eating pike eel

[jeff f]

i scored a couple of old fishing books at the local markets on the weekend

one of the books, the australian fisherman by harold vaughn

says that pike eels are edible and have fine white flesh the only drawback is alot of bones. anyone ever been hungry enough to try it

or is anyone out there game to try it

have any of our asian brethren ever heard of it being eaten in other places

[Feral]

I would reckon it would be a natural for smoking. I have eaten fresh water eel, not that fussed on it. Never tried Pike eel.

[kreel]

Jeff the first question is: "are you really that hungry?"

[Angus]

A Russian guy took one off me at Oxley once. Said he loved them and ate them all the time.

I will try anything once. But I really really cant see myself liking them.

Imagine the scum they would eat.

Angus

[Keen-as-fisho]

I can't remember if it was pike eel, but my mate and I caught a long (1m) silver hairy tailed very toothy thing at jacobs well jetty about 8 years ago anyway we kept it for bait and took it home to freeze, when my father saw it who is from new caladonia (islander, eat anything that moves or swims) he grabed it and cooked it and it tasted pretty bloody good fried!

[nadders]

mudcrabs eat worse, the problem for me would be the f****** awful smell, like somebody ate bad curry for a month then threw up in a bottle of ammonia and shook it up before concentrating it into one almighty odour of death

[jeff f]

Angus wrote:

Imagine the scum they would eat.

Angus

nah mate with all those teeth they are predator

[kreel]

nadders wrote:

mudcrabs eat worse, the problem for me would be the f****** awful smell, like somebody ate bad curry for a month then threw up in a bottle of ammonia and shook it up before concentrating it into one almighty odour of death

Stop trying to make it sound more palatable than it really is.

[Angus]

Keen-as-fisho wrote:

I can't remember if it was pike eel, but my mate and I caught a long (1m) silver hairy tailed very toothy thing at jacobs well jetty about 8 years ago anyway we kept it for bait and took it home to freeze, when my father saw it who is from new caladonia (islander, eat anything that moves or swims) he grabed it and cooked it and it tasted pretty bloody good fried!

There have actaully been a few Hairtail caught at Jacobs Well so based on the discription it could be one of those. Hairtail are also good tucker.

Jeff: Yeah fair call. I think its just my personal dislike of them talking.

I enjoy regular freshwater a lot. Especially at Japanese restaurants. Unagi

Angus

[fishing_hardcore]

Jeff I think it comes down to , if you can cook the bloody things.

Anything is edible if you know how to cook it, but if you just throw it in the pan well

it might not taste so great.

cheers

[tobie10]

Suddenly after reading the name of this thread I realized what I had caught a few months back out of Kawana Waters (from overseas, wasn't in that little orange tide book). It was pretty badly hooked with some pretty crazy teeth, and being of the Asian brethren, asked around if it was edible. Most people said no, and most didn't know what it was to start with. It was dead by then so I cut a bit of it and tossed it to some pelicans as a trial and they avoided it like a plague. Tried it again with the same result, so yeah chopped it up and gave it to the baby fishies. Not going to eat anything pelicans won't touch!

[Malcolm]

tobie10 wrote:

Suddenly after reading the name of this thread I realized what I had caught a few months back out of Kawana Waters (from overseas, wasn't in that little orange tide book). It was pretty badly hooked with some pretty crazy teeth, and being of the Asian brethren, asked around if it was edible. Most people said no, and most didn't know what it was to start with. It was dead by then so I cut a bit of it and tossed it to some pelicans as a trial and they avoided it like a plague. Tried it again with the same result, so yeah chopped it up and gave it to the baby fishies. Not going to eat anything pelicans won't touch!

Fair enough tobie that sounds like a good test to me :laugh:

[Tybo]

jeff f wrote:

nah mate with all those teeth they are predator

Too right Jeff, I've live baited Cabbage Tree Creek many a night only to end up with only dozens of pike eel. The biggest one I got stripped line and was easily as long as the 8 foot boat we were fishing out of.

nadders wrote:

mudcrabs eat worse, the problem for me would be the f****** awful smell, like somebody ate bad curry for a month then threw up in a bottle of ammonia and shook it up before concentrating it into one almighty odour of death

I'd have to agree 100%. Mud crabs live in the foulest conditions, eat probably the most toxic of things and they taste good. But pike eels, the slime, the smell, yuk! I guy I know from northern rivers eats fork tail catfish, say's they're great. But some people have no taste and seeing as though I don't even eat bream, there's no way I'd eat pike eels.

[Keen-as-fisho]

Angus wrote:

I enjoy regular freshwater a lot. Especially at Japanese restaurants. Unagi

Oh yeah, freash water eels yum.

[rayke1938]

Give it a go guys if I can try carp you can try eel . :laugh:

You may be surprised as eel is a delicacy in some places.European and asian.Next one I get goes in the smoker.

Cheers

Ray

[straddiebrad]

i have not eaten pike eels but have eaten hardy heads years ago not real good.

[Keen-as-fisho]

straddiebrad wrote:

i have not eaten pike eels but have eaten hardy heads years ago not real good.

Hardy heads, yeah I don't know about that. While I was in Perth in July I tried white bait which was deep fried whole served with aoly. A NZ dish apparently! Bloody delicous but.

[Tybo]

rayke1938 wrote:

Give it a go guys if I can try carp you can try eel .

You may be surprised as eel is a delicacy in some places.European and asian.Next one I get goes in the smoker.

Yeah Ray but there's eels and then there's eels. I love smoked eel in sushi bars, and when we caught a freshwater eel in one the yabby pots in the Numinbah Valley, it was grilled in an open fire and was absolutley delicious. But 'delicacy' eels are usually farmed in stainless water tanks, and if you're going to eat a wild one I suggest some nice clean water. Pike eels on the other hand stink like you wouldn't believe.

straddiebrad wrote:

i have not eaten pike eels but have eaten hardy heads years ago not real good.

:laugh: We did something similar a few years back. Took a mate from Adelaide fishing off Moreton, got a heap of trawl flathead and squire, but also jigged a heap of yakkas. He thought they looked like Tommy Ruffs(some small southern fish) that they love down in SA. So we kept them and grilled them using a sardine recipe we had. They literally taste like pillies smell and decided never to do that again.

Keen-as-fisho wrote:

While I was in Perth in July I tried white bait which was deep fried whole served with aoly. A NZ dish apparently! Bloody delicous but.

Whitebaits beautiful! I get it everytime I go to a Chinese restaurant in the Valley. I once saw an article on how recreationals catch them in NZ. Either with big scoop nets or they set these lines off handlines they look like a mini long line. Dozens of tiny hooks baited with cheese. Interesting stuff!

ps Sorry for gettin' off the topic, but Pike eels still stink and I wouldn't eat them.

[shortie]

fishing_hardcore wrote:

Jeff I think it comes down to , if you can cook the bloody things.

Anything is edible if you know how to cook it, but if you just throw it in the pan well

it might not taste so great.

cheers

Nope anything is not edible,

I will get my Mrs to cook for you. I bet you change your mind very quickly.

[nadders]

on a related note ive eaten pike and would happily do it again, fry them whole but gutted and they taste like whiting, kind of

[Jaymz711]

nadders wrote:

on a related note ive eaten pike and would happily do it again, fry them whole but gutted and they taste like whiting, kind of

Yeah I agree, but oilier.

[Cowfish13]

I strongly disagree :silly: Couldn't stand Pike when we tried them (treated them well after death too). Meh... Each to their own

We often have people asking for Pike Eels when we catch them. Not just stereotypes either; many races. So they must atleast be 'edible'. I will never, ever try one though Too slimy haha

[elops]

I was livebaiting for jew with a japanese friend of mine a few years ago and caught one. He was very exited, said they are good to eat and took it home. I keep the odd one for him but they certainly leave a stink in the esky. The B@&$^@&ds LOVE 70mm Masks and really make a mess of them. Also saw them cooking some on Iron Chef on SBS.

[fishing_hardcore]

I used to eat eel tail catties from the fresh.

Dip in egg white roll in crushed up cornflakes then fry in butter.

very tasty

But the larger ones were too tough, they farm fresh water eels down in tassie they are exported overseas, they are only about 40 cm long because the big ones are too tough.

cheers

[Do$tylz]

I think Kiara used to eat them....?? or was it just the stingrays he eats??

Personally... not a preference but I'd probably try a bite if offered.

[straddiebrad]

i worked in a seafood shop a while ago and they sold catfish and wasnt to bad but didnt sell it as catfish had a diffrent name.

[Gazza]

Bassa fillets ? = Asian catfish?

I'd have a crack @ pike eel had enough em have a crack @ me :woohoo:

Gaz

[apoklyps60]

when people eat sting ray here. they soak the fillets in milk for 24 hours. changing the milk every 5-6 hours. it helps take away the iodine taste. maybe you can try that. either milk or buttermilk. but buttermilk is a bit more expensive. me i wont eat sting ray tried it once and bleh. didnt make the ole rumble belly none too happy. lol.

[straddiebrad]

years ago they made the seafood bite out of stingray flaps now they just use seafood extender

[rayke1938]

Is gotta be better thab a big mac or hungry jacks neither of which have or will ever pass my lips.. :laugh:

Cheers

Ray

[Dano]

What about a fillet o fish? Haha so I take it you have chowed down on the odd eal then Ray?

[wesfish]

i remember being very drunk when we chucked one on a electric park BBQ down the coomera, i remeber alot of bones and tasted fine, but that was with rum soaked taste buds :laugh: and starving after spending the dinner money on more rums :silly:

[nadders]

i know someone who absolutely loves stingray...

you know who you are hahaha

[apoklyps60]

when i was there i ate at your guys mcdonalds and hungry jack(burger king here) and the taste is nowhere near the same. i didnt eat there again. our fillet-o-fish here used to be made of shark tasted the same. i did eat alot of fish and chips tho. and it was soooo freaking good. they dont have many fish and chips places here anymore. all the good ones closed down. we have a long john silvers. but its like eating battered styrofoam. nasty. and the bakery's u have there. yum. i miss those sausage rolls. althought your pluto pops taste nothing like our corn dogs. our hotdogs are so totally different tasting. maybe i should freeze some and send them over there for u guys to try. lol. ok maybe not they would probly go off.

cheers,

Vin

[apoklyps60]

how bout trying to soak it in soy sauce sugar and lemon juice with a lil bit of garlic and a cup of beer. well exactly

4 cloves of finely minced garlic

2 tsp finely minced ginger

1 cup soy sauce

2TBSP honey

3/4cup sugar

2 lemons juiced

1tbsp vinegar

3 tsp pepper

1 cup beer(any brand) not ale

marinade for 3-4 hours

grill

enjoy

[Mack_attack]

Apoklypso60 your comments are fair enough as you haven't seen one in the flesh but are the rest of you guys honestly that hungry?? The smell of one boatside is enough to make me gag let alone eating one :X

I'd eat the bait first

[kiara_poltegerist]

nadders wrote:

i know someone who absolutely loves stingray...

you know who you are hahaha

hahaha. guilty . hahha. well, they taste pretty awesome really. the ammonia smell in stingray meat is because of improper preparation; when cutting a ray up, you cant break the intestine. if you do so, the whole ray is gonna smell like crap. i reckon the reason why noone here has ever had any decent ray is because noone here knows how to prepare it for cooking.

a properly prepared ray has no ammonia stench at all. Angus, you gonna take me up on it? You already missed out on that awesome eel tailed cattie man!. haha

btw, i got told by someone that my braised freshwater eel with dried chilli and 5 spice powder was one of the best fishes they've eaten in their whole life!. haha.

[Feral]

kiara_poltegerist wrote:

i reckon the reason why no one here has ever had any decent ray is because no one here knows how to prepare it for cooking.

I reckon your right Kiara, goes for a lot of freshwater fish as well.

When they used to make seafood bites out of stingray flap they were my favourite, now they make them out of that seafood extender, and they are pretty crappy.

[nadders]

next session im gonna bring you some catties, grinner and a whole school of butter bream and see what you can come up with adrian hahaha

[silver_rex]

Pike eel is fine is prepared properly.... My father in law who is Hungarian smokes the meat, then makes soup out of from it and it tastes awesome!!!!

Also as Adrian said stingray is fantastic too, i bought one home and the Vietnamese people that live next door cooked it up in a bbq sauce etc and tasted brilliant

If fried up in batter and served with chips im not to sure about that