Black Tip Shark That Looked Great But Tasted Lousy

The other day I purchased what I thought were gorgeous looking shark filets for grilling. They were on sale at a ridiculously good price, which should have been my first clue something may not be right, but I have purchased a lot of fish on sale before with no problems.

I’ve been told by fishmongers I trust that supermarket chains sometimes buy too much of one item and then have to put it on sale to move it. Other times they put an item on sale so they can advertise it in the paper to get people in the store or so they can make one of those annoying announcements over the speakers while you are in the store.

This is why it is so important to find a fish store or supermarket you like and get to know the person running each department. Build a relationship with your fishmonger or butcher and they will typically steer you in the right direction, making sure you get quality product and the best sales. In this case I didn’t follow my own advice. I purchased the fish at a supermarket chain whose fish department doesn’t usually “wow” me, from a person behind the counter I did not know.

They told me the filets were black tip shark, great for grilling and tasted like swordfish that was selling at a significantly higher price. The filets looked great as you can see in the above photo and when I brought them home, they smelled fine.

Grilling and Tasting

I seasoned them with a little olive oil, salt & pepper and threw them on my gas grill being careful not to overcook them. We like our fish medium, especially if we are serving it to the kids.

When I made my first cut into the fish for that first bite, I knew something wasn’t right. The fish did not flake apart like I expected. When I took that first bite, the meat was very tough, tasted mealy and was almost inedible. When I say inedible, I don’t mean the fish was turned but chewy….not at all what I expected.

I thought maybe I didn’t cook it right or was I suppose to marinate it for a few hours so I emailed my friend Chef Alan Bickel with my own Ask A Chef Question.

I wrote, “Chef, what did I do wrong?  Is it my cooking technique or the fish? And if it was the fish, what was wrong with it? It looked great at the market.”

Here is what Chef Alan replied back to me:

“I have experienced what I think you’re referring to, although it has always been with swordfish in my case. It is almost a ‘grainy’ texture in the mouth, almost as if you were trying to chew finely ground up sandpaper?

In addition, I find the surface of the steaks have almost a sandy feel and not as firm as normal for a dense fish of that kind. As far as flavor profile goes, in a case like this there’s a very bland, depthless feel to it, instead of a full characteristic flavor.

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Another appetizer my sister-in-law whipped up last weekend for our family gathering involved steaming mussels in some white wine and topping them with a simple salsa made with corn, tomato, and a few other ingredients. They were a real treat, easy to prepare and a huge success.

The recipe calls for using a hot sauce to spice them up and add some contrasting flavors. I used hot sauce a chef friend of mine uses in his restaurant called Tuong ot Srirachia. Depending on how hot you like your food, you can add more or less.

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked corn – I would use canned corn until fresh corn is in season
½ cup diced tomato
½ cup diced red onion
½ cup cilantro leaves
1-tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice – bottled lime juice just doesn’t do it for a dish like this
1 – 2 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce like Tuong ot Srirachia depending on your heat threshold
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup dry white wine
3 dozen mussels

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I found this quick and easy recipe in Cuisine at Home magazine. I have made a few minor changes to the original from my experiences when making it. There are also a few changes I would make next time I prepare this meal.

For example, you might want to up the amounts of spices called for if you like your food more on the spicy side. As good as the scallops were, I think they were a little bland and I would add more curry powder and some of the other spices.

By definition, a “vinaigrette”, one of the five “mother sauces” is a combination of oil and vinegar. This recipe is definitely a vinaigrette but because of the added tomatoes, it may not look like your typical dressing. See my basic Mustard Vinaigrette recipe.

What I like about this sauce is you can use it with chicken or fish as well shrimp or scallops. It is quick to make at home in a blender or food processor but be sure to mince the lemon zest well or you will taste bits of it in the sauce. I didn’t mince it fine enough and it was my only complaint about the dish.

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