Rockfish
Published on
January 23, 2014
You’d be hard pressed to find a group of fish with more harvest methods, real names and aliases than the Sebastes genus. The 70 or so fish in this family range from the Bering Sea to Baja California. Many take their common names and nicknames from their skin color: green, brown, dusky, blue, black, copper, olive, red and so on. And the deeper they live (to 300 fathoms), the brighter their coloration. Other rockfish names reflect physical characteristics: quillback, pygmy, shortbelly, longspine, yellow-eye. The most important commercial species are the Pacific ocean perch and the widow, canary, chilipepper, yelloweye, vermillion and thornyhead rockfish. The fish can range in size from 1 to 40 pounds, but 2 to 5 pounds is most common. Rockfish are caught by trolling, trawling, longlining, jigging, trapping and gillnetting — either targeted or as bycatch. Rockfish are extremely slow growing, making them susceptible to overfishing.
Sebastes spp.
Rockfish
Pacific red snapper, rock cod, black bass, Pacific ocean perch, POP, widow rockfish, canary rockfish, chilipepper, thorny head
Racasse du nor
Rotbarsch
Sebaste
Menuke
Gallineta
You’d be hard pressed to find a group of fish with more harvest methods, real names and aliases than the Sebastes genus. The 70 or so fish in this family range from the Bering Sea to Baja California. Many take their common names and nicknames from their skin color: green, brown, dusky, blue, black, copper, olive, red and so on. And the deeper they live (to 300 fathoms), the brighter their coloration. Other rockfish names reflect physical characteristics: quillback, pygmy, shortbelly, longspine, yellow-eye. The most important commercial species are the Pacific ocean perch and the widow, canary, chilipepper, yelloweye, vermillion and thornyhead rockfish. The fish can range in size from 1 to 40 pounds, but 2 to 5 pounds is most common. Rockfish are caught by trolling, trawling, longlining, jigging, trapping and gillnetting — either targeted or as bycatch. Rockfish are extremely slow growing, making them susceptible to overfishing.
Rockfish has a delicate, nutty, sweet flavor. The meat is lean and medium-firm in texture, with a fine flake. Deep-skinned rockfish with the fat line removed have the most delicate flavor. The skin should be shiny and bright. If it is a yellow-orange color or is wrinkled and looks too large for the fish, the fish is stale. Fillets shouldn’t have signs of browning, graying or yellowing.Rockfish generally fall into two categories: red-fleshed and brown-fleshed. Red-fleshed fillets are generally considered more desirable, because they are less oily and have a longer shelf life.
| Calories: | 94 |
| Fat Calories: | 14 |
| Total Fat: | 1.6 g |
| Saturated Fat: | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol: | 35 mg |
| Sodium: | 60 mg |
| Protein: | 18.8 g |
| Omega 3: | 0.4 g |
Rockfish holds up well to baking and remains moist when cooked. The firm texture also makes rockfish suitable for soups, chowders and stews. In Asian cuisine, rockfish are often served whole, either steamed or deep fried, with a variety of sauces to accent the mild flavor. Fillets hold together better with skin on. While they might not be sturdy enough to grill, whole, dressed fish barbecue well.
Cod, Grouper, Atlantic ocean perch
- Bake
- Boil
- Broil
- Fry
- Grill
- Pate
- Poach
- Saute
- Smoke
- Steam
Live: Fresh, Whole, H&G, Fillets
Frozen: Whole, H&G, Fillets, Blocks
Value-added: Breaded/battered portions
Canada, Russia, United States
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