What's the black stuff in monkfish meat? Is it edible?



W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

Christopher M. wrote:

> What's the black stuff in monkfish meat? Is it edible?
>
>
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

It may *be* pooh. What part of the monkfish are you looking at?

--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project --> http://improve-usenet.org
Found 5/08: a free GG-blocking news *feed* --> http://usenet4all.se

Blinky the Shark wrote:

> Christopher M. wrote:
>
> > What's the black stuff in monkfish meat? Is it edible?
> >
> >
> >
> > W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>
> It may *be* pooh. What part of the monkfish are you looking at?
>


Hope these excerpts from a discussion thread [From a local Chicago culinary
forum] don't "turn you off" piscines forever, Blinky ;-) :

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=19385

"Worms in my monkfish! Still alive!"

[excerpts from the thread]

"So on Sunday I purchased 5 monkfish tails from my favorite Japanese fish
market.

Skinning and filleting them this evening to recreate mapo fish fillet I was
shocked to find worms in the flesh and belly of the fish AND THEY WERE STILL
ALIVE!!! WTF!!!!

They were MOVING as I pulled them out (I can't believe I touched them). At
first I thought it was just part of the fish as I was prepping them, but
they immediately curled and moved when touched! ARGH!!!!

Wikipedia identified them as anisakis (not diphyllobothrium).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisakis

I know I've seen them "dead" on fish sold at other markets from time to time
(usually in the discount section of Asian fish markets - to remain
nameless).

I'm shocked and disappointed as this market is one of my typical weekly
stops not only for seafood but sashimi-grade fish. They were the most
reputable and beautiful fish market I'd ever encountered in the states, and
now I'm disillusioned.

I can't believe that they didn't know the fish had worms as they had gutted
the fish previously; It would have been worms galore (as each fish had
multiple worms in each).

I'm just also really surprised that they were still living considering
freezing should typically kill them. They'd sat in my fridge since Sunday as
well.

I'm so sad sad sad... I don't think I can bring myself to eat their raw fish
again nor to continue purchasing fish from them. I guess it's back to Costco
for me..."

-------------------------

"Hold on a moment. This happened to me once, with Turbot. Grossed me out.
Hubby and I wound up eating out, but I saved the fish and returned it to the
supermarket where I had purchased it. They were non-plussed about it - they
apologized, but said it does happen sometimes.

Then, I called the local health department. And I learned that, unless fish
is sushi or sashimi grade, it is normal for it to sometimes have small worms
or other nasties. Had I cooked the whole filet instead of cutting it up for
stir fry, they would have shriveled up too small to see in the cooking
process and I wouldn't have even known they were there.

I still didn't quite believe it, so I did some research with the FDA
website - and gosh darn if it wasn't true! It was so many years ago that I
don't have the research handy anymore. And, despite everything I learned,
I've never bought turbot and I've never bought any fish from that place
again..."

--------------------------------

"Monkfish is notorious for parasite infestation. I love it(the monkfish, not
the infestation) but a friend, after years of working in professional
kitchens, won't eat it or several other fish due to the prevalence of
worms..."

------------------------------------

"I often see the worms in cod and now scrutinize any cod steaks I buy in
Asian markets, but finding them in such abundance and still alive in the
monkfish was really very gross - something about them squirming btwn fingers
was not cool. In fact I think I found a "cyst or egg collection" after I
filleted one of 'em.

I think I will have to swear off fish for a little while, before I can
regain my taste for it..."

</>

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
...
>
> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
>> Christopher M. wrote:
>>
>> > What's the black stuff in monkfish meat? Is it edible?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>>
>> It may *be* pooh. What part of the monkfish are you looking at?
>>
>
>
> Hope these excerpts from a discussion thread [From a local Chicago
> culinary
> forum] don't "turn you off" piscines forever, Blinky ;-) :
>
> http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=19385
>
> "Worms in my monkfish! Still alive!"
>
> [excerpts from the thread]
>
> "So on Sunday I purchased 5 monkfish tails from my favorite Japanese fish
> market.
>
> Skinning and filleting them this evening to recreate mapo fish fillet I
> was
> shocked to find worms in the flesh and belly of the fish AND THEY WERE
> STILL
> ALIVE!!! WTF!!!!
>
> They were MOVING as I pulled them out (I can't believe I touched them). At
> first I thought it was just part of the fish as I was prepping them, but
> they immediately curled and moved when touched! ARGH!!!!
>
> Wikipedia identified them as anisakis (not diphyllobothrium).
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisakis
>
> I know I've seen them "dead" on fish sold at other markets from time to
> time
> (usually in the discount section of Asian fish markets - to remain
> nameless).
>
> I'm shocked and disappointed as this market is one of my typical weekly
> stops not only for seafood but sashimi-grade fish. They were the most
> reputable and beautiful fish market I'd ever encountered in the states,
> and
> now I'm disillusioned.
>
> I can't believe that they didn't know the fish had worms as they had
> gutted
> the fish previously; It would have been worms galore (as each fish had
> multiple worms in each).
>
> I'm just also really surprised that they were still living considering
> freezing should typically kill them. They'd sat in my fridge since Sunday
> as
> well.
>
> I'm so sad sad sad... I don't think I can bring myself to eat their raw
> fish
> again nor to continue purchasing fish from them. I guess it's back to
> Costco
> for me..."
>
> -------------------------
>
> "Hold on a moment. This happened to me once, with Turbot. Grossed me out.
> Hubby and I wound up eating out, but I saved the fish and returned it to
> the
> supermarket where I had purchased it. They were non-plussed about it -
> they
> apologized, but said it does happen sometimes.
>
> Then, I called the local health department. And I learned that, unless
> fish
> is sushi or sashimi grade, it is normal for it to sometimes have small
> worms
> or other nasties. Had I cooked the whole filet instead of cutting it up
> for
> stir fry, they would have shriveled up too small to see in the cooking
> process and I wouldn't have even known they were there.
>
> I still didn't quite believe it, so I did some research with the FDA
> website - and gosh darn if it wasn't true! It was so many years ago that I
> don't have the research handy anymore. And, despite everything I learned,
> I've never bought turbot and I've never bought any fish from that place
> again..."
>
> --------------------------------
>
> "Monkfish is notorious for parasite infestation. I love it(the monkfish,
> not
> the infestation) but a friend, after years of working in professional
> kitchens, won't eat it or several other fish due to the prevalence of
> worms..."
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> "I often see the worms in cod and now scrutinize any cod steaks I buy in
> Asian markets, but finding them in such abundance and still alive in the
> monkfish was really very gross - something about them squirming btwn
> fingers
> was not cool. In fact I think I found a "cyst or egg collection" after I
> filleted one of 'em.
>
> I think I will have to swear off fish for a little while, before I can
> regain my taste for it..."

I watched a guy filleting a swordfish at dock in the Keys once. He pulled a
12" worm from the meat and tossed it over the dock. He looked around to see
if anyone was watching then finished cutting up the fish and bagged it for
the guy who caught it.

It was a few years before I could look at a swordfish steak again.

Jon

On Mon 02 Jun 2008 10:28:16p, Zeppo told us...

>
> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>>
>>> Christopher M. wrote:
>>>
>>> > What's the black stuff in monkfish meat? Is it edible?
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)
>>>
>>> It may *be* pooh. What part of the monkfish are you looking at?
>>>
>>
>>
>> Hope these excerpts from a discussion thread [From a local Chicago
>> culinary forum] don't "turn you off" piscines forever, Blinky ;-) :
>>
>> http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=19385
>>
>> "Worms in my monkfish! Still alive!"
>>
>> [excerpts from the thread]
>>
>> "So on Sunday I purchased 5 monkfish tails from my favorite Japanese
>> fish market.
>>
>> Skinning and filleting them this evening to recreate mapo fish fillet I
>> was shocked to find worms in the flesh and belly of the fish AND THEY
>> WERE STILL
>> ALIVE!!! WTF!!!!
>>
>> They were MOVING as I pulled them out (I can't believe I touched them).
>> At first I thought it was just part of the fish as I was prepping them,
>> but they immediately curled and moved when touched! ARGH!!!!
>>
>> Wikipedia identified them as anisakis (not diphyllobothrium).
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisakis
>>
>> I know I've seen them "dead" on fish sold at other markets from time to
>> time (usually in the discount section of Asian fish markets - to remain
>> nameless).
>>
>> I'm shocked and disappointed as this market is one of my typical weekly
>> stops not only for seafood but sashimi-grade fish. They were the most
>> reputable and beautiful fish market I'd ever encountered in the states,
>> and now I'm disillusioned.
>>
>> I can't believe that they didn't know the fish had worms as they had
>> gutted the fish previously; It would have been worms galore (as each
>> fish had multiple worms in each).
>>
>> I'm just also really surprised that they were still living considering
>> freezing should typically kill them. They'd sat in my fridge since
>> Sunday as well.
>>
>> I'm so sad sad sad... I don't think I can bring myself to eat their raw
>> fish again nor to continue purchasing fish from them. I guess it's back
>> to Costco
>> for me..."
>>
>> -------------------------
>>
>> "Hold on a moment. This happened to me once, with Turbot. Grossed me
>> out. Hubby and I wound up eating out, but I saved the fish and returned
>> it to the supermarket where I had purchased it. They were non-plussed
>> about it -
>> they apologized, but said it does happen sometimes.
>>
>> Then, I called the local health department. And I learned that, unless
>> fish is sushi or sashimi grade, it is normal for it to sometimes have
>> small worms or other nasties. Had I cooked the whole filet instead of
>> cutting it up for stir fry, they would have shriveled up too small to
>> see in the cooking process and I wouldn't have even known they were
>> there.
>>
>> I still didn't quite believe it, so I did some research with the FDA
>> website - and gosh darn if it wasn't true! It was so many years ago
>> that I don't have the research handy anymore. And, despite everything I
>> learned, I've never bought turbot and I've never bought any fish from
>> that place again..."
>>
>> --------------------------------
>>
>> "Monkfish is notorious for parasite infestation. I love it(the
>> monkfish, not the infestation) but a friend, after years of working in
>> professional kitchens, won't eat it or several other fish due to the
>> prevalence of worms..."
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>> "I often see the worms in cod and now scrutinize any cod steaks I buy
>> in Asian markets, but finding them in such abundance and still alive in
>> the monkfish was really very gross - something about them squirming
>> btwn fingers was not cool. In fact I think I found a "cyst or egg
>> collection" after I filleted one of 'em.
>>
>> I think I will have to swear off fish for a little while, before I can
>> regain my taste for it..."
>
> I watched a guy filleting a swordfish at dock in the Keys once. He
> pulled a 12" worm from the meat and tossed it over the dock. He looked
> around to see if anyone was watching then finished cutting up the fish
> and bagged it for the guy who caught it.
>
> It was a few years before I could look at a swordfish steak again.
>
> Jon
>
>
>

Ugh! Just how common is it to find worms in fish? I have a limited
appetite for various fish to begin with, and the thought of worms in them
just turns my stomach.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Monday, 06(VI)/02(II)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Oh dear, I've gone and inflated my ego.
-------------------------------------------

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
> Ugh! Just how common is it to find worms in fish?
> I have a limited appetite for various fish to begin with,
> and the thought of worms in them just turns my stomach.

If it's frozen, there's nothing to worry about.

Quoting from this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/opinion/15shaw.html

"Sushi may not be cooked, but it has, for the most part,
been frozen. Food and Drug Administration guidelines
require that before being served as sushi or sashimi
(or in any other raw form), fish be flash-frozen to
destroy parasites. While the fish you see in the sushi-bar
display case looks fresh, it has almost certainly been
frozen at some point in the distribution system. This
freezing kills any parasites as sure as cooking would."

However, I believe this article is in error when
it says that parasites are the purported reason for
pregnant women to avoid eating fish. Most fish are
predators, and as such they are at the top of their
food chain. That concentrates heavy metals such as
arsenic and mercury in their flesh, which I believe
it the basis for the warning.

"Wayne Boatwright" > ha scritto nel messaggio > Ugh!
Just how common is it to find worms in fish? I have a limited
> appetite for various fish to begin with, and the thought of worms in them
> just turns my stomach.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright

It's quite common, Wayne. Nature is like that. There are living things in
every other living thing, even you. Most you can't see, some you can.
Removing them is part of food prep. The few that are or can be harmful in
your area need to be learned.

"Christopher M." > wrote:

> What's the black stuff in monkfish meat? Is it edible?
>
> W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

The black streaks are just the nature of the fish. It's all edible.
JUst eat it and don't worry about it.

-sw