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Good Eats: Fishn' Whole
Alton overhears some folks at a support group discussing their fear of... whole fish! They mistake him for a new member, but he has no fear of whole fish at all, and he sets out to explain to the viewers why they should not fear whole fish, either. Clowns, on the other hand, are scary. Alton starts with Whole Striped Bass, explaining how to prepare it for cooking (without making a mess) and how he roasts it. Then, playing off his neighbor’s bad example, he discusses Plank-Grilled Whole Trout. He finishes by mentioning the health benefits provided by oily fish, and demonstrates how to prepare Pan-Fried Smelts. With the right ingredients, the know-how, and a little science, there’s no reason to fear whole fish.
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Episode Info
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Episode number: 11x5 Production Number: EA1106 Airdate: Monday July 23rd, 2007 |
Recap
The episode opens at a support group meeting, much like an Alcoholics Anonymous group, or perhaps any of a number of similar groups. One woman introduces a new member who stands and slowly speaks. She introduces herself as Phyllis, and reveals that she... is afraid of whole fish. The other members greet her and she continues. She doesn’t know where to start: the heads, the fins, the scales – it’s just too much. Others add their own stories, about the eyes that stare back. But one man disagrees! Alton, waiting for the next group (the one that helps people with a fear of clowns), does not fear whole fish...Read the full recap
Episode Notes
Cards
- The Ocean Voyager habitat at the Georgia Aquarium is the biggest fish bowl in the world.
- Farmed striped bass are a hybrid of striped and white bass and can be distinguished from wild by their broken stripes.
- The largest striped bass ever landed was a 125 pound female caught off North Carolina in 1891.
- Other woods good for planking include cherry, pecan, white oak and apple.
- In the upper Midwest, whitefish from the Great Lakes is a favorite for planking.
- Other fish that fit into the oily category include mackerel, herring and orange roughy.
- Smelt take their name from the Anglo-Saxon word “smoelt,” meaning shiny.
- One female smelt may lay anywhere from 1,400 to 18,00 eggs at a time.
Locations: Georgia Aquarium; Peach State Lumber Products
Alton bookends this episode with comments suggesting a fear of clowns. Clowns are traditionally happy entertainers present at circuses, so a fear of them would be somewhat outré – and yet, there are many who claim either a fear of clowns or a dislike of clowns or sometimes both. Especially in recent years, comics and situation comedy writers have injected this element into their work for humorous effect.
Following the production company logo, there is a brief outtake showing a clown decorating Alton’s nose with a large, yellow false nose.
The Food Network bills this episode as "Fishing Whole" but according to the title card, the correct name is "Fishn' Whole." The name comes from country slang term "fishin' or fishn' hole," a good spot for catching a finned meal, plus a homonymn pun on "hole/whole."
Episode Quotes
Phyllis: Hi. My name is Phyllis, and I... am afraid of whole fish.
Alton: Clowns are scary! Whole fish, though, are not.
Alton: Believe me, with a little science, some know-how, decent ingredients, whole fish, unlike spooky clowns, can and will be... (Good Eats theme plays)
Alton: (looking at a fish in the aquarium) Boy, you’re lucky they don’t allow spear guns down here...
Alton: Look at that. That is nasty – it’s like a cactus covered in slime!
Alton: I’m convinced that every seafood cookbook on the planet has one recipe that calls for shoving some poor fish full of herbs and then roasting it fast and hot in an oven. It just doesn’t make any sense! I mena, if you want to infuse the fish with herbal goodness, you’re going to have to slow things down, and even then I’m not sure that roasting is the way to do it. No, I’m pretty sure this mission calls for a hybrid method!
Alton: A layer of foil, properly applied, will actually help to build up some pressure in the vessel during cooking, and that is going to help push some of the herb flavor into the fish.
Alton: My neighbor, he often has the common challenges. Let’s take a look at his fish. Oh, yeah, he’s got heat control issues, he’s got sticking issues, and turning and moving issues, too! You know, some folks tried to get around these problems by enclosing their fish in medieval cages. Me? I prefer a gentler, more ancient method.
Alton: Remember – most commercial grade lumber has been treated with preservatives like creosote, pentachlorophenol, and or arsenic! None of which are Good Eats. So you’re going to want to buy furniture grade wood that is untreated and that has also been kiln dried.
Alton: Believe it or not, wood is a pretty good insulator – right up to the point where it bursts into flames!
Alton: Oily fish can beat back... (ominous music swells as a Grim Reaper glides by behind Alton) well, you know.
Alton: Well, uh, I hope that we’ve given you... (looks around nervously as violins begin to shriek) ...the necessary knowledge to try your hand at a few simple whole fish applications, despite the fact that they do tend to stare at you with their little, beady doll’s eyes. (as the camera pans back, we see Alton’s dinner guests are scary clowns!). Besides, it’s... it’s always good to work through your fears, right?!? Sure... sure it is... see you next time on Good Eats, okay???
Cultural References
During his discussion of oily fish, Alton notes that their nutrients can help fend off... he never identifies the dark cloaked scythe-bearing and skeletal figure who drifts by to the accompaniment of ominous music. It is the Grim Reaper, or Angel of Death. Probably derived from mythological depictions of the boatman Charon, who ferries souls across the River Styx into the underworld, the Grim Reaper is one of many anthropomorphic representations of death. Its dark robe (a funeral shroud) and skeletal aspect represent the state of death, and its scythe represents the transition from life to death, the act of “harvesting” the soul (the scythe is a traditional grain harvesting tool).
Alton mentions that he prefers his oily fish more Lilliputian. This term comes from Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels. In the story, Lemuel Gulliver encounters various fantastic societies, among them Lilliput, whose inhabitants are just a few inches tall even when fully grown, but otherwise look like normal-sized men.
Episode References
Alton previously cooked a whole striped bass in the season 1 offering, "Hook, Line & Dinner."
Analysis
Those uninterested in whole fish will find little to love here, but those who enjoy this sort of fare, or who may consider trying it, will find a wealth of techniques and tips. Of particular note is Alton’s improvised glove box, which he uses for relatively mess free scaling. He made it by cutting holes in a large more or less transparent storage box, and then taping gloves to the outside of the holes. The user inverts the box over the fish and any selected scaling utensil and inserts the hands into the gloves and may clean the scales without scattering them everywhere. Also of interest is Alton’s technique for plank grilling fish, which might well generalize to similar fragile foods.
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