■ If you found yourself at a mainland restaurant, especially one in the Eastern United States, the seafood choices might include bluefish, catfish, crappie, croaker, drum, fluke, hake, pollock, scrod, scup, shad and walleye. How would you decide which to order? None sound as appetizing as ‘ahi, mahimahi, onaga or ono-not to us, anyway. But mainland folks rave about the texture, flavor and versatility of their fish, just as we rave about ours.
So, what’s in a name? Not a lot where fish is concerned. Rather than assume that a fish called “crappie” or “croaker” tastes like it sounds, ask the waiter how the fish is prepared and pick the one that appeals to you most. Scrod in Sweet-Sour Sauce or Asian-Flavored Fluke will taste like most white-meat fish would…
