Ingredients
Pompano and amberjack
Other Names: Pompano: American, Atlantic, or Florida pompano; butterfish; gabelmakrele (German); kobanaji
(Japanese); leccia stella (Italian); palometa (Spanish);
sunfish; trevally. Amberjack: Bernsteinfisch (German);
kanpachi (Japanese); medregal coronado (Spanish); ricciola (Italian) sériole (French). Carangidae.
General Description: Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus_) are one of the best tasting fish, with their firm, rich flesh and mild, sweet, distinctive, full-bodied flavor. Commercial harvests are small, and prices for this prized fish are always high. They are often simply broiled, though their most famous preparation is en papillote (in parchment). Palometa (T. goodei_) are thinner than pompano, with two long fins reaching almost to the tail and dark vertical bars halfway down the body. Not as desirable as pompano, palometa are oilier and coarser. The permit (T. falcatus), nearly identical in appearance to pompano, is larger and less delicate. The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is the largest and most important amberjack in the temperate and tropical waters of
the Atlantic.
Locale and Season: Pompano are harvested in the United States primarily off Florida’s Gulf coast and in warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Palometa are found off the coast of Florida and South America. Pompano and permit are in season sporadically throughout the year, with peak season spring through fall. Amberjacks are found year-round in warm seas worldwide.
Characteristics: Pompano are usually sold whole and are rarely frozen. They have moderately oily, pearly white raw flesh, cooking up white with fine flake, succulent texture, and mild, sweet, appealing flavor. The meat is quite dense, so even though the fish is thin, it requires more time to cook through. The skin is edible, and it has no scales. Amberjacks can grow to more than 100 pounds and have brown skin with an amber-colored band from head to tail. Yield is less than 40 percent for pompano, more for amberjacks.
How to Choose: Beware of pompano substitutions, which are usually the similar-looking permit and palometa. True pompano are sold whole fresh; they average 2 pounds. Any significantly larger fish sold as pompano are apt to be fakes. Large amberjacks should be avoided, because they will be overly strong in flavor, often harbor parasites, and may contain ciguatera toxins.
Storage: Once purchased or caught, pompano freeze well.
Store whole pompano on ice for up to 3 days; store fillets on ice up to 1 day.
Preparation:
For whole fish, cut shallow slits crosswise into the flesh starting at the head end.
Bake, broil, fry, grill, or sauté whole. Sauté or broil fillets. Use pompano and amberjack for sushi.
Suggested Recipe: Florida Grilled or Broiled Pompano (serves 2): Whisk together the juice of 2 limes, 2 tablespoons
olive oil, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon each soy sauce and Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon each grated ginger and hot sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush most of the marinade over 2 whole pompano. Grill or broil over moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes, basting with the marinade and serving with the remainder.
Flavor Affinities: Avocado, bell pepper, coconut, grapefruit, key lime, lemon, lime, lobster, mustard, orange, pineapple, scallion, star fruit, soy sauce, tomato, white wine.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
