I’m sure it will be a lot of different opinion’s here for sure. Been at this a long time and some truly stand out. All Fillets (NO blood lines) which I put in bucket of water and hand full of salt in fridge for two full days. Rinse with fresh water and bag if freezing in water and push the air out to close. Fish will last and still be good a couple years!
Dolphin is good, but I think is a little overrated (ouch!) Not had yellowfin tuna except Outback which was great!..want to try it fresh for sure.
I have many different recipes, but, Grilled in my 1800s griswold frying pans using 1/4" olive oil and half stick of butter @ about 400 degrees in each 12" skillet plus 4 slices of good bacon rendered down before adding the fish. Your favorite seasoning and only light amount of yellow mustard/egg …corn starch/yellow corn meal (light and shake off excess) don’t over cook! Of coarse you can still use the deep fryer which is awesome too!!!
King Mackerel balls fresh are really hard to beat too! Not being ugly but saw it on youtube (check this out) we tried and its great! slice king about 1" apart across the sides from head to tail and you can easily push the “ball” of meat from each (2- medallions) and if you don’t want to waste meat keep the rest for Fish dip. These things are very tasty! lemon pepper is good on them.
Salt. - love to catch wahoo and cobia. They never give up. Once had a big cobia escape a huge igloo cooler and back in the water. Triggers eat great but triple tail are the best. King Mack’s brined and smoked is wonderful.
I love to catch longnose gar in the cooper they fight like crazy and taste like gator tail. Flatheads are lazy fighters but eat really good. Crappie are fun to learn what that little bump is. Love grilled whole flounder and sheeps and black drum. Big spot tails are like hooking a truck. But I’m happy to see them swim away
Mako, Wahoo, Sword, Flounder, Trout, Dolphin, BSB/ARS. Sorry can’t do just 5!
Top 3 Freshwater
Walleye, Red breast, Flathead. … The bream and Flathead out of running water.
On Gator, my favorite part is the two opaque loins Just above and past the butt hole. Kind of like the backstrap of a deer. IMO every other piece is a bit chewy.
On prep… Catfish, bream, and flounder fried only. All the others grilled, pan seared, or fried. Opps forgot catfish in a stew. mmmm.
You eat a mess of fresh lightly battered Walleye fillets and you’ll know there are fish in fresh water!
I forgot about trigger fish! Filleted with skin on and grilled with just salt pepper and butter (maybe a little lemon and fresh dill). the skin will form it’s own bowl and fork out the meat when done. Delicious.
Had wally-eye once in Wisconson it was great, alot like big crappie fillets. I am interested in the triggers on the half shell, that sounds really good and will try after next trip if we catch any more… I eat sea run mullet in North Carolina, which are big fall mullet 3-5 pounds not kidding, they gut them and fillet from belly to back and not cut thru top, season and cook scale side down on grill, it Makes it’s own “plate” to eat off of sounds very similar to your trigger grill. (it was great eating)
I’ve eaten a lot of mullet growing up. Most caught from the Bluff Plantation back waters. They are much better out of brackish water than full salt… IMO. Same day scaled, gutted removing all the black stomach/rig cage lining stuff and fried whole… not too bad. Small piece of worm on a small gold hook about 12" under a cork.
The trigger on a half shell is fantastic, especially after eating a mullet. Like going from a bottom end up steak to a Filet mignon.
There is a small stream near Walhalla SC that had beautiful brook trout in just a few deep pools. Flesh looked almost like salmon. We never took home over 4 . Curvy drive. Long walk in the water. Used an ice fishing rod Gold hooks crickets. Delicious
Saltwater: Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Flounder, Trout.
Freshwater: Crappie or Spot.
My favorite though is all shellfish! Shrimp, Crab, Oysters, Clams and Mussels!
dam allergies… some of those fish dishes look amazing!