From 11/22/01</font id=blue>
When we think of Thanksgiving we think of food. Talk in the office always surrounds food and inevitably all of the different types of food we eat on Thanksgiving Day. I always find these conversations interesting because most of the time people in our offices are from different areas of the country and there is always something that will surprise you. The people from the south are always having something fried on Thanksgiving Day. Let’s face it, if it can be fried we will do so and even if it should not be fried, we will give it a try. While most of our brethren from around the country agree that our idea of frying turkey is a good one, they are still not sure about frying things like okra, zucchini, and cabbage. While most of these dishes will not make a “heart-smart” menu in any restaurant, they sure are tasty.
One of the things I love about seafood is that if you are not sure how to cook it you can almost always fry it. Just about anything you pull from the sea can be fried and will taste delicious. Nice tender white meat fish such as flounder, whiting, trout, and dolphin are excellent to fry without any prior preparation. The same goes for shrimp, scallops, and oysters.
Of course, certain types of fish will taste a little better with a little preparation before frying. Oily fish with darker meat, such as bluefish and king mackerel can use a little help. Everyone has a secret marinade that they use on certain fish that may have a strong taste. Some of the more common marinades are citrus marinades. An orange marinade or lemon juice will help draw some of the oils and strong taste of out fish before frying. Some people prefer to use these juices in combination with things like ginger, Soy sauce, hot sauce, red wine and many other things. If you do not feel like exerting all of this energy, Italian dressing is also a great marinade prior to frying these types of fish.
The batter used when frying can also enhance the taste of your fish. I am a big fan of c