But why did you post? Now this thread will come up on your list FOREVER. That's the reason, I usually try to avoid this sort of topic -- though I often fail.

[Duppie]

Me too.

[bushwickgirl]

Ditto. I'm always happy to read about what other posters have experienced and enjoyed, and possibly learn something new, or learn about foods I may never get to experience.

[Sal Vanilla]

I love reading what other people love. Why else would the "What's for dinner" post be on what... round 453?

Aren't you curious about what people like and why? Even if it is over and over there is some uniqueness and maybe some curiosity about fish you maybe hate, but lo 50 people here are singing its praises! Why? I love lists. Especially those that you KNOW probably elicited a fond memory.

[Soup]

Great post.
1. Oysters (half shell best but fried also rocks)
2. Sea Urchant
3. Crawfish
4. Blue crabs
5. Lobster
6. Toro
7. clams
8. eel
9. Shad roe (pickled: mung lank jut)

9.

[bigdnotemeril]

#1 Favorite, The most feared fish in the sea, The TOADIE!

Gulf SHrimp
Florida lobster
Kingfish,Dolphin,Wahoo,Grouper,Snapper,Cobia,Spanish Mackeral.
Grilled/fried/smoked doesnt matter all great.

[cowboyardee]

I can't think of a seafood I don't like, so I'd probably just wear myself out trying to pick out my favorites. At the top of my list though - I am a total crack whore for clams - any of the smaller varieties, steamed, served with butter.

But mainly, I'm just baffled as to why bluefish doesn't get more love than it does. S'ok by me - it keeps the price down. But that is one damned delicious fish and almost nobody mentions it.

[Passadumkeg]

Can I list whale meat?

[steve h.]

You like that crap?

[ZenSojourner]

Most whale meat is actually fake crab. >:D

[FoodFuser]

Kujira sashimi
is a long way from surimi
One is a mammal
the other, a pollock fish
extruded and flavored to resemble crustacean.

[Passadumkeg]

Zen Wrong Sojourn
Stavanger, Norway fish market, 1980, at the open air fish market, blocks of whale meat 4 times the size of a loaf of Wonder Bread, sure as hell didn't look like no frickin' crab meat. Brown, bloody & fatty, just like a big hunk of beef.
Yea, Steve, I like it sliced and fried, just like a steak.

[FoodFuser]

Well, PK, since you are the OP.
It's OK to open it up to the oceanic mammals.
But beware, because it would mean
it would open the scene
To the time when I chewed on seal blubber.

[Passadumkeg]

And to my embarrassment, FF, I probably ate dolphin in canned tuna. No more cans for this kid.

[mariacarmen]

I'm adding the caviar back in, PK, tho I think I've only had osetra. phhht.
Uni
Lobster
Oysters
Bottarga (or is that italian for Uni?)
Yellowtail sashimi
Ankimo
Escolar
Scallops - raw in sushi or cooked
Butterfish
Clams
Mussels
Shrimp
Softshell crab
Crab
Unagi
Spanish mackeral
anchovies
Ikura
sardines
Smoked salmon/lox
fried cod
Seabass
Ahi tuna
Monkfish
Trout
Catfish
Tilapia
Red Snapper
and yes, Filet-o-Fish (in support of Ipsedixit!)

[Passadumkeg]

Moved to New Mexico since the post and am stuck w/ fresh Rocky Mountain Oysters!
Tomorrow for a New England style Thanksgiving: smoked salmon, oyster chowder, shrimp & scallops w/ acorn squash, fresh pumpkin pie.
ps Back in Maine June 1, and fresh seafood every day!

[ediblover]

Chilean Sea Bass
Crawfish
Soft Shell Crab
Cod

[fryerlover]

Oysters in half shell
Lobsters
Mussels cooked in tomato, cilantro, wine sauce
And pretty much any fresh seafood........YUM.

[JayL]

Ok...without making a list of every seafood I can possibly think of (what is the use in doing that anyway?) I'll give a few examples of my favorites:

Fried - Shrimp as well as herring...herring scored and fried until you can eat 100% of it (bones and all)
Steamed - Oysters
Grilled - don't really care
Raw - Bluefin toro, yellowtail (hamachi), and fatty salmon...oysters
Preserved - Salt Cod

[Joishii]

No matter what, #1 will always be dungie crab.
Not cleaned. I want that tomalley and crab butter.

Things in shells and those that eat the dead seem to be my favorite things!

[ZenSojourner]

Actually, there is one fried thing I will eat. Fried conch.

[RealMenJulienne]

I generally like things that swim, and dislike things that crawl, but the only seafood I really love is grilled whole mackerel with lemon. You guys can keep the raw stuff, the expensive stuff, and the endangered stuff.

[decolady]

I love seafood. Included freshwater fish in my list as well as saltwater.
Blue crab
King crab legs
Stone crab claws
Diver scallops
Sea scallops
Crawfish
Gulf shrimp
Wild caught salmon
Sea bass
Freshwater bass
Brim (bluegills, perch, etc.)
Redfish
Red snapper
Grouper
Rainbow trout
Catfish
Gulf oysters on the half shell or chargrilled
Snow crab
Dungeness crab

[ZenSojourner]

I am a fish hater but that doesn't mean I don't like seafood. There's more to seafood than fish.

For me:

Crab legs
scallops
lobster claw (body meat is tough whenever I've had it)
langostinos
crab cakes
pulpo, Puerto Rican style

Nothing fried, thank you very much. I'd include escargot as well although it's not really seafood, it is shell-critter, even if land-dwelling, LOL!

[VenusCafe]

As a 33 year pescetarian who has lived in Chicago, Florida, New Orleans, NYC ,Hawaii and now California, I've had a lot of seafood! This is in semi order of preference;.

HALIBUT
King Sallmon
Ahi or Yellowfin tuna
Mahi Mahi
Sea Bass
Fluke
Cod
Snapper
Redfish
Sole
Swordfish
Pompano
Thresher Shark (why is that not politically correct, Jhopp???}
Lobster --tails only
Lump Dungeness blue crab cakes
Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp!
Trout
Wahoo
Ono
Perch

[grlwhoeats]

Jumbo sea scallops broiled in butter, squeeze of lemon
Steamed clams with drawn butter from Spadafora's Ocean City, NJ
Real jumbo lump crab cakes, Granny's recipe, lots of crab, not filler
Frutti di Mare from a restaurant in Venice, Italy
Crab Imperial - lots of crab
Seafood ceviche- from The Spinnaker in Cali
Lobster, steamed, drawn butter, squeeze of lemon
Lox
Whitefish salad- Ben & Irv's near Philly
Shrimp cocktail
My own recipe for Sockeye Salmon filet
Fresh caught panko breaded fried flounder
Smoked Eel roll

[Tripeler]

Raw sea urchin roe (uni)
Raw sea scallops
Raw Pacific oysters, small and unseasoned
Grilled cod marinated in miso

[ML8000]

1) Dungeness Crab (nothing like $1.99/lb in season)
2) California Spot Prawn
3) Mahi Mahi (aka Dorado fish)
4) Rock Cod (steamed)
5) Abalone
6) Steelhead
7) Scallops
8) Salmon (wild)

[The Professor]

PEI Mussels prepared in the classic French way
Simple Fried Whiting
Seared Sea Scallops
Monkfish Scampi
Sockeye Salmon poached in saffron/herb broth
Crab Cakes w/remoulade
Bouillabaisse
Grilled Catfish (not from the sea, but fish..and the only farm-raised fish I will eat)
Seafood Gumbo (roux style)
Fried Oysters/Belly Clams
Yellowfin Tuna
Kippers (great with eggs in the morning)
Smoked Whiting " " " " " " " "
Nova Lox
Pickled Herring in Wine Sauce

[MVNYC]

Normally this board is just a bunch of threads with people praising each other for not liking such wide groups of things that others like. It is nice to see people praising what is good and getting others to share in the seafood love.

My favorite foods as a child were shrimp, lobster and scallops. I would have to say that hasn't changed but I do have others not in an y particular order. Most seafood is best served raw though I do like other simple presentations or good shrimp or seared scallop dishes

Spot Prawns --raw bodies, grilled or fried heads
Maine Small Red raw shimp
langoustines
maine lobster
sea urchin in all forms from all over the world though I do love San Diego
Wild salmon
salmon roe----the best
lox---real lox--not this nova stuff
sardines-raw, grilled, fried
smelts-fried or grilled whole with the head
actually all small fish you can eat from head to tail
tuna belly
oysters-prefer west coast but like all of them
little necks, steamers,
razor clams
geoduck aka mirugai
hokigai
all manner of eels
mackeral--the whole family
yellowtail----the whole family
sole
halibut
patagonian tooth fish
sablefish---love the smoked kind you get at a Jewish appetizing place
all fish collars as served in some Japanese restaurants--nooks and crannies of fish
aji---love the whole skeleton fried
blue crab, soft or hard shelled would be my favourite crab but i love them all
anchovies--cured or fresh though I guess they fall in with all small fish
Caviar---Osetra my choice
herring--pickled, cream sauce, wine sauce, anyway known to man
herring roe
shad roe
scallops---live and raw
octopus--Greek preps especially
squid--raw, grilled or fried
bluefish

I am sure I am missing some but I basically love most seafood. I guess a list of what I don't like would be shorter.

[Duppie]

What... no barnacles?

[MVNYC]

I saw Bourdain eat them but I have not had them personally, I would probably like them

[Duppie]

Actually you would..

[Tom Armitage]

Jeez, how could I have forgotten to put percibes on my list? They belong way up near the top of the list. And I also neglected fish collars, particularly of oily fish like salmon and yellowtail. What was I thinking? Good list, MVNYC.

[MVNYC]

I missed more than a few there too like most of the other smoked products. I also love foods prepared with belecan or other fermented fish or crustacean pastes. Shiokara which is fermented squid guts is a favorite, I have a place nearby that does it well.

I love travelling and eating indigenous seafood products, seeing all of the weird creatures brought up from the depths.

Man this thread is making me want to eat a lot of seafood this weekend.

[bushwickgirl]

Mollusks, crustaeceans, cephlapods and ichthyoids, don't matter to me, it's all good.

[Veggo]

"I'll have the ichthyoid and chips, please", said Socrates.

[FoodFuser]

... with a little malt vinegar, strained through some hemlock?

With Socrates being such a "Thinking Man", I would have thought he'd go for the Cephalopod.

[torty]

Hard to choose, but if I did a top 3 I would say:

Pacific Spiny lobster in its short season in Southern California
Most any shrimp that is raw and in the shell that I can work with
Squid (calamari)

[Tom Armitage]

Pacific Northwest oysters on the half-shell
Yukon River Chinook salmon
Columbia River Spring-run Chinook salmon (“Springies”)
Smoked Alaskan Black Cod (Sablefish)
Uni (Sea Urchin)
Steamed Anago (Japanese Sea Eel)
Fresh Sardines from Spain or Portugal

[davecrf]

Dungeness crab
Razor Clams
Smoked Chinook Salmon belly
Kumono Oysters
Green Ling Cod

[PegS]

Oh, this is hard, especially if we're allowing freshwater:

Littleneck clams or any similar-sized raw clam, like cockles
Lobster
Crayfish
Spot prawns
Periwinkles
Whelks
Crab: Maryland blue, or Alaskan or Dungeness Cantonese style
Ceviche using white fish
Cooked clams of any size
Octopus
Sashmi...um, let's say mackerel or yellowtail

[Firegoat]

Canned Tuna
Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks
McDonald's Filet O' Fish

[Passadumkeg]

My you spend eternity listening to:

http://www.spike.com/video/mcdonalds-...

[BobB]

Aw, c'mon - I've been known to eat a McDonald's Filet O' Fish, especially when the only alternative is McDonald's Quarter Pound O' Crap (usually when I'm stuck in some small airport).

[shaogo]

Two of my Chinese friends thin the Filet O'Fish is the very, very best. These two guys were in hog heaven when the McD's nearby offered three of the sandwiches for less than five dollars. We went there for a late breakfast five days in a row!

[Firegoat]

I suppose at this point I should say i was joking... altho I do eat a crap load of canned tuna. Favorite? Scallops

[Passadumkeg]

One of my short glimpses of heaven was sitting on the stern of a lobster boat, rigged for scallop draggin', shucking scallops and eating them raw w/ a cold long neck Bud. I even on occasion get the bright red, pinky-like roe, if I ask ahead of time.

[Veggo]

Reminds me of scuba diving Margarita Island, off Venezuela, where oysters are everywhere, and we would bring up a few dozen after the second dive, shuck them with our dive knives, and have at them with limes. Margarita is latin for pearl, you may know, and Columbus' most valuable booty for Isabella wasn't gold, but hundreds of pounds of pearls from that area, hence the name.
To your original query, I never met a fish I didn't like.

[BobB]

Friends of mine have a place in Truro (next town over from Wellfleet on Cape Cod) and get a seasonal shellfishing license. They know a place where at low tide the oysters are just laying there along the shore by the thousands (or so it seems). After you've picked up and shucked a bucketful on the spot it's hard to countenance paying the ridiculous prices most restaurants charge for a handful of much less fresh ones.

[Passadumkeg]

I used to be on the clam committee on North Haven I. I will always remember digging soft shell clams, standing out in the water, taking out my Buck knife, slicing the clam open, rinsing it briefly in the ocean and gulping it down raw. Simple joys.

[Sherri]

While sailing on the Chesepeake Bay, we'd tuck into a cove and anchor for the night. First order of business was to put my boys in the dinghy and send them to shore to dig for oysters with their feet. They'd shuffle around uncovering our dinner. Happy hour was always delicious!

[mcf]

Everything tastes better in Truro!

[nomadchowwoman]

We spent an idyllic few days in N.Truro several years ago, in May, when it was practically deserted. I ate clams or lobster for every meal; I couldn't get enough.

[Passadumkeg]

Next time try downeast Maine.

[nomadchowwoman]

Maine is one of our favorite stomping grounds; we usually vacation there just about every other year. This would be the year, but because we have two big family events in August and September, in opposite parts of the country, we have to forego our Maine/Mass. trip this year--and, alas, getting my fill of two of my favorite foods, fried clams and lobster 'most anyway.

Early in our marriage, we took a trip to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but along the way fell in love w/Acadia National Park, and we've been going back to Maine ever since, staying, at various times, just south of ANP, the Yorks, the Penobscot Bay area, Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor. We love your rugged coastline and love escaping our brutal summer heat, but we absolutely adore your seafood. We once stayed at a "B & B" that we discovered, once we got there, was basically in a shipyard (Southshore Harbor, I think), and while the B & B was pretty awful, we had one of our most memorable meals ever while there: picked our lobsters from a trap off a dock, had them cooked, along with some steamer clams, by the dock owners who sent us to a convenience store for wine, which we consumed w/the couldn't be fresher seafood at a picnic table waterside: heaven.

Just a week before Katrina struck, we were staying north of Camden and considered seriously buying a little property near there. (Given what happened here and the financial collapse a few years later, it's a good thing we didn't do it, but maybe someday.) Two years ago, we started our vacation in Rockport, Mass., and then went on to Rockport, Maine. We spent our days driving around, searching out lobster and clam rolls, chowders, fried clam and lobster dinners. We stood in line for an hour at one of the many places reputed to have the "best" lobster rolls, just as we have many times at our favorite clam place in Ipswich, Mass. While I realize we're just like so many of the throngs of tourists that flock to Maine every summer and haven't ventured too far off the beaten path, we find the combination of the gorgeous coastline, the fishing culture, the fabulous summer weather, and the glorious seafood irresistible. We have vowed, however, to make one of our next trips there during October or November, to experience a different Maine. My parents did that one year; they loved being there in the colder temperatures, eating hearty breakfasts and sampling different chowders.

To me, it's Chow Paradise.

[Passadumkeg]

Wicked good Chummy. Chowwoaman, thems little lobster-like crawdaddy things you got done in NOLA, sure am cute, but iz nothin' to fill up on, I'll tell ya.
September is Ideal, still war, but after Labor Day, no tourists. Like they pulled the plug.
Pickled winkles, went by their place last Saturday:
http://www.downeast.com/magazine/2010...

[Passadumkeg]

Pickled winkles are not periwinkles, but welks, they look like midget conchs.

[nomadchowwoman]

Well, you're right in that you have to eat a whole pile of 'em, but they're still good eatin'.

But next time I'm in Maine, I'm heading straight for pickled wrinkles, if for no other reason than the name. We southerners have nothing on you New Englanders when it comes to food nomenclature. (Always recall my puzzlement when visiting a friend in RI and she told me one afternoon that she was going to take me to get a "cabinet.") Now, you're calling these welks "winkles", and the writer calls them "wrinkles." Are there variations on the name even within the state?

I've never had a welk, so I'm trying to imagine what they're like. Similar in any way to a snail?

Anyway, thanks for the link. I love reading about regional specialties/culinary curiosities. And BTW, how were the pickled
w[r]inkles?

[Passadumkeg]

Must be. I call 'em pickled winkles. Don't forget in Hancock Co., me., 3 fish smoke houses, smoked scallops and mussels are to of my favorites. I pass the Sullivan Harbor one 2 times a day:
www.grindstoneneck.com
www.stoningtonseafood.com
www.sullivanharborfarm.com
Others:
http://www.maineboats.com/online/harb...

[mcf]

Acadia in Sept/Oct is fabulous. I love it in any season, but fall is best. We used to go to East Harbour cottages in Truro and eat in P'Town a lot. Great summers.

[FoodFuser]

Shaogo, that is so similar to experiences in Japan in the mid 80's. At breakfast, 70% of the items in the warming bin were filet of fish sandwiches. Most often combined with fries. The place was always packed it 8 AM.

It was an easy sell, to morph off of the traditional Japanese breakfast that includes a portion of salted fish.

[soypower]

Geoduck - Raw
Abalone - Raw or in Congee
Squid - Raw or Fried
Giant Squid - Boiled or stir-fried
Scallops - Seared
Dungeness Crab - Steamed
Salmon - Baked, Seared, Smoked, Grilled...
Halibut - Seared or in fish stew
Tuna - Seared or raw
Shrimp - Any way

[Passadumkeg]

Anchovies, possibly the most reviled fish, is deliscious freshly grilled and canned on pizza and in sauces.

[BobB]

Most reviled? It's #2 on my list - and #1 if we're talking about marinated boquerones!

[Paulustrious]

Deliver no evil & live on reviled.

And it doesn't depend on which way you look at it.

[jefftib]

No order..

Sushi/Sashimi - Otoro (fatty tuna), Saba (mackerel), Sake (salmon), Ebi (shrimp), Ika (squid), Uni (sea urchin roe), Kaki (oysters)..

Cooked/somewhat cooked - Hotate (scallops), Maguro (Tuna), Kani (Crab), Ceviche, Tempura (with any fish, usually white fish though), Mahi Mahi, fresh fish tacos, shrimp or clams with uni sauce (favorite :))..

[TongoRad]

I could list a whole lot, but these are the very faves:
Lobster Claws (I'll trade a tail for a claw any day)
Oysters(raw) and stout shooters
Smoked Salmon
Steamers
Mussels in white wine
Linguini with fried calamari with hot marinara sauce
Trout (smoked or grilled)
Sea Bass, grilled
Fried catfish with cornmeal crust
Cevice (any type of fish, really)

Honorable mention goes to clams oreganato, but the clams must be cherrystone and left whole and barely cooked through yet the breadcrumb topping must also be crispy on top. I guess I'm picky about that one ;)

[Glencora]

Dungeness crab with sourdough bread and an artichoke. Says Christmas to me. Also in crab salad, crab cakes

oysters -- on the half shell, fried, Rockefeller, po-boy....

cheviche -- any kind

mussels -- in wine or beer

pickled herring in sour cream

rainbow trout -- ideally caught by my (long gone) grandfather. As a kid, I completely took his weekly gifts for granted.

seared sea scallops

good salmon poached or smoked. I've had a lot of mediocre salmon, though. Same for shrimp

second tier:
crayfish

smoked eel (random note: I just read somewhere that rubbing skin with eel oil will
cause a person to see fairies)

squid

fish tacos (cod? Not sure)

I've probably never had a good lobster, so I won't add that. I'd like to try abalone and conch. Really didn't care for the monkfish liver I tried (twice).

[junescook]

A lot has to do with how things are prepared.

My absolute favorite is fried oysters and I will order them whenever I see them on a menu. That said, I have had some awful ones both here in the east and in other places.. In Seattle they were so bad that I had to ask the waitress what they were. She whisked them away and offered me a substitute. Likewise here in CT I've gotten some that have been exquisite, some disappointing, and some dry and foul. Fried clams too

Sea scallops nicely seared or lightly breaded and fried.

Steamed mussels, or even better, cooked whole on the grill til they open. Same with clams.

Lobster, baked stuffed, broiled, or steamed with a little sherry as they do in Maine.

Gulf shrimp and lately I have been cooking them ala Ina G, by tossing in a little olive oil, s&p and roasting in a 400o oven for 8 minutes. Alas, I'm down to my last lb.

Nice cold tuna salad sandwich with real canned tuna.

Fish and chips

[JerryMe]

SO's first is fresh trout followed by halibut. He will not touch shellfish.

Mine is sturgeon followed by oysters on the shell followed by anything except mahi mahi. For what ever reason, that fish is not to my liking and I LOVE all seafood and shellfish. I have not had caviar yet. I also don't like smoked salmon. Love salmon, just not smoked.

DS is shrimp, followed by shrimp followed by shrimp. Eventually it peters out to canned tuna.

[nomadchowwoman]

Clams, almost any of them
Hard shell blue crab
Oysters
Soft shell crab
Gulf shrimp
Maine lobster
Sea scallops
Crawfish
Halibut
Grouper
King Salmon
Fresh water trout
Black drum
Tuna

[mcf]

Lobster boiled in sea water by the side of the road in Maine, preferably Trenton bridge
(preferably with roe)
King salmon in season
Arctic char
Soft shell crabs
raw oysters and clams
steamer clams
lots and lots of finfish
King crab legs
Scungilli (conch)
Squid and octopus in many forms, grilled, salad, fried...

[raytamsgv]

King Salmon (preferably from the Copper River)
Sockeye Salmon (preferably from the Copper River)
Cantonese steamed oysters
Alaskan Halibut
Sea Bass
Sauteed sea scallops

[Sal Vanilla]

Cantonese steamed oysters??

[shaogo]

Nova Scotia (smoked) Salmon
Any kind of deep-sea scallop preparation; but most particularly the ones we get from New Bedford, sauteed with butter, wine, garlic and not much else.
Blue Point Oysters, on the half shell
Sashimi: tuna, white tuna, fluke, eel
Mussels, particularly in Marinara sauce
Fried clams, when they're good
New England clam chowder (even when it ain't so good)
Seviche of salmon or white fish

purposely left out shrimp (they're boring) and lobster (over it...)

[jhopp217]

Wow, I made a list and it had a bout 40 different things on it I'm gonna have to narrow it down to my top ten...I'm sure the next time I have something great I'll have to adjust this list
Sushi grade Tuna - any kind, but a good tuna steak is never bad
Escargot - I know it's the butter and garlic, but I like em anyway
Shrimp - so many preparations how can't you like them
Sea Scallops - a good scallop can not be beat
Cherrystone clams - like them more than little necks (also love steamers)
Mussels - in a nice guiness sauce, yummy
Crab - just recently got into crab. Love lump crab meat ice cold
Shark - I know some find this politically incorrect, but they're good eats
Soft Shell Crab - Nothing like eating this breaded and fried with a nice remoulade
Cod - fish and chips anyone?

[Passadumkeg]

In agreement, 100%!
I am lucky to be able to catch my own smelt and alewives. Floured and fried smelt and smoked alewives.

[beachmouse]

In no particular order:

Crawfish
Red Snapper
Bay scallops
Gulf Shrimp
Cobia
Wahoo
Grouper
Sushi grade tuna

[Sal Vanilla]

Since I am away from HOME home I find I miss hogfish, snapper and snook. A LOT. Maybe Key West Pinks too. It is hard for me to find wild shrimp.

[roro1831]

Boiled crawfish
Boiled shrimp (gulf shrimp)
Boiled crabs
Raw oysters
Tuna (sushi)
Softshell crabs
Redfish
Speckled trout
Flounder
Wahoo
Fried catfish
Squid

[sekelmaan]

While working in a fish market we were once lucky enough to get a lobster right after it molted. Yes. Soft shell lobster, battered and fried. Delicious.

[Passadumkeg]

Yum. I've lived on the coast of Maine for 25 years and I grew up on soft shell crab. I've always wanted to try that w/ a lobster, but every time I mention it to one of my lobsterman buddies/students, they look at me like I'm nuts!

[BobB]

In vaguely descending order:
Oysters
Anchovies
Clams
Tuna
Haddock
Salmon (raw or smoked, not cooked)
Scallops
Sardines
Sole
Squid
Roe of various sorts
Octopus
Crab
Lobster

[Duppie]

Soft shell crab
Oysters
Mako Shark
Barracuda Cheeks
Mangrove Crabs
Razor Clams
Conch
Salt Cod
Yellow Tail
Bay Scallops
Abalone

[Passadumkeg]

Salt cod, good one!
Wolf fish
Eel shashimi.

[Paulustrious]

The media is also part of the message...

Tinned sardines with capers etc in tomato sauce
Pickled herrings
Ceviche = raw salmon, scallops, prawns and a white fish in lime / lemon juice.
Basa cooked in garlic butter (I know it's farmed and cheap - but it is so meaty)
Raw salmon
Turbot
Those packets of frozen mixed seafood in a cream sauce
Morecambe bay potted shrimp (and pickled cockles)
Mussels in white wine
Seaweed (technically it passes the OP's title)
Any shellfish that involves using your fingers to eat it.

ps. Mrs Paul is not that keen on fishsticks, but Mr Paul will throw them in occasionally as padding.

[Karl S]

By seafood, do you mean to exclude freshwater fish (like Arctic char, for example)?

[Harters]

Presumably the OP does by specifically mentioning *sea*food.

If the thread opens up to include freshwater, I'll have to do some revision (which in any event, I'll do by adding a coupel more salty ones - hake & halibut.)

[Harters]

Haddock
Bass
Mackeral
Shrimps
Prawns
Crab (particularly the brown meat)
Scallops
Cod
Monkfish
Bream
Sole
Pilchards
And a load of other stuff

[FoodFuser]

There's not a thing on these composite lists that I don't love.

But there is also a beauty in those freshwater species that are being farmed inland to reduce pressure on ocean species that maybe we need to take a break on depending upon their reproductive biology and overfishing..

So: Catfish and Tilapia among the whitefleshed; trout among the darker. Find and support their aquaculture.

[Passadumkeg]

I was waiting for cat fish. Freshwater? Crayfish.

[mexivilla]

Not sure about your answer-but if you meant Langostinos then you and I are the only ones who know they are the best. Good thing others don't know, leaves more for us.

[FoodFuser]

Long John Silver's knows, too. That darn pegleg chain tried to name a menu item "Langostino lobster", and they caught hell.

[Gio]

Yes.. US farmed catfish. My new favorite.

[James Cristinian]

I also like some good wild catfish. A friend of mine and I hired a guide on Lake Conroe two years ago and easily got our combined limit of fifty fish. They were wonderful fried, my only problem was the minimum limit of 12 inches on a channel cat just does not yield much meat. Next time I'll throw back the little fellas, and keep the bigger ones, unless of course the small fish are hooked bad. That lake has a huge population of fish, so fifty is not unreasonable.

[Veggo]

The little cats taste best and are worth the extra effort, and the tails fry up like potato chips. One of my best catfish meals was 5 little fingerlings at an unremarkable place on the south end of Lake Okeechobee in FL. I miss the catfish frys at Lake Sam Rayburn when I lived in East Texas.

[James Cristinian]

We enjooyed every last bite, but how were they cooked? Were they cooked whole, or fileted?

[Veggo]

Whole, dragged through fine corn meal flour and then into the fryer.

[James Cristinian]

That's what I should have done. I'm just not good at skinning catfish, as 98% of the fish I catch are saltwater, and the fresh ones are bass, crappie, and perch. I'll look into skinning next time.

[Veggo]

Be sure to leave the tail on.

[James Cristinian]

Gotcha on that one, back in the day when Conroe and Livingston were new lakes, we would catch ice chests full of crappe. We would scale, head, and gut them, but always left the tail on, same for perch. Delicious.

[Veggo]

Remember Frenchie's cafe in Livingston? His homemade boudin and etouffee were a nice cajun touch in East Texas.

[James Cristinian]

Missed that one. I was a teenager at the whim of my generous neighbor who took us fishing and goose hunting. We generally fished from dusk to dawn. Great times, great guy, we called him Johnnie K, I miss him.

[BKK Brendan]

This is a tough one for me. The only meat I eat is seafood. I think I've eaten almost every type so I'm sure I'll forget something.

1. Alaskan King Crab
2. O-Toro
3. King Salmon
4. Oysters
5. Shrimp/prawns (maybe spot prawns or Thai river prawns as my favorite)
6. Sea Scallops
7. Halibut
8. Sea Bass
9. Red Snapper
10. Swordfish

[yumyumyumyum]

o-toro
salmon toro
ikura
sea scallops
yellowtail (caught during winter)
prawn (kuruma ebi in japanese)
uni

i usually like them in sashimi style...

ps unagi is also seafood? i like unagi too.

[shaebones]

freshly caught striped bass
grilled salmon
roasted cod
fried haddock

[Emme]

Lobster Claws
Scallops
Halibut
Ahi
Albacore
Crab/Shrimp
Tilapia (i've been on a kick recently... i know, weird.)
Dover Sole

[smartie]

Grilled dover sole on the bone with lots of very slightly burnt butter and fresh squeezed lemon
proper English fish n chips from the chippy - plaice is my favourite
kippers
good smoked salmon not too greasy or too many lines in it
Arbroath smokies
smoked mackerel with or without peppercorns
halibut

[Paulustrious]

With that list I thought there's an Englishman / Scot.

But Florida ... ?

[smartie]

I am an Englishwoman!! brought up in London transplanted to Fl 5 years ago so still a Brit - even when watching the footie last week.

[BigSal]

Soft shell clams (steamed or fried)
King crab (and the kani miso)
O-toro
Uni (sea urchin)
Here's a start...
Oysters
Cheerystone clam (raw or grilled)
Lobster (especially claws and tomalley)
Ikura (salmon eggs)
Squid (sashimi, fried, stewed, dried, grilled)
Sablefish (black cod)

Just making this list is making me hungry.

[mateo21]

hmm...

Saba nigiri!
Half shell Kumamoto Oysters
Mussels
Crab (especially blue and king)
Clams
Scallops (seared, please!)

Those are the stand outs to me, I love just about all seafood though, save Urchin, which I don't not like, but it just doesn't do much for me.

[Sherri]

Currently, I'm living in landlocked AZ but have spent enough time on both US coasts to have a serious case of seafood-fishitis.
Sea Scallops top my list
Soft shell clams are my secret favorite and almost impossible to get here
Abalone
Halibut
Crab - blue and Dungeness; soft-shell blues
Lobster
Alaska brown shrimp, bonus points for egg-heavy females
Oysters, all kinds prepared all ways with my favorite being freshly shucked
Mussels, fresh or the smoked ones from Ducktrap Farms (outside Lincolnville, ME)
Sole
Salmon and Artic Char
Monkfish
My husband would eliminate the mussels and sub herring in any way, shape or form.
Lordy, I'm hungry now. We'll be heading to California soon and I hope to eat my fill of swimming, fishy deliciousness.

[James Cristinian]

Ouch, there are actually three coasts, but I won't spoil it, I'll let you guess the third. Here are my favorites from there
Speckled Trout
Redfish, not farm raised
Red Snapper
Wild Shrimp
Oysters, any way
Blue Crab
Crawfish
Grouper
Flounder, not for taste, there's not much, it's fun to catch
also Maine Lobster and Sea Scallops

[roro1831]

Here's a hint on that third coast.......it's in the news quite a lot these days.

[Passadumkeg]

Chicago & Pres. Obama; the Windy City shores of Lake Superior?

[James Cristinian]

Getting very warm. Hot maybe?

[Passadumkeg]

Is where you allude the only other French land grant directly awarded by King of Louis of France, in the new world, besides the one I live in in Maine? (By the way, Maine is the name of an old provence northwest of Paris.)

[James Cristinian]

Louis something, sounds right, could be our cousin state to the east. Seriously, here's hoping that not only Louisiana, but Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have minimal damage from the spill. I'm a glass half full kind of guy, and want to believe that this is going to be better than feared. The "experts" seem to think Texas will be spared, as the currents prevail to the east, but hurricane season heats up big time in August, so who knows. In the meantime, support Gulf seafood, if you see it buy it, and it's perfectly safe.

[coney with everything]

Actually in the Great Lakes region, we call the Lakes the Third Coast. There's even a beer thusly named:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/brands/info/17

[wineman3]

If you look below it would sound as if there are four coasts

[Sherri]

Ouch. That was extremely parochial of me. Many apologies to those I've slighted. Mea Culpa. I bought five pounds of Gulf shrimp last week; can this be my penance?

[James Cristinian]

Not a problem at all, and enjoy those shrimp, then buy some more.

[BobB]

While you still can.

[James Cristinian]

Gulf shrimp and seafood are not going away. They are selling shrimp in New Orleans markets, and the southwestern areas of the state are producing shrimp, as is Texas and Mexico. The Gulf is huge, it is not all awash in oil. Every time I go fishing in Galveston, I hear, " What about the oil, and you're going to eat that fish?" You betcha.

[BobB]

Good to hear, thanks. The impression I've gotten from watching the news (and not paying attention all that closely, I admit) was more dismal.

[James Cristinian]

There is however, a great unknown on the areas hit hardest, and only time will tell. I am hoping for the best.

[nomadchowwoman]

It's pretty dismal. Ask the fisherpeople here in south LA.
I saw a few pints of oysters yesterday--@21.99--but most places I've been to don;t have them at all. Yes, we can still get shrimp; the prices are only slightly higher so far. But things are getting worse, not for Texas, perhaps, but certainly for Texas's eastern Gulf Coast neighbors. Those oil-covered pelicans you see on the news aren't fake, and we are sick about what's happening to our wetlands, and the threat to the beaches and the beach cultures to our east. And we all hope, for JC's sake and that of his state, that weather patterns don't spread the oil there, too.

[James Cristinian]

I'm going wade fishing in the Gulf tomorrow, and from my vantage point I can see numerous tankers coming and going through the Galveston jetties to the Port of Houston. We had one break up offshore about twenty years ago, and we had tar boils on the beaches for about five years, but it did stay out of the estuaries. Kinda like a hurricane, you never know when it's going to be your turn, the hazards of living along the coast, but I love it.

[SLadd]

Really, the Gulf is really, really big.............huge
And I just had oysters at Pappas in Houston for $6.95 a doz. They are soooo good.

[wineman3]

So it sounds like in fact there are four coasts........if you include the Great lakes

[Gio]

Lobster
Oysters on the half shell
Soft shell or steamer clams, steamed or fried
Fin Fish including smelts and fresh sardines
Diver scallops
Crab meat including soft shell crabs
Cherrystone or Quohog clams
Maine shrimp (North Atlantic)
Gulf shrimp
I have purposely left out Beluga caviar.

[Passadumkeg]

Smeltliness is next to Godliness!
Soft shell crabs!

[cgarner]

every Christmas eve, I can hear my Grandmom's voice in my head with her thick Italian accent saying "nice an brown, that's it, nice an brown" while I"m frying smelts in a dusting of flour seasoned only with a little s&p

[Passadumkeg]

Brown & crisp, eat the smelt, bones and all! I remember my South River grandmother and her weekly made marinated herring, w/ thick Russain accent, "Eat! Eat! Eat."

[steve h.]

Lobsters in the summer, oysters in the winter.
Big fan of seafood. I'll eat anything that's fresh.
There's a Japanese gentleman in Manhattan who does a pretty good job with sushi.

[linguafood]

Octopus (grilled)
Whole Mackerel (dto)
Scallops (seared)
Oysters on the half shell
Salmon (grilled)
Lobster (Steamed)
Shrimp (Grilled or poached)
Sno crab legs
Panko-fried butterfish (a specialty of my favorite sushi joint)

ETA: I knew I'd forget something - fresh uni or raw scallop guts (at Yasuda) & trout caviar. Ain't nothing like a toast with a shmear of cream cheese, a good helping of trout caviar, and a spritz of lemon.

I tried to list them in order of pref, but I would eat any of those, if offered to me, any damn day of the week :-D

[Passadumkeg]

I catch mackerel and smoke them ( A little soggy and hard to light.). Love them.
Pickled Periwinkles.

[linguafood]

Oh, man. I forgot about all those pickled and smoked seafoods. Where to begin, and - more importantly, where (or why) to stop?

[Passadumkeg]

Herring, umpteen different varities.
I am a canned sardine and herring junkie as well.

[linguafood]

dito. I always OD on herring salad (gotta have red beets in it, and apple & onion) when I am in Germany. Or herring in dill sauce. Smoked butterfish. Smoked eel. Pickled herring. Matjes. With raw onions. My man? Not so much a fan '-)

[Passadumkeg]

Smoked eel! Yum. I was nursed on pickled herrings.
Lutfisk is not on the list, but I don't mind it in the least.
Burbot caviar.

[justinmaple]

Burbot caviar? Do tell more please. I catch and eat alot of burbot, but have never tried their caviar.

[Sal Vanilla]

Thank you for mentioning herring salad w/ beets, apple and onion. Last year as I was snarfing down my last beet someone here mentioned that combo and I swore I would try it. Then this year rolled around and it escaped my mind (I wish I could find that secret escape hatch - I'd nail it down!).

[Passadumkeg]

Funny, I associate the herring-beet salad w/ Xmas. Tradition!

[Sal Vanilla]

My tradition will surround fresh beets and apples! But that WOULD be beautiful at Christmas. You must be a swedie.

[Passadumkeg]

Rooshin. !00%

[ipsedixit]

In order of preference:

White King Salmon
O-Toro
King Salmon
Seabass
Shanghai Hairy Crab
Dry Sea Scallops
Russian Beluga Caviar (000)
Unagi

[LA Buckeye Fan]

I would just like to point out (I'm on the LA board) Ipsedixit also loves Filet o fish from McDonalds!. That being said, you should also give his/her advice the highest respect. Just made me laugh after reading your "lovers of Mrs. Paul need not apply".

[FoodFuser]

It's OK to do a small sackful of McD's drive-thru Fish Filet shooters, as long as you park behind the dumpster where nobody can see you.

It's best to carry a packet of pickled ginger as a chaser, so that you can tell folks back at the office that it's really Sushi that they smell on your breath.

[LA Buckeye Fan]

I should probably wipe the tarter sauce off my chin as well.