Cozumel Culinary Scavenger Hunt

[Mossman]

BTW, for those who claim never to have eaten Stingray, don't be too certain. In a lot of less than honest fishmongers, the Bay Scallops that you buy might not be Bay Scallops at all. It is common (or was, not certain if it still goes on) for Stingrays which are caught as by-catch to be killed and their wings are punched out with small circular dies - like cookie cutters. The skin is removed from the circular cutouts, and the flesh is sold as Bay Scallops. If you are really familiar with Bay Scallops, you'll notice the difference in flavor and texture, but most people will never guess that they are eating Stingray.

This is a common urban legend, that's about it.

 

[mediumone]

Limberger really stinks
---------- Post added August 4th, 2014 at 12:35 AM ----------

My brother was suspended from high school (3 days), when he was caught rubbing Limburger cheese on door knobs, light switches, and phones. He still delights in describing the looks on the victims faces.

 

[mstevens]

It is common (or was, not certain if it still goes on) for Stingrays which are caught as by-catch to be killed and their wings are punched out with small circular dies - like cookie cutters. The skin is removed from the circular cutouts, and the flesh is sold as Bay Scallops. If you are really familiar with Bay Scallops, you'll notice the difference in flavor and texture, but most people will never guess that they are eating Stingray.

Skate wings are considerably more expensive than scallops, so it would make much more sense to sell stingray as skate than as scallops.

Only an abject moron could confuse ray with scallop since the former is much thinner and the grain runs the wrong way.

This rumor is part of the grand tradition of food substitution legends. Like all of them, the only evidence is that "it happened to a friend of a friend" or someone "read it somewhere".

 

[El Graduado]

Below is a link to an interesting webpage of gulf stingray recipes and instructions on preparation:

Cooking Stingray and Skates

I am going by Stingray Beach today for an appointment on another matter. While I'm there, I'll see if they have any "extras" they can spare that I can experiment with!

---------- Post added August 5th, 2014 at 08:22 AM ----------

Bad news: Stingray Beach said they didn't have any stingrays they could spare for me to use to test the recipes. However, they mentioned there was a bar in town that sometimes served ray ceviche. I'll have to check it out for my culinary scavenger hunt.

 

[El Graduado]

Went out for hamburgers on 65th last night at Chakara. Big as a dinner plate and charcoal grilled to order. Dress-it-yourself bar that would put an all-you-can-eat to shame.

 

[El Graduado]

I used to spend a lot of time in Spain (in fact, I wrote a guide to Spain that is still in print) and during my travels there I ate a lot of ortiguillas del mar, or deep-fried sea anemones. They were very, very good and I am wondering if the ones here in Cozumel are similar in taste to the ones in the Mediterranean. I have my eye on a few growing north of the park and am planning to fry them up this weekend. Have any of y'all ever eaten Caribbean anemones, or know someone who did?

 

[El Graduado]

I want to thank all the folks who backed my Cozumel Culinary Scavenger Hunt with their pledges, but unfortunately there weren't enough people interested to meet its goal of $635 dollars, so Kickstarter cancelled the project today and released the backers from their pledges. I guess it was just another lame idea that seemed good at the time...

I saw pigs' heads were on sale, so I bought a small one and cooked it last night. The photos and the recipe are posted on the Kickstarter page, if anybody wants to check it out:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/277611900/join-me-in-an-epic-epicurean-scavenger-hunt-on-isl

 

[DjDiverDan]

Pig's Head - the makings of Head Cheese and Scrapple. Good Eats!