Uku Palu

It has been a little while since we posted last, but this gem deserves its own post.

Called Blue-green Snapper in English (Aochibiki in Japanese), this Hawaiian species of Snapper is incredibly delicate in flavor while firm in texture. It is available year round, though the peak season is summer. Uku Palu is typically caught with deep water hand line gear. It can be eaten both cooked and as sashimi. Its versatility allows it to be prepared in a variety of ways, including steaming, sauteing, frying, and stewing. 

Here you can see the translucent pink flesh and the large scales. We left the scales on while butchering because, when cooked, they lend a nice crispiness and flavor. This technique is very common in Japanese izakyas.

Above is the finished dish. We seasoned the fish with Japanese sea salt and sansho pepper then shallow fried it. The salad below consisted of shaved Napa cabbage, sesame leaf, Thai chilies, and a sesame umeboshi vinaigrette.

We would like to thank our seafood purveyor, Supreme Lobster, for providing us with such beauties as this.

For more information about this fish follow this link to the Hawaii Seafood website http://www.hawaii-seafood.org/wild-hawaii-fish/bottomfish/blue-green-snapper-uku/.