There are thousands of topics in the world that cause heated debates among people: whether there is life on Mars, what came first – chicken or egg, what tastes better – meat or fish… We don’t know the answer to these questions, but we can say for sure that fish is a storehouse of nutrients. Therefore, it should definitely be present in your diet, even if you are an avid meat eater. To make it easier for you to make your choice, we will present you the top 10 most delicious fish and share the most successful recipes for cooking them.
1. Sturgeon
This truly huge fish can weigh up to 800 kilograms and grow up to 6 meters. Just imagine how much meat you can get from just one carcass! However, sturgeon is considered one of the most expensive fish. This is not surprising: all its meat is pure protein. In addition, it is forbidden to catch sturgeon in the wild, and many of its species are listed in the Red Book. You can legally buy sturgeon only at specialized farms that raise fish for caviar. This process takes up to 20 years. All this time, special conditions for keeping sturgeon have to be maintained, water has to be purified, and fish have to be fed. All this is very costly, so the price of fish is high.
Sturgeon used to be served to the richest and most noble people, and was considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
The fish contains many vitamins and amino acids, and glutamic acid, which enhances the flavor of the meat. Therefore, sturgeon is not only healthy, but also very tasty. It can be baked without any additional seasonings or marinades. The fish is also eaten in salted, smoked, and dried form.
By the way, people who are on a diet shouldn’t be afraid of putting on extra pounds. Sturgeon meat is very nutritious, but not at all high in calories – 100 grams contains only 163 kcal.
2. Trout
Farm-raised trout is considered one of the most expensive fish in the world. However, you can catch it even during a regular fishing trip. Trout is found in crystal clear water, especially in mountain lakes of France, Ireland, and Finland. In our country, it can be found in the reservoirs of the Kuznetsk Alatau, the Kola Peninsula, Ladoga and Onega Lakes.
Fish has a pleasant, delicate taste and is very healthy:
- improves memory;
- has a beneficial effect on the nervous system;
- helps to reduce cholesterol levels;
- regular consumption of trout helps to feel more cheerful.
The fish is fried, baked, smoked, salted, and its caviar is used to make sandwich spread. Trout can even be eaten raw. If you sprinkle freshly caught trout fillets with salt and wait a little while, you will get an amazing dish. Dijon mustard is also a great accompaniment to a ready-made trout dish.
FUN FACT. Trout can drown. It may sound like a joke, but it’s true. If the fish does not come to the surface frequently to fill its swim bladder with atmospheric air, it will sink to the bottom. This fact allows fishermen to visually determine whether there are trout in the reservoir – they are clearly visible in the water.
3.Pike perch
It is also called a woman’s fish. Regular consumption of pike perch can replace a large amount of decorative and care cosmetics. If you have pike perch for dinner or lunch at least once a week, you will notice pleasant changes in your appearance: your complexion will improve, your hair will fall out less often, and you will get a beautiful shine.
The taste of the fish is delicate. Given the beneficial properties of pike perch, it is recommended to give some of its meat even to small children.
A few centuries ago, pike perch was served in the richest homes. Nowadays, it is smoked, fried, stewed, baked, and salted. It is used for puddings, salads, and pies.
Pike perch caviar is very much appreciated, but it was only tasted in 1847. All the rest of the time, the delicacy was either thrown away or used as pig feed.
Pike perch bouillabaisse
Pike perch makes a delicious soup that won’t take much of your time to prepare.
Ingredients (the amount depends on the volume of the pan):
- pike perch
- vegetables: tomato, potatoes, garlic, onions, chili peppers, celery, fennel;
- seasonings: saffron, pepper mixture, salt;
- olive oil.
To make the soup, fry garlic, onion, chili pepper, celery, and fennel in olive oil. Add diced tomato and potatoes.
At the same time, make pike perch broth, catch the fish and cut its fillet into pieces.
Strain the broth and add it to the vegetables. Don’t forget to add salt.
Pour boiling water over the saffron, let it brew for a while and add it to the soup.
Finally, put the pieces of fish in the pot, cook for a few more minutes, and season with pepper to your liking. The soup is ready. You can enjoy a delicious French dish.
4. Carp
This common fish is found in Europe, the USA, Canada, and the Far East. Initially, carp was found in China and was served to the emperors themselves. Carp was introduced to Europe only in the XII century.
Carp has tender meat with a slightly sweet taste, but a lot of bones.
It is cooked differently in each country. For example, in China, it is stewed in a sweet and sour sauce with vegetables, in Germany and Poland – with beer, in France – with wine, and in Hungary – with smoked bacon. In Bulgaria, carp stuffed with nuts is stewed.
Doctors advise people with thyroid problems to eat carp. Carp meat also has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and skin condition.
THIS IS INTERESTING. Fishermen compare carp to a knight in golden armor. All because of its unusual scales that shine beautifully in the sun.
5. Perch
This is a predatory fish found in many bodies of water around the world, but it is quite difficult to catch. Ask any fisherman who has ever managed to catch a perch – he was definitely proud of this trophy.
Perch meat is highly valued in Europe, with dishes from it included in the menus of the best restaurants in Italy and Finland. “The reason for this is the excellent taste of the fish and the small number of bones. The smell of the fish is not sharp, barely noticeable.
Sea bass has fatty meat, it is smoked, salted, baked, and added to soups.
River perch, on the other hand, is more tender and dietary. It is used to make delicious gourmet dishes such as soufflés and casseroles.
6. Cod
Most cod is caught in the Atlantic Ocean.
Cod is distinguished by its unpleasant brownish-green color and a small tendril above the lower lip.
There are four types of cod.
- Pacific cod.
- Atlantic cod.
- Greenland cod.
- Pollock.
However, there is still debate about the classification of this fish species. For example, pollock was included in this list not so long ago, in 2006, and some scientists do not consider Greenland cod to be a separate species and refer to it as a subspecies of Pacific cod.
But all biologists and doctors agree unanimously on one thing: cod is very healthy, its regular consumption leads to improved hair condition, strengthening of teeth and bones, and normalizes heart function.
We would like to add that the fish is very tasty. It is low-fat, but layered and has a specific odor. To weaken it, you need to use a little more spices when cooking cod, and cook the fish itself in plenty of water.
THIS IS INTERESTING. Cod is one of the most popular fish. It is loved and appreciated all over the world so much that a book was even written about it – “Cod. A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World”. The book was published in 1997 and instantly became a bestseller, bringing its author, Mark Kulansky, worldwide recognition and success.
7. Mackerel
The most consumed fish in the world. It is loved for its pleasant taste, healthy properties and low price.
Due to the high amount of fat, mackerel meat is good for the heart. The fish also contains the antioxidant coenzyme Q10, which helps to maintain youthfulness. Some studies show that eating mackerel can help reduce the symptoms of psoriasis and improve eyesight.
However, this healthy fish should not be eaten by everyone. Its consumption is undesirable for
- hypertensive patients (blood pressure can rise sharply);
- diabetics (provokes a rapid increase in blood sugar);
- children under one year of age (a lot of fat);
- allergy sufferers (fish contains many quickly digestible elements that can provoke allergies);
- people with liver and gallbladder diseases (it will be difficult for the body to cope with the digestion of such fatty foods).
Mackerel has a sweetish taste, so it is better to cook a sour dish or add pickles as a side dish.
8. Tuna
Tuna can be cooked even by those who categorically cannot tolerate the taste of fish and thus deprive themselves of many useful trace elements. Tuna tastes more like red meat than fish.
In addition, it is such a dietary product that it contains less cholesterol than chicken breast.
There are 15 types of tuna, with sizes ranging from 50 cm and 1.8 kilograms to 5 meters and 680 kilograms.
THIS IS INTERESTING. Catching a big tuna is a great success, and it rarely happens. However, in 2012, a huge tuna weighing 335 kilograms was caught off the coast of New Zealand. You can eat such fish all year round!
Moroccan-style tuna steaks
Most people eat tuna in canned form, unaware that the fish can be used to make delicious steaks. For this you will need:
- 800 grams of tuna steaks;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- a tablespoon of lemon juice;
- half a teaspoon of ground paprika;
- parsley to taste.
Grind the garlic and parsley in a blender with lemon juice, paprika, and olive oil.
Pour ⅔ of the resulting sauce over the steaks and put them in the cold to marinate for half an hour.
Fry the chilled steaks in a hot frying pan, pre-greased with olive oil. Fry until golden brown, 4 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other.
Pour the remaining sauce over the steaks and serve.
9. Flounder
This fish is difficult to confuse with any other. A flat body, eyes on one side, and a very unattractive appearance – this is definitely flounder.
Flounder is loved for its healthy and unusual properties.
We recommend cooking it for a romantic dinner. Flounder is a natural aphrodisiac.
Its meat is juicy, tender, with a pleasant flavor. But the flavor is sharp and specific. It is quite easy to get rid of it – you just need to remove the skin from the fish.
Flounder can be fried, boiled, stewed, or baked. It tastes especially good when fried in wine sauce or with shrimp.
THIS IS INTERESTING. Chefs at the world’s best restaurants advise frying flounder on the dark side first, and then on the light side. They claim that this way the fish tastes much better.
10. Catfish
This freshwater fish can weigh up to 400 kilograms! In many countries, there are legends that catfish attack people and can even eat them whole. However, there is no official confirmation of this.
What we can say for sure is that catfish meat is very tasty, fatty, and practically boneless.
However, it smells unpleasant. The characteristic fish odor can be removed by placing the carcass in milk or a citric acid solution.
Despite the fat content of the meat, it is dietary and suitable for people on a diet and diabetics. Fish contains a lot of potassium, which is good for the cardiovascular system.
Surprisingly, the most delicious part of the catfish is its tail. It is prepared in different ways: stewed, fried, baked. Smoked catfish has a rich flavor.
When to choose fish with caution
There used to be a belief that fish should not be eaten in months without the letter “R” in their names, i.e. in May, June, July and August.
And in fact, this has a logical justification. It is very hot in these months, and the fish lacks stroma (the base of the parenchymal organ), so the fish spoils almost instantly in the heat.
Of course, it’s hard to give up fish for 4 months, especially on vacation at seaside resorts.
So just choose fish carefully, try to pay attention to unpleasant odors and colors.
It is better to order fish dishes in good cafes and restaurants, and avoid street fast food with fish.
