Ingredients
Kingklip
Other Names: Kingklip: Abadèche (French); abadeco (Italian); abadejo (Spanish); Chilean ling; congrio (Latin America); cusk-eel; kingu (Japanese); schlangenfisch (German). Ophidiidae. Ling: Barruenda, maruca (Spanish); julienne, lingue (French); korojimanagadara (Japanese); lange (Norwegian); leng (German); molva (Italian); valkoturkska (Finnish). Lotidae.
General Description: The long, slender kingklip is a member of the cusk eel family with four species: red (Genypterus chilensis_), golden (G. blacodes_), South African (G. capensis), and black (G. maculatus). This eel-like fish can be up to 6 feet long. They are popular for a Chilean-style bouillabaisse called caldillo congrio_; these fish work well in
soups and stews because the dense meat holds its shape. However, the meat’s density means that it takes a while to cook. They are caught by trawlers, often as a bycatch. In Europe, kingklip is sold as cusk eel. Ling (Molva molva_), resembling the kingklip, have good flavor, comparable to that of monkfish. The salted roe is a delicacy in Spain; in Scandinavia, ling is salted and dried. A smaller Mediterranean ling (M. dypterygia) is known as blue ling.
Locale and Season: Kingklip are found in the Southern Hemisphere off Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The supply is lightest between November and February. Ling are in season September to July.
Characteristics: Kingklip can weigh up to 50 pounds, but 10 pounds is average, with fillets ranging from 1 to 4 pounds.
Kingklip are rather slimy on the outside. The raw meat of red and golden kingklip is pink to creamy white and cooks up white. Their long fillets are mild and slightly sweet with a dense though tender texture, large flake, and few bones. Yield is 40 percent.
How to Choose: Red and golden kingklip are considered best for flavor and texture. Black kingklip has narrower fillets; they will cook up darker and won’t be as tender. They can be identified by their yellow spots and dark flesh.
Storage: Store kingklip up to 2 days refrigerated.
Preparation:
Bake, broil, grill, steam, fry, poach, or sauté.
Suggested Recipe: Baked Kingklip in Foil (serves 4): Combine the juice of 4 lemons and 2 oranges with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 diced red onion, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Marinate 4 kingklip fillets
(1 1/2 to 2 pounds total) in the mixture for about 30 minutes. Prepare 4 large squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil: Place 1 fillet onto each square and fold sides up, leaving an opening. Equally distribute the marinade over the fish and close up the packets. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is bubbling and the fish flakes.
Flavor Affinities: Almond, avocado, bay leaf, chili powder, curry, dill, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, lentils, mango, mushroom, olive oil, paprika, thyme, tomato.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
