Speckled Trout Ceviche so Fresh, The Gills are Still Moving
Today we take a look at cooking that which swims or otherwise lives in water, both fresh and salt water. I am doing this for a few reasons. One it just seems like a fun and easy show right before a rare mid week holiday. Next fishing and aquaponics are both great ways to live a modern survivalist lifestyle.
The next way if fits our modern survival lifestyle is that while we all want more of the “good things” in our lives we must balance that with the reality that money is important. We need to pay off all debt, save for our future, invest wisely, create businesses, etc. Also we want to develop our homesteads, which is simply another form of investing. All of this requires money.
Now if you go out and order good seafood or fish in a good restaurant you are going to pay 75% to be served and 25% for the underlying food. That will fluctuate a bit but in my experience it is pretty consistent. So you can have one banging meal a month at some artsy fartsy place or 4-5 for the same money, and you can make it 6-8 if you get a bit creative.
Even when you do totally splurge at home, you can fricken SPLURGE for real. Like this pile of lobster Dorothy ate the day before our vacation began to celebrate our well earned time off.
Now sure I had about 60 bucks in that meal but can you imagine what 8 lobster tails and small batch sausage like that would cost at even a low end restaurant? Last time I was at a good place a dish with two tails was 25 bucks if you didn’t get anything to go with it. So call that 100 bucks just in lobster.
Now add in the sides and the 4 Mojitos I made for Dorothy and I before and after this dinner. Those would easily be 12 bucks a piece. Next add in the tip and the cost of a trip out and this much would be well over 200 bucks, more like 250. Again you are going to pay about 25% for the food and 75% for the service.
Now I like going to nice places, I am willing to pay for it from time to time but not all the time. Any anytime we can do better in quality and cut a bill 75% or more, we are on track to live that better life, if times get tough or even if they don’t.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
- Getting good quality fish and sea food
- Self caught or grown is best
- Freshly caught never frozen, may be, where do you live?
- Frozen is often your best bet, tune in to learn why
- Ceviche – the best thing most people never make
- Salt water only
- Some fantastic fish for this
- Snapper
- Whiting
- Trout (spec and sand)
- Scallops
- Anything salt water, light and delicate
- Super fresh ingredients
- Cook separately anything you would not eat raw (shrimp)
- Serve well chilled
- Get creative
- Fried fish
- The right temp 325-350 depending on the fish
- You can’t go wrong with Louisiana Fish Fry
- Of course you can make your own breading
- Yes I can do low carb fried fish, it is fricken easy to do
- Coat and let sit, one of the few things I learned about cooking from Grandmaw
- Oil must be at temp when the fish goes in
- Jalapeno tarter sauce is easy to make and bangin good
- Smaller pieces come out better
- Surface ratio
- Retains less grease
- Cooks faster
- All pieces finish at the same time
- Grilling Fish
- Different fish, different techniques
- Foil pouch
- Wood planks
- Direct Grilling Skinless
- Direct Grilling on the Half Shell
- Consider dill or sumac for any fish
- Grilled whole head on skin on fish – (Gochujang FTW)
- The number one mistake is over cooking
- Fish tacos
- Different fish have different techniques and advantages
- My chili seasoning in dry form, simplified and improved (recipe)
- Cook the fish almost done in a frying pan with oil, season then finish
- My new amazing carrot, cabbage and jalapeno slaw
- Guacamole done right!
- Chipolte Mayo – so simple and so good
- Want to stretch it and save money, cubed golden potatoes do that for you
- Some other simple things
- Pan fried shucked bullhead – direct gill is easy too
- Grilled muscles, clams, oysters, just toss them on
- Green curry shrimp and fish soup (try bluegill, channel cat, bullheads, tilapia)
- Lobster two ways – always perfect
- Some rules that make everything better
- Fish should not smell or taste fishy
- Keep fish so cold it is almost frozen and an easy way to do so
- Get the water out, seriously, get fish dry before using it
- Don’t over cook it, you can always cook it more, there is no reverse
- Same with seasoning, you can always add stuff
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I have been asked if I think the Weber Kettle is the best charcoal grill on the market. My answer to that is a definitive no. The next question then is why do you love it so much. Well first in my opinion it is the best charcoal grill under 200 dollars on the market, perhaps the best (from a versatility stand point) under 400 dollars.
