Dear all,
I think that George may be on to something. If the "turbot" is arrowtooth flounder (which is marketed as turbot), that species caught off the Pacific coast often has myxosporidean parasites (as do some of our hake populations) and they turn to fish porridge when thawed and cooked due to the release of proteolytic enzymes from the tiny parasitic cysts.
Other thoughts?
Klaus
>>> "George Souza" <george@endeavorseafood.com> 02/04 /03/7:09 AM >>>
Hi Nancy,
Three possibilities came to mind on the problem this person encountered.
There are no doubt more but these are the first that popped into my
head.
The most benign is perhaps what the fish were feeding on similar to cod
in the summer months. The flesh looks okay but cooks up excessively
watery/mushy. Little doubt this also occurs with flats.
A second possibility (highest probability IMHO) is that the fish was
over phosphated or otherwise treated. Turbot is now a fish that is
commonly "refreshed" so over-treatment/over-soaking is well within the
realm of possibilities.
A third, perhaps longer shot, is the possibility that the fish sold as
turbot was actually something else, possibly arrowtooth, a notoriously
mushy species.
Hope this is of some help.
George Souza
Endeavor Seafood
172 Thames St.
Suite 200
Newport, RI 02840
Phone 401-841-5412
Fax 401-841-8639
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of Nancy Balcom
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 9:12 AM
To: seafood@ucdavis.edu
Subject: liquid fish?
Hello to all:
I recently fielded a call from someone who purchased turbot in a
supermarket. He broiled the fish, lightly breaded, the next night for
the typical time of 10 mins to the inch. The flesh appeared to have
nice texture, but when he went to eat the fish, it totally disintegrated
like liquid in his mouth.
Upon returning to the supermarket to complain, he was told that the
fish was supposed to be cooked the day it was bought.
Beyond the obvious problem with the seafood counter staff at that
establishment, my question to you is "What could cause that fish to
go totally liquid like that?"
I don't know if it was previously frozen and thawed.
Any thoughts or insights would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Nancy C. Balcom
CT Sea Grant Extension Program
University of Connecticut
1080 Shennecossett Road
Groton CT 06340
Tel: (860) 405-9127
FAX: (860) 405-9109
E-mail: nancy.balcom@uconn.edu
===============
Klaus Schallié
Aquaculture & Molluscan Shellfish Specialist
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Burnaby, B. C.
Telephone (604) 666-4427 ext. 277
Facsimile (604) 666-4440
e-mail schalliek@inspection.gc.ca
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