Raw fish

[rapidboy]

MY gun club organised a fishing trip a couple of weeks ago, we left it a bit late in the year but it was still good crack.
Mostly mackeral and wee cod.
Anyway the subject of sushi came up so as soon as i had caught a coupl eof mackeral , out came the fillet knife and we had som esushi.
At this point there was much dragging of feet and in the end only 3 of us got stuck in.
Not much taste but quite pleasant really.
So i know that we tend to cook everything but im wondering what can safely be eaten raw (fish / game/ poultry)?

 

[leon-b]

i have always wondered this look forward to seeing the answer
leon

 

[spamel]

I remember there being something about raw fish carrying a parasite that ends up in your eyeball!! It seems the Japanese are getting these things removed left, right and centre. Not sure if our three eyed specimens will be affected, your more likely to turn into a superhero eating fish from some parts of Britain!!

 

[sharp88]

A friend of my uncles ate some Tesco sushi and ended up with tapeworm.

 

[Tadpole]

MY gun club organised a fishing trip a couple of weeks ago, we left it a bit late in the year but it was still good crack.
Mostly mackeral and wee cod.
Anyway the subject of sushi came up so as soon as i had caught a coupl eof mackeral , out came the fillet knife and we had som esushi.
At this point there was much dragging of feet and in the end only 3 of us got stuck in.
Not much taste but quite pleasant really.
So i know that we tend to cook everything but im wondering what can safely be eaten raw (fish / game/ poultry)?

Eating raw fish or shellfish is the most frequent cause of seafood-borne
illnesses. These raw foods carry bacteria and other contaminants that may be
harmful
http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/Pubs/parasite.htm

 

[Rebel]

IIRC only sea fish should be eaten raw but there is a risk of getting a parasite from it. It should also be very fresh. A Japanese acquaintance of mine who was a hotel manager refused to serve sashimi in his restaurant because he couldn't get fresh enough fish.

Sushi doesn't always contain raw fish but sashimi does.

In the main there are three kinds of parasites to look out for in raw fish: flukes (trematodes), nematodes (roundworms) and tapeworms (cestodes). Avoid eating internal organs and you'll probably avoid these parasites.

Personally I'd avoid any kind of raw ocean floor dwellers as well, limpets, mussels, crabs, etc. Stick to fish with fins and scales.

Beef and lamb can be eaten raw. In the past it wasn't recommended to eat white meat, pork, chicken because of parasites and I wouldn't do it. I've eaten raw beef but now I'd only do it if it was from a freshly slaughtered organic cow.

Personally I prefer the taste of cooked fish. The taste of raw fish is improved in a sashimi dish by dipping it in a sauce (soya, washibi, ginger).

I do love a good minute steak.

 

[spamel]

I thought it was only beef and venison that could be eaten raw, I had no idea that lamb could be aswell!

 

[Rebel]

I think most red meats can be eaten raw. Raw lamb used to be a popular food in Lebanon I think.

I seem to recall that the Japanese eat raw horse meat in sashimi dishes.

I'm not recommending any of the above, I'm just saying that people eat it and I've eaten some of it too.

Well I've travelled to a lot of strange places and eaten in even stranger places.

 

[spamel]

Oh I'm with you on the strange places, I'm never going to the Falkland Islands again!!!!

 

[Burnt Ash]

MY gun club organised a fishing trip a couple of weeks ago, we left it a bit late in the year but it was still good crack.
Mostly mackeral and wee cod.
Anyway the subject of sushi came up so as soon as i had caught a coupl eof mackeral , out came the fillet knife and we had som esushi.
At this point there was much dragging of feet and in the end only 3 of us got stuck in.
Not much taste but quite pleasant really.
So i know that we tend to cook everything but im wondering what can safely be eaten raw (fish / game/ poultry)?

I was in Russia (Kola peninsula) a month ago, salmon fishing. One day I caught a particularly fresh, bright silver, hen salmon of about 13lb. Usually, nearly all rod caught salmon are released after capture on the Kola rivers, but occasionally a guide might suggest that a fish is killed to feed the camp. My fish was served up to us as sashimi within a couple of hours of being caught. Raw salmon, a smear of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and dipped in soy sauce. Washed down with vodka -absolutely fabulous!

Burnt Ash

 

[Moonraker]

Raw mackerel is delicious and sweet and tastes best straight from the sea. You can't get fresher They rarely have worms etc if you avoid the inner organs, whereas I would generally avoid cod and herring which often are infested, but thats doesn't stop many people from eating them. One of my abiding memories of my first trip to Holland was slipping whole fresh new season, herring down my throat in one go

With seafood avoid any which may be from dodgy sources such as close to sewage outlets, with filter feeders such as oysters and mussels being the most likely to contain nasties in this type of environment. And always seek out fresh fish. I can't believe the sad, tired old stuff they sell on supermarket 'fresh fish' stores, most being thawed from frozen.

One of the great treats of mackerel fishing is some very fresh raw mackerel sashimi, with just a squeeze of lime juice, soy sauce and/ or wasabi paste. I can imagine chilled vodka being the perfect partner bettered only by a chilled schnapps or especially a good aquavit

Try this recipe if you have access to super fresh mackerel;

Raw mackerel with horseradish and lemon

If you leave it to marinate for half an hour the lemon juice will “cook” the fish and transform the texture in the manner of a ceviche. I prefer it truly raw.

Ingredients

500g fresh mackerel fillets

1 tablespoon freshly

grated horseradish

2 lemons

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon milled white

pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

* Make sure the pin bones have been removed from the fish and rinse it well under cold water. Lay the fillets on a plate, cover with film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. Peel the horseradish and grate finely into a bowl. Grate, equally finely, the zest of the lemons and add. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons, strain and add to the mix, along with the sea salt, pepper and olive oil.

* Take the fish from the freezer and cut, skin side down, with a sharp knife into long, thin slices. Cut parallel to the board and avoid cutting into the skin. Arrange, without overlapping, on a cold plate. Pour over the marinade and serve with dry toast.

But probably the best way with them is the Hugh FW 'Gravad Max'. Sublime and from such an underrated fish;

River Cottage - Gravad Max

I would think you are much more likely to pick up something from a burger joint than from fresh fish which is also full of healthy stuff.

If you have not eaten seafood before try it in small quantities first just in case of allergies etc.

 

[ilan]

once ate a scalop without it even getting to the surface lol fresh or what

 

[bushman762]

Don't fancy eating fish raw....but in a survival situation, where fire had not happened for what ever reason...interesting to know the ins and outs of this!

RB you had a great tutorial on rabbit / pigeon fillets, anything on fish fillets and removing those terrible bones?

Thanks.

 

[rapidboy]

I need to brush up on fish prep myself.
Mackeral fillets are very easy but i messed up the cod
Tasted great but didn't look to pretty on the plate.
Im not suggesting eating raw meat / poultry / fish as a regular thing but fire is quite often hard to achieve and im just wondering what can be eaten reasonably safely if needs be.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Oh I'm with you on the strange places, I'm never going to the Falkland Islands again!!!!

Spamel,
What wrong with F. I.
If I had the ability, I'd be off down there with the familly tomorrow. You can smell that the air is clean, and whilst it gets a bit breezy some days, I think its a fantastic place.

As to the raw foods, I've eaten sushi in the Far East - was OK I suppose but not something I'd go out of my way to have again.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[hanzo]

My understanding is if it is from the ocean, it is GENERALLY safe to eat raw. I love raw fish and shellfish and eat lots of it. Sushi, sashimi and poke are some of my favorite foods.

I have a couple of preparation tips for you. The first is general. Any seafood and other foods too, can be prepared as poke (pronounced poe kay). Cut the seafood into bite sized cubes and marinate with Hawaiian alai salt (my preference, but any salt will do), sesame oil, chopped up seaweed (or green onion, cilantro, etc) and chili pepper flakes. Mix it up and enjoy. The flavor is deeper after it has marinated overnight in the fridge, but is delicious eaten immediately too. Most of the time I make this, it doesn't make it to the next day. There are many variations to this. If you do not like raw fish, try preparing your fish in this manner and pan frying it to cook the outside with a pink inside. Different from raw but delicious too.

The second tip is for preparing salmon. Rub you salmon filet with a generous coating of salt and let sit at room temperature for about half an hour or so. You will notice that the salt draws out a lot of the water from the salmon. Rinse it off and prepare it your favorite way. You will notice a better texture and flavor. Sushi chefs prepare salmon in this fasion.

I also love oysters. My favorite oyster preparations later. I am getting hungry writing about the raw fish.

 

[Ketchup]

I have often eaten mackrel raw. It's delicious.

There is however the problem of worms, Anisakis simplex being a typical nematode found in most white fish, herring and mackrel. Las time I tried t eat raw mackrel, the ugly critters were all over the place

These worms are becomming a bigger problem every year, dueby to the ban on killing seals. Seals are a 'intermedial host' in the life cycle of the worms and as seals are "pululating" again in the North Sea, we have problems with worms the fish everywhere. The live worms can cause gastric problems in humans, so it's a real problem

What to do: inspect your filets closely. You will be able to see the worms dancing about in any fresh fish (they are about 2-3 cm long). In white fish, they can make cysts in the muscle tissue, which you will recognize by red discoloration. Cut it away and inspect the filet aganist the light.

Alternatives: freeze for at leats 24 hrs.(not very bushcrafty) or cook (through) for at least one minute. Marinading with vinegar or lime juice will kill the worms after some time, too.

 

[Moonraker]

Useful info Ketchup

There is a very good web page which describes, with photos, both these parasites and others related to eating fish etc here;

Assessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality - 5.1.4 Parasites

There is a good blog entry which puts the risk into perspective and provides further, easy to understand details;

Parasites in Fish, Part 2 -- Anisakis and Tapeworm

and similarly balanced information on Cod Worms;

Parasites in Fish, Part 1 -- Cod worm

Don't let the potential nasites put you off eating food which is miles better for you than proceesed 'safe' food, just be aware of the potential issues

 

[EdS]

the Japanese use wasabi not only for the taste but als ofor the fact that it is a very efficient antiseptic and parasite killer.

 

[bent-stick]

Thanks for the timely reminder. Nearly time to start the christmas gravadlax.