Ladies and Gents, this has been a trying week - professionally, socially, and domestically. When forced to reckon with new beginnings, supporters always seem to lovingly smash that age old adage "there are other fish in the sea" in your face. It got me thinking, though there might be infinite fish in the sea (which, fyi I'm telling you there are not) our selection is so limited by our geographic area, education, interests, etc., it doesn't matter how many fish there are out there, more so it matters how many there are right here. Sure, chance is nice to think about, but rarely does chance win over odds. /cynical babbling
Gastronomically speaking, we are hugely limited by our location. Though we are now blessed and burdened with year round, joylessly average asparagus from Mexico and apples from Chile, those items are brought to the U.S. (or wherever) by a select few importers and the USDA. Imagine the number of fruits and vegetables, fish and wildlife you've never seen or tasted because one company or another decided its shipability and shelf-life is inferior to, say, a mangosteen (which was somewhat recently taken off of the USDA ban list) or sapote (now introduced to US soil). A few days ago I went to the new Whole Foods on Waugh to check out the goods and found this gem
I was originally introduced to Pompano while fishing near Koh Samui, Thailand. This spectacular fish is abundant in the waters of Southeast Asia and, apparently, Florida, but is rarely seen in stores and even more rarely available responsibly caught (this specimen was sustainably farmed in Indonesia - yay slow food?). I'm sure it will catch on quick, though - the flesh is mild and moist with a huge yield and few bones. The filets come off in satisfying steak-like chunks, but don't suffer the textural chalkiness of larger predatory fish like swordfish. I'm tellin' ya, she's a beaut. Cook the pompano whole and introduce yourself to a whole new fish in the sea.
Whole Roasted Pompano, Korean Style.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Preparation
1) Make three (3) deep incisions on each side of the fish down to the skeletal structure. Place in a large baking dish.
2) Stuff the slits and cavity with the slivered ginger and 1/2 bunch of green onions you've so lovingly prepared. Throw the remaining aromatics over the top.
3) Mix all the seasoning liquids in a bowl and pour over the fish.
4) Cover with tin foil and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes. This creates a steamy, moist environment so your dinner doesn't turn into sea leather.
5) After 25m, remove the foil and turn the oven up to 500F. Bake the fish for an additional 10 minutes or until the fish is completely opaque and the edges have browned. You can spoon the reduced liquid over the fish to lacquer the skin before doing the 500F bake.
6) Remove to a platter and garnish with green onion slivers. If you want to be fancy about it, soak the green onion in ice water. This will cause it to curl into pretty tendrils.
Gastronomically speaking, we are hugely limited by our location. Though we are now blessed and burdened with year round, joylessly average asparagus from Mexico and apples from Chile, those items are brought to the U.S. (or wherever) by a select few importers and the USDA. Imagine the number of fruits and vegetables, fish and wildlife you've never seen or tasted because one company or another decided its shipability and shelf-life is inferior to, say, a mangosteen (which was somewhat recently taken off of the USDA ban list) or sapote (now introduced to US soil). A few days ago I went to the new Whole Foods on Waugh to check out the goods and found this gem
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| Pompano that went into the wrong part of the sea. |
I was originally introduced to Pompano while fishing near Koh Samui, Thailand. This spectacular fish is abundant in the waters of Southeast Asia and, apparently, Florida, but is rarely seen in stores and even more rarely available responsibly caught (this specimen was sustainably farmed in Indonesia - yay slow food?). I'm sure it will catch on quick, though - the flesh is mild and moist with a huge yield and few bones. The filets come off in satisfying steak-like chunks, but don't suffer the textural chalkiness of larger predatory fish like swordfish. I'm tellin' ya, she's a beaut. Cook the pompano whole and introduce yourself to a whole new fish in the sea.
Whole Roasted Pompano, Korean Style.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- (1) 2.5 lbs. Pompano, cleaned & scaled but otherwise left whole. The fish should not have a strong smell and should have clear eyes (this one was probably a day or two old by the time I got it, but beggars and choosers and all that)
- (1) bunch green onion, divided into two parts and slivered, setting one half aside for garnish
- (1) 2.5" knob of ginger, slivered
- 2 T soy sauce
- 1/4 c sake
- either 2 T Thai sweet chili sauce or an additional 1T soy + 2T honey
- 2T Chile garlic sriracha
- 2 T sesame oil
- 1 T mirin
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar (optional)
Preparation
1) Make three (3) deep incisions on each side of the fish down to the skeletal structure. Place in a large baking dish.
2) Stuff the slits and cavity with the slivered ginger and 1/2 bunch of green onions you've so lovingly prepared. Throw the remaining aromatics over the top.
3) Mix all the seasoning liquids in a bowl and pour over the fish.
4) Cover with tin foil and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes. This creates a steamy, moist environment so your dinner doesn't turn into sea leather.
5) After 25m, remove the foil and turn the oven up to 500F. Bake the fish for an additional 10 minutes or until the fish is completely opaque and the edges have browned. You can spoon the reduced liquid over the fish to lacquer the skin before doing the 500F bake.
6) Remove to a platter and garnish with green onion slivers. If you want to be fancy about it, soak the green onion in ice water. This will cause it to curl into pretty tendrils.
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| The best meat comes from the collar and belly, morsels you'll only get with whole fish. |
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| Flying fish. |
