Butterfish Battle!

The butterfish, the fish that lets you wreck your pants, if not quite the same way the Hulk does it, finds a prominent friend in Eric Ripert. And Radar responds. It's like Smectymnuus walks among us, but is writing about the fish that makes orange oil shoot out of your ass.

And as long as we are in the realm of 17th century print culture, Eric Ripert reminds me of something an undergrad professor pointed out about Satan in Paradise lost. If there is good reason to do something, one good reason will suffice -- if there is more than one, beware:

I feel strongly that one cannot compare the substance in this type of fish to mercury or olestra because it's not a toxic or non-naturally occurring substance. It's like comparing hydrogenated oils to olive oil. Also it's more akin to say, an allergic reaction versus something that is coming about due to environmental issues (ie mercury).

Also in order to feel the side effects you would have to eat a fairly large portion of the fish----at Le Bernardin it's served as an appetizer so it's not a concern since the portion size is limited.

It seems as if it can be one (some folks have an allergic reaction) or the other (if you don't eat too much, you will not wreck your pants), but not both.
Personally, considering that our planet's oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams teem with fish that do not make orange oil shoot out of your ass, no matter how much of them you eat,  I might stick with those fish. I would be forever in the debt of whomever