Pangasius fillets?

[SteveK]

I've given up trying to find good quality cod fillets to make fish and chips with - the Makro ones are pathetically small and seem to be about 50% water. The pangasius fillets look decent though. I've had river cobbler from my local chip shop in the UK and it was good, and half the price of cod. But I doubt that they would have used frozen fillets, but of course I could be wrong.

 

Has anyone tried making fish and chips with pangasius? If it turns out to be pretty tasty I could eat a lot of it because it's so damn cheap. Does anyone know what the Thai words for "cod" and "pangasius" are, it seems that people around here seem to call any white fish "dory" which is not what I am talking about.

Edited September 19, 2019 by SteveK

[thedemon]

I think Pangasius is the same species known in Thailand as Pla Sawai. 

 

Dory is/was a marketing name originally given to Pangasius in western countries. I would think that naming it Dory and thus causing confusion between it and the much more expensive sea fish, John Dory is probably not accidental.

 

Pla Sawai is the fish that you see swarming in the Chao Praya river nearby temples where they are fed by tourists. Most Thais consider them fatty and a bit smelly so not good to eat. That's possibly why they are called something else in supermarkets.

 

I should add that I am no expert so happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

Edited September 19, 2019 by thedemon

[worgeordie]

Makro has a big selection of pangasius fillets ,most imported from Vietnam,

personally i would not eat them,reports of the conditions they are raised in,

plus antibiotics,I read a newspaper report of a guy in UK who bought Fish &

chips,was eating them on the way home and collapsed and died as a reaction

to the catfish. I also don't eat freshwater fish,but living in Chiang Mai its very

difficult to get fresh sea fish,at a reasonable price.

 

I also tried those Cod and Pollock fillets from Makro,they look good,are cheap,

but go to nothing when you cook them, had to make fish cakes with them.

regards worgeordie

[RickG16]

Had dory fish battered and fried a few times in LOS and it came out OK.

 

Fish n Chips is never one of those things I'd make at home... unlike many other type of takeaways which can be easily recreated. Maybe just find a good Fish n Chip shop, or that might not be possible due to your location...

[SteveK]

12 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Makro has a big selection of pangasius fillets ,most imported from Vietnam,

personally i would not eat them,reports of the conditions they are raised in,

plus antibiotics,I read a newspaper report of a guy in UK who bought Fish &

chips,was eating them on the way home and collapsed and died as a reaction

to the catfish. I also don't eat freshwater fish,but living in Chiang Mai its very

difficult to get fresh sea fish,at a reasonable price.

 

I also tried those Cod and Pollock fillets from Makro,they look good,are cheap,

but go to nothing when you cook them, had to make fish cakes with them.

regards worgeordie

Makro's cod fillets are tiny and just nothing like what you get back in the UK. I eat Thai and Isaan food 95% of the time but would love to be able to do a decent fish and chips now and again. I can do the chips and batter well, I just need good fish fillets.

 

Many years ago, probably 2008, I can remember going to a chip shop near my house that I had never used before. It was in the UK and run by Turkish guys. I was on my way home from a very long shift and bought a small cod and chips. I was starving so when I noticed the fish was a little unusual I didn't care because it was still tasty. My Mrs at the time tried some and told me it was Vietnamese river cobbler, but I wasn't too worried as the meal had cost about 3.99, which I thought was odd when I was paying. Cod and chips should have cost a lot more.

 

As you say, the cod here just disintegrates when you cook it, it is awful. If the pangasius has a bit of a different flavour, I can season the batter a bit more, but I just want something that's a bit more meaty without a strong fishy smell.

 

I think fish and chips is the easiest UK takeaway to recreate at home. I'm learning how to do UK-style Chinese takeaway food through Ziang's Oriental Food Workshop - they have a YouTube channel and really are top notch. Indian is much harder with base gravies etc.

 

I'd love to be able to make lamb donner kebabs at home but that ain't happening ever.

Edited September 19, 2019 by SteveK

[youreavinalaff]

9 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Makro's cod fillets are tiny and just nothing like what you get back in the UK. I eat Thai and Isaan food 95% of the time but would love to be able to do a decent fish and chips now and again. I can do the chips and batter well, I just need good fish fillets.

 

Many years ago, probably 2008, I can remember going to a chip shop near my house that I had never used before. It was in the UK and run by Turkish guys. I was on my way home from a very long shift and bought a small cod and chips. I was starving so when I noticed the fish was a little unusual I didn't care because it was still tasty. My Mrs at the time tried some and told me it was Vietnamese river cobbler, but I wasn't too worried as the meal had cost about 3.99, which I thought was odd when I was paying. Cod and chips should have cost a lot more.

 

As you say, the cod here just disintegrates when you cook it, it is awful. If the pangasius has a bit of a different flavour, I can season the batter a bit more, but I just want something that's a bit more meaty without a strong fishy smell.

 

I think fish and chips is the easiest UK takeaway to recreate at home. I'm learning how to do UK-style Chinese takeaway food through Ziang's Oriental Food Workshop - they have a YouTube channel and really are top notch. Indian is much harder with base gravies etc.

 

I'd love to be able to make lamb donner kebabs at home but that ain't happening ever.

You speak of Issan food. Where about in Issan do you live?

 

 

 

 

[SteveK]

1 minute ago, youreavinalaff said:

You speak of Issan food. Where about in Issan do you live?

 

 

 

 

Ubon province.

[4675636b596f75]

18 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

i would not eat them,reports of the conditions they are raised in,

plus antibiotics

I'm with you on this one.  I ordered some from Tops but you're right about fish from farms in Vietnam.  

 

Most places can't tell you if the fish they sell is wild caught or farm raised.

 

With that said, I'll show you what I did with the "dory" fillets. 

[SteveK]

It seems to me that Thai people label many kinds of fish as "dory", the first time I cooked battered cod fillets and gave it to the family, they all agreed it was "dory" I gave up trying to explain that it was cod.

[ylmiri]

I gather in the future sea fish will be so expensive that only the rich could afford to eat them. With the pollution non stop, farm fish(farm in sea water) are seen as safe to eat , at least they don't eat plastic if sea water in clean area free from plastic is pumped into the tank and filter before being pumped into tanks.

I visited a sea water fish farm in Malaysia in port Dickson about 70 km from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.  They dug big holes near the sea and lined them with thick plastic so water don't drain into the sand. Then they pump sea water into these ponds.

Dory fish from Vietnam is cat fish that's for sure. I have seen a documentary and it's horrible. You will see them inject hormones into the fish. And the pellets they fed to the fish are dried chicken feces mixed with rice husks then made into little pellets. So it cannot be healthy.

  When I sent an e-mail to the company of Dory fish(from the address of the package) asking if they fed those fish with pellets made from chicken feces, the reply I guess was drafted by the company's lawyer. Because the reply was evasive they didn't say yes but it did sound like a positive answer. So they try to avoid any legal implication. Only lawyers with minds bend on cheating and lying can write a letter like that.

    I avoid Dory fish as well as Fish Fingers or any fish that I don't see the head and tail. Any Mcfish burgers or anything like that don't interest me at all.

The big corporations are trying to kill you slowly, because if you died too early they couldn't get enough money from you. I am also beginning to believe this "De-population theory" put up by someone I can't remember his name.

[sunnyboy2018]

Pangius is farmed intensively with wierd animal feed, anti biotics and anti fungals. Try shark instead that what UK fish n chip shops pass a rock salmon etc. Real cod is expensive. If you like fish try the dozens of exquisite fish dishes, served Thai style and cooked on the table

[SteveK]

I'm not really the tree-hugging type so don't mind a bit of hormones and antibiotics in my food, I just want to know what the frozen pangasius in Thailand tastes like and if it is a decent substitute for cod?

[RickG16]

2 hours ago, SteveK said:

 

I'd love to be able to make lamb donner kebabs at home but that ain't happening ever.

No but you can make lamb or chicken shish easy... just need a grill or BBQ. Hook yourself up with some pita breads ot similar, get some salad and chilli sauce... sorted. 

[RickG16]

2 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

I'm with you on this one.  I ordered some from Tops but you're right about fish from farms in Vietnam.  

 

Most places can't tell you if the fish they sell is wild caught or farm raised.

 

With that said, I'll show you what I did with the "dory" fillets. 

Decent but crying out for some mash, roast potatoes or similar

[PJPom]

Pangasius is known as Basa in Australia and despite numerous sensational exposes sells very well for about A$10 / 200baht per kilo in the Supermarkets, it is catfish by any other name and is raised in pretty murky waters. Having said that I buy a packet of four fillets every week for about 90 baht at Macro, dusted with tempura flour, dipped in beaten egg then coated with small seasoned breadcrumbs and fried in good oil and butter until golden colour. My other half always calls it Dory and demands that I do it at least once a week, served with steamed mixed vegetables and a fresh sliced tomato from our garden it passes as a pretty good meal.

I have tried battering the fillets but they do not firm up like Cod or Shark, maybe cutting them into smaller portions would help. 

I have a local cafe doing fish and chips every Friday for 300baht, that is currently A$15 roughly three times the price I pay in Queensland where the waiter earns 400baht per hour not per day and the fish was swimming in the Ocean the day before.

Eating Thai food is perfectly satisfactory and economical but I still get the cravings for home food, silly isn't it.

P S Heinz salad vinegar and black pepper on the vegetables is a great addition.

Edited September 19, 2019 by PJPom
grammar

[sunnyboy2018]

https://www.dietmindspirit.org/2008/01/30/why-you-shouldnt-eat-this-fish-pangas-pangasius-vietnamese-river-cobbler-white-catfish-gray-sole/

[adammike]

4 hours ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

I'm with you on this one.  I ordered some from Tops but you're right about fish from farms in Vietnam.  

 

Most places can't tell you if the fish they sell is wild caught or farm raised.

 

With that said, I'll show you what I did with the "dory" fillets. 

I imagine all the river fish and prawns are farmed.

[pomozki]

I stopped eating pangasius years ago after a mate warned me it was full of contaminants and the fish lived in faeces or something like that. Not long ago I was chatting with someone about it and he said it was an urban myth. I read up on it and sure enough, it is one of the most researched products in the world, along with aspartame (used for sweeteners). Pangasius is now one of the most popular fish in the US, where the FDA wouldn't allow it through if it hadn't been thoroughly tested. Here are 2 stories that pretty much debunk the myth. Don't believe everything you hear!
https://simonrogerbush.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/is-pangasius-safe-to-eat/
https://youreverydayfish.com/pangasius-all-facts-at-a-glance/

 

The 2nd story concludes;
Nothing wrong with pangasius

"Our conclusion based on facts and scientific research is that there is nothing wrong with pangasius."

PS - I agree totally with whoever bought "cod" from Makro. It's soaking with water after defrosting. That stir-fry idea looks like a terrific use for both pangasius and cod, cheers ????

 

[4675636b596f75]

11 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Decent but crying out for some mash, roast potatoes or similar

I'm diabetic. Almost 0 carbs in that dish.

[seajae]

pangasius is garbage and I cant come at it at all but daughter loves it. Coming from Australia I am used to very fresh caught ocean fish/seafood that was swimming in clean water something that is hard to get in Thailand as most is farmed or comes from dirty water. Bought a few ocean fish(flathead and emperor) but the gills were grey and they had a dirty smell to them, the only seafood I eat these days are fresh caught fish and prawns/crabs from down south when we travel or from a seller at the local market that my wife knows gets their supplies from down south, the muslim fishermen are pretty good for fresh, clean seafood

[Denim]

12 hours ago, SteveK said:

I'm not really the tree-hugging type so don't mind a bit of hormones and antibiotics in my food, I just want to know what the frozen pangasius in Thailand tastes like and if it is a decent substitute for cod?

 

Agree , and as another poster has mentioned....a lot of urban myth regarding dangers. Besides , its not like you will be eating it 3 times a day.

 

I buy two frozen fillets from Big C. Like the size and the fact that there are no bones. Wife makes a great fish and chips with them and its a regular treat once a week. For her it is very easy to cook compared to a Thai dish although she also uses the fillet in a very nice sweet and sour fish dish.

 

Occasionally I have used them besides salmon and prawns to make a very nice fish pie with white sauce and crispy mash potato topping.

[Tayaout]

https://paleorobbie.com/grocery#WildFish

[4675636b596f75]

8 hours ago, pomozki said:

That stir-fry idea looks like a terrific use for both pangasius and cod, cheers

I would serve it to Gordon Ramsay himself and expect a smile.  

Fresh basil, garlic, tomato, parsely, olive oil, butter, hot chilis green and red and lemon juice.  

[youreavinalaff]

19 hours ago, SteveK said:

Ubon province.

Contact this guy. He has a good supply of haddock and halibut. I think he has stock of Cod too but not sure. He will deliver or send to Ubon by bus.

 

http://nookiesdelights.3baht.net/

[SteveK]

8 hours ago, Tayaout said:

https://paleorobbie.com/grocery#WildFish

You must be joking! 474 baht for ONE FILLET!

[PJPom]

I see what you mean, I just checked the prices and compared them to Macro or Tesco Lotus. I bought two kilos of belly pork to make respectable bacon for 134b a kilo. Pangasius/Dory 96b best cut, 79b with belly flap left on.

1 hour ago, SteveK said:

You must be joking! 474 baht for ONE FILLET!

 

[Issannative]

Red talapia fillets fry well good for fish n chips frozen in marko

 

200b kilo or there abouts give it a go

[tifino]

22 hours ago, SteveK said:

I'm not really the tree-hugging type so don't mind a bit of hormones and antibiotics in my food, I just want to know what the frozen pangasius in Thailand tastes like and if it is a decent substitute for cod?

 the Vietnames happily 'Export' their pangasius (basa) as they will not eat it themselves!  It is fished out of the Mekong Delta, and the Basa is much reported on about the heavy metals and chemicals the basa dredges up from the bottom... as catfish do. 

Never found it as having any taste.

If you want taste, then you add something to it. Even blander than king george whiting.  

 

  The same fish can be got from many many locations, even fished in the US etc. The US ones are known to be okay

(ummm a long way from the Mekong Delta)

 

The reports saying the Pangasius itself is okay, never says where they got their samples from.

Edited September 20, 2019 by tifino

[Dumbastheycome]

I eat no fish or shellfish in Thailand other than imported frozen from well outside of Asia.

Even then I limit  consumption. It is sadly now one of the  most contaminated sources of protein.

 

 

 

[SteveK]

I guess there are contaminants in almost every food you eat, even moreso here in Thailand, and to be honest that's not something I lose sleep over.  I just want to find out if the pangasius can be cooked up into a decent fish and chips.