BajaNomad - Which is your favorite Baja Fish to cook?

Which is your favorite Baja Fish to cook?

tripledigitken - 4-10-2008 at 04:57 PM

What is your favorite Baja Fish to cook and eat? Were not talking Sushi here. That would produce different results.

[Edited on 4-10-2008 by tripledigitken]

Taco de Baja - 4-10-2008 at 05:06 PM

Mine is Actually White Seabass but it's not on your list.

Here's some WSB Ceviche, not technically sushi.....

Here's a shot of my next second favorite Baja fish: Grilled Halibut with rosemary, bacon and butter.

DENNIS - 4-10-2008 at 05:49 PM

I love Halibut. I could eat halibut till my belly blows up.

Bajagypsy - 4-10-2008 at 05:51 PM

Sheep head soup, yummy, especially if Juan cooks it!!

Fred - 4-10-2008 at 05:53 PM

Halibut and Pacifico......did you forget something Dennis?

tripledigitken - 4-10-2008 at 06:09 PM

Taco de Baja,

Sorry I didn't list White Sea Bass a very tastie fish I agree. I knew I'd leave off a popular choice.

Sorry if I left off any others.

Ken

Sharksbaja - 4-10-2008 at 06:24 PM

Triggers

DENNIS - 4-10-2008 at 06:56 PM

Yeah Fred...Forgot the Pacifico. Shame on me.

I guess I've never had a properly cooked meal of Yellowtail. It just doesn't appeal to me as a frontrunner on this list.

castaway$ - 4-10-2008 at 06:59 PM

Sharky has a point triggers are pretty tasty, not in my top few but pretty darn good as long as I don't have to fillet them.

Paula - 4-10-2008 at 07:16 PM

I wonder if the mahi-mahi would have more votes if you had called it dorado?

It's my second favorite, and may be one of the most popular US restaurants.

Not on the List

MrBillM - 4-10-2008 at 08:58 PM

Tortouva, although the opportunity doesn't come around often enough nowadays.

Oso - 4-10-2008 at 09:06 PM

Ditto on Triggers, fried, sauteed or in ceviche, Much maligned but best texture/consistency for me and the cat agrees.

David K - 4-10-2008 at 09:21 PM

Corbina

Croaker

Calico Bass

Trigger Fish...

The varieties one catches from the beach...

You do list halibut, which we catch near Laguna Manuela (Variety Beach)... so I will vote for that on your list! Corvina is also a surf fish and good too! Halibut wins because it has four filets!

[Edited on 4-11-2008 by David K]

The Sculpin - 4-10-2008 at 09:29 PM

SCULPIN!!!!!!!!

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Does that make me a cannibal?

Actually - it's sweeter than halibut, makes a great taco or takes a sauce well. Great with fancy wine or cheap beer. Difficult to BBQ unless you do the whole fish.
Scale and de-fin - cut 4 lateral slits on each side, smother with a lime juice-serrano-garlic-tomatillo-cilantro poltice, wrap in foil-throw on BBQ and....ahhhhhh...better than $ex!OK, not really, but $ex will be better after you chow down one of these babies!!!! (are we still doing the over 18 thing here?)

Hey, if you survive the landing, the filleting process or even de-finning to bake whole - the rest is gravy - you're styling!

(these censors are rough - kids, cover your eyes!) :cool:

[Edited on 4-11-2008 by The Sculpin]

Diver - 4-10-2008 at 09:45 PM

Boned Yellowtail steaks are my all-time favorite.
Specifically, steaks from Ifly's almost 50 pounder !!
Best fish I ever tasted !

And Sierra for fish tacos - yummy !!

.

David K - 4-10-2008 at 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrBillM
Tortouva, although the opportunity doesn't come around often enough nowadays.

The last time I had the forbidden fish was in 2003 at Gonzaga Bay... unknown to me until after I ate the prepared meal at a restaurant... It was so outstanding, I asked the nice lady who ran the kitchen what kind of fish it was. She put her finger to her lips (making the 'be quite' gesture) and whipered "totuava". :bounce:

I remember when you could order it at Anthony's Sea Food Grotto in San Diego!

Alas, over fishing, netting them heading to the spawning area, and perhaps low outflow from the Colorado River has been hard on the giant croaker. In 1967, my 9-10 year old friend caught a baby one on a fresh water rod/reel at (Bahia Santa Maria)... we estimated at 50 pounds... It got away just as he was landing it.

[Edited on 4-11-2008 by David K]

BajaDanD - 4-11-2008 at 12:20 AM

Id rather no cook my fish

Sharksbaja - 4-11-2008 at 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K

Quote:

Originally posted by MrBillM
Tortouva, although the opportunity doesn't come around often enough nowadays.

Where the hell is Greenpeace when u need em?

That ain't so long ago and wtf was her/their problem/ They obviously know they are illegal to take, period! :no:

I am sure you told them your concern :mad:

[Edited on 4-11-2008 by Sharksbaja]

Mexitron - 4-11-2008 at 04:53 AM

I second Taco de Baja's choices except in reverse order... :spingrin:

bajajudy - 4-11-2008 at 07:02 AM

I like all the fish listed but I also love parrot fish...so sweet.

Doing my best to help out

MrBillM - 4-11-2008 at 07:12 AM

I've always felt it my duty to buy the fish at a fair price and help out the poor fisherman who mistakenly ended up with one in his net.

Like David, it has been awhile, about two years. I have a Mexican friend in San Felipe who I ask to pick up fresh fish I'll pay for when he comes by from town to visit. Back in 2006, he came by with something "Muy Especial". I wish he'd bought ten times as much.

It is the best fish I've ever eaten.

When I'm feeling extravagant in the U.S., I buy Swordfish.

XRPhlang - 4-11-2008 at 07:22 AM

I don't know why I eat halibut, maybe it's just for the halovit.

Alan - 4-11-2008 at 07:44 AM

I guess I don't really understand the question. There are lots of different ways fish can be prepared but regardless of which method one chooses the type of fish is typically not really a factor. Now if the question was "what is your favorite tasting fish" that is a whole other subject.

For this category I'd have to say wahoo or a 1970's vintage tutoava. Finescale Triggers, cabrilla and dorado would be on a close second list but definitely lower scale.

Then we get into preparation. Parrotfish in a vanilla sauce (Tahiti) was unbelievable. Fish/Shrimp/cheese baked in a pineapple half shell (Thailand), Seabass with a Garlic/Basil sauce (CA), Cabrilla (Tres Virgennes, La Paz), Mahimahi in a shrimp sauce (Tahiti), Dorado with a mango/cilantro/jalapeno salsa (my house), beer-battered triggerfish caught that day (my camp site at BoLA) all come to mind as memorable meals.

tripledigitken - 4-11-2008 at 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alan
I guess I don't really understand the question.

Alan,

What the poll is looking for is your favorite cooked fish, as opposed to eating it as sushi.

My favorite for instance cooked is yellowtail, but my favorite raw is bluefin tuna.

Ken

David K - 4-11-2008 at 08:06 AM

Alan, I want to hang with you at meal time! :yes:

Suzie - 4-11-2008 at 02:41 PM

I can't believe no one mentioned ling cod. It's my all time favorite, fried in beer batter.

Monia - 4-11-2008 at 03:59 PM

Bonita - cooked or raw

Iflyfish - 4-11-2008 at 05:07 PM

I'm with Diver, that fresh yellowtail is fabulous! and I dream of Lion Paw Scallops....Dorado dusted with lime and chili and cooked over mesquite!.....Oh and Huachinango entero......slit the puppy, add salt and cook over mesquite......oh, my....getting hungry.

Iflyfish

Gadget - 4-11-2008 at 06:12 PM

The stupid poll thing wouldn't let me vote for all of them. Consequently I am revolting and will go and eat any kind of fish cooked any way, or not, at any time, any where.

Ken Bondy - 4-11-2008 at 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajajudy
I like all the fish listed but I also love parrot fish...so sweet.

judy be careful with parrot fish, it is delicious but it often carries ciguatera which is very dangerous.

++Ken++

DianaT - 4-11-2008 at 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Iflyfish
I dream of Lion Paw Scallops....
Iflyfish

Lion Paw Scallops? I always loved scallops-- one of my favorites and then we discovered those Lion Paw ones---now look at those bay ones as just plain old whimpy. :spingrin:

Drooling all over my computer.

Diane

DENNIS - 4-11-2008 at 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Monia
Bonita - cooked or raw

You must be a cat.

Good Fish

MrBillM - 4-12-2008 at 10:45 AM

There is a Fish Vendor in San Felipe, Mr. Fish, that was recommended to me becaue they have a such a wide selection. The side of the building is painted with the names of numerous fish they have (at one time or another). Those that I was unfamiliar with, I wrote down and looked up in my Fish Guide.

One of those, Baqueta, sounded good so we went in on our next trip to town and I asked the vendor if they had any Baqueta Filets. "No", was the answer. While I thought for an alternative, he said "Momento" and rushed out, coming back with a whole fish that weighed about seven kilos. "Baqueta" he said. Not intending to clean my own fish, but not wanting to seem rude after he'd made the effort, I bought it for 35 dollars.

Although I lost a lot in the cleaning, what remained turned out to be, possibly, the second or third best fish I've ever cooked and eaten.

DENNIS - 4-12-2008 at 10:53 AM

Maybe he meant Baquita / Vaquita. I think you cooked and ate one of those blunt nosed little dolphins, endangered by the way, that only live at the mouth of the Colorado River, right by San Felipe.
What's next Bill, dog?

Words of (Little) Wisdom.

MrBillM - 4-12-2008 at 11:39 AM

As a child, I remember that Dennis the Menace was noted for making uninformed and outrageous statements, but then he was just a kid.

Baqueta is listed in the Scripp's guide to Fishes (page 34) as a "Gulf Coney" member of the Sea Bass family, available from the Gulf down to Panama. Since the fish I bought looked exactly like the pic in the guide, I'm sure he was correct.

Happy to keep you informed.

http://murphygirl.com/ShawnGrouper.jpg

I've never tasted Dolphin, although I would if it were available.

[Edited on 4-12-2008 by MrBillM]

DENNIS - 4-12-2008 at 12:32 PM

Thanks Bill.....

I'm never too old to learn and, though you did present a similiarity worthy of question, I was confident that you would wonder why it's tail was on sideways.

Glad to hear you didn't fry Mr. Fish and I'll pass on eating Flipper.

Skipjack Joe - 4-12-2008 at 09:53 PM

The cabrillas (groupers and snappers) top my list. I've heard huachinango are the best but haven't had enough of them to really agree. Experienced fish lovers have also raved about scorpionfish and if they taste anything like our cabezone I would agree.

tripledigitken - 4-13-2008 at 09:15 AM

Anthonys Restaurants in San Diego serve Baqueta and it is delicious!

Sharksbaja - 4-13-2008 at 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by Monia
Bonita - cooked or raw

You must be a cat.

Are there ling cod in Baja???? :?:

Triggerfood:

[Edited on 4-13-2008 by Sharksbaja]

triggerfood.jpg - 32kB

Iflyfish - 4-13-2008 at 01:57 PM

Sharks,
I am so looking forward to eating at your restaurant! Razor clams aught to be on this list too with of course Salmon.

Iflyfish

Funny Susie mentioned ling cod

Sharksbaja - 4-13-2008 at 03:21 PM

Thanks Flyfish. Get in here!

This weekend I am serving Ling Cod. It really is a good tasting fish. I think it's way more versatile than Halibut or Snapper. While fillets are not very attractive(nor is the fish) they turn a nice white color after cooking. It has more oil in the tissue than other white fish.

It is actually a Greenling and not a cod or ling.

Your choice of sauce, coconut or roasted garlic. Had a boisterous gentleman from NC last night. He insisted I stuff his fillet with Dungeness crab to which I did. He didn't have to say a word,he just drooled between each bite. :lol:

I guess they are in Baja. Anyone caught some??

lingrange.jpg - 33kB

Don Alley - 4-13-2008 at 03:58 PM

I've caught lingcod near the Coronado Islands fishing 3/4 day boats out of San Diego.

They are in the colder water along the northern Baja coast.

Sharksbaja - 4-13-2008 at 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Alley
I've caught lingcod near the Coronado Islands fishing 3/4 day boats out of San Diego.

They are in the colder water along the northern Baja coast.

Interesting, makes sense. Thanx Don.

XRPhlang - 4-13-2008 at 08:39 PM

Hey Sharks'
Where exactly is your restaurant?

fandango - 4-13-2008 at 08:53 PM

very interesting ken bondy!! i looked it up, something one needs to know:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguatera

Sharksbaja - 4-13-2008 at 09:32 PM

Sunny Newport.....................................Oregon :lol:

Sharks

[Edited on 4-14-2008 by Sharksbaja]

The dog likes fresh Wahoo

pangamadness - 4-14-2008 at 08:18 AM

wahoo post.JPG - 25kB