Saturday, March 24, 2007

Fishstick Update


You may recall the other day that I had some Van de Kamp's fishsticks that were less than perfect. I had overcooked them in my toaster oven, and the resultant product was a poor substitute for real food. Well, one week later, I have revisited the fishsticks, this time cooking them to golden-brown flakey perfection. The sticks today were done just right. And, as it turns out, when their true flavor is thus revealed, the fishsticks are actually quite dreadful. Their flavor is almost exactly the same flavor as the box they come in, but at least the box they come in has some nutritional value. I'm not saying that you should not eat Van de Kamp's fishsticks. Just don't expect too much out of them.

3 comments:

InTheOubliette said...

You fishstick update still begs the question: why are do you continue to subject your poor stomach to these gastric obscenities? Consider this VERY simple recipe sometime instead:

====================
INGREDIENTS
fresh fish - 6-8 oz. or 1-2 fillets per person (depending on how hungry you are!)
olive oil
seasoning*
salt/pepper to taste
lemon or lime (optional)

* For seasoning you can use whatever seasoning you have handy - I like rosemary, or basil on a white fish like tilapia or grouper, cajun seasoning is good on a stronger fish like salmon or catfish. Or just keep it simple and stick with salt-and-pepper!

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pour a little olive oil into a pan on stove-top. Turn heat to medium, then ignore for a minute or so.
2. When oil is warm put the fish in the pan, then sprinkle with seasonings of your choice.
3. After ~5 minutes flip fish over - re-season. Five more minutes later fish should be flaky and fully cooked.
4. Throw it on a plate, squeeze a lemon or lime over it if you like the fruity thing, and eat.
====================

It won't be a deep-fried-and-frozen fishbomb, but might (gasp) actually have some flavor and nutritional value.

PS - you may want to warn your tongue before eating the above. The shock from experiencing flavor could be devastating!

Neil said...

Well, Monica, I've always been a little hesitant to cook fish for some reason. Maybe it's the same reason I don't like to sleep in public. Anyway, thanks for the recipe. I believe I'll give it a shot. But be honest, doesn't your mouth water when you look at the photo of the fishsticks?

InTheOubliette said...

Yes, my mouth did start watering. Heavily. Right before I ran to the bathroom and vomited. Guess it is a reflex or something.

Good luck with your home-made fishbricks. I was hesitant about cooking fish for a long time as well, but once I started I found that it is quicker and easier to cook than other meats (i.e. chicken, pork, beef. I haven't tried cooking wild boar or dik-dik so I can't comment on those.).

Just remember to go light on the oil (maybe 1-2 tbsp max). Too much oil and you'll have spatter burns on your arms and your entire kitchen will be a splattered mess!