Scaled and Gutted

by James Temple

Title

Scaled and Gutted

Artist

James Temple

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

When a neighbor gifts you with fresh reef fish, you have to get it cleaned for dinner as soon as possible. It's best to do this outside so the fish scales don't fly all over your kitchen, but in Hawaii it's cooler inside.

We are having Weke ‘a (yellow-stripe goatfish) and `äweoweo (Hawaiian Bigeye) for dinner tonight. Weke ‘a are a popular food fish here in Hawaii. There are 10 species of goatfishes native to Hawaiian reefs, but no known general Hawaiian term for all goatfish. Care should be taken not to eat the head of certain species of this fish, the brain reputedly contains toxins which cause disturbed sleep, nightmares and hallucinations. The `äweoweo, which means "glowing red", is endemic to Hawaiian waters, living under ledges and in caves, and reaches 12 inches in length. It has a delicate white flesh.

These small fishes were highly esteemed in early Hawai‘i and were eaten broiled, cooked in ti leaves, raw or salted lightly for two or three days, then cooked. I like to season them lightly with sea salt, coat with fork-whipped egg. Finally dust the fish with stone ground corn meal and sauté in a mixture of butter and olive oil until crisp.

For more tropical recipes, visit my food blog at tastinghawaii.com.

Uploaded

May 20th, 2017

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Viewed 184 Times  -  Last Visitor from New Berlin, WI on 04/16/2024 at 12:26 AM

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