I was wondering if you would like to exchange links. I’ll drop yours on my site and you drop mine on yours. Email at ramendays@yahoo.com or stop by my site and drop a comment. Let me know if you would like to do a link exchange.

Cheers,
Caleb
http://www.ramendays.com

Thanks for your nice words. More will come.

You are right that for some fish, the sensation of preparing them superfresh can be sensational and the flavor as you say clean and bright. Mackarel and flounder as you mention are examples that do not improve. Same with red mullet. But for instance a dover sole or a turbot, are simply not possible to consume the same day they are caught. The texture will be tough, they will budge when you cook them and the flavor, while clean and bright is a bit insipid.

I will write more in detail about this at another time but there are enzymatic processes that improve the texture and taste of some fish. It is a bit like ageing meat but the timescale is of course a bit different.

I’ve enjoyed reading your posts for some time. I became a gastroville fan while you were on hiatus and I’m pleased that you now post regularly.

I am something of a fisherman here on the Atlantic US coast. I’ve caught and eaten a many species within minutes of hooking them eg: rockfish, bluefish, weakfish, mackerel, drumfish, flounder, etc. These freshly caught and cooked fish seem to have the brightest and cleanest flavor and perfect texture. I wondered what was different about the fish you talk about here? Is it something biological that improves the flavor with the passage of time?

Your plate looks scrumptious.