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Tautog recipes, Blackfish recipes for Baked, Simmered, Fried, Broiled, Poached, and Smoked Blackfish
The Tautog or Blackfish (Tautoga onitis) is a fish of the wrasse family found in salt water from Nova Scotia to Georgia. The tautog has a blunt snout with a small mouth, thick rubbery lips and powerful jaws with strong conical teeth. The backs of their throats contain a set of teeth resembling molars. Together these are used to pick and crush prey such as mollusks and crustaceans. They prefer rocky areas and shipwrecks. They have a scaleless cheek region that is smooth to the touch. Their dorsal fin extends the length of the back and has sharp spines. Blackfish or Tautog are usually a mottled brown to black shade on top with a white or gray chin and underbelly. They can grow up to 3 feet in length and 22 pounds, but are most commonly 2 to 4 pounds. Tautogs are related to, and often confused with, another species of wrasse known as the cunner.
Blackfish are an excellent tasting fish with pure white meat. Its flesh is white, dry, and of a delicate flavor. It may grilled ot baked. And its firm flesh makes it especially suitable for fish chowder.
Tautog or Blackfish are popular saltwater fish. They vary in size from about 12 inches to perhaps 12 lbs or more. Tautog are excellent fish to eat, having firm, white and mild flavored meat. Tautog is suitable for frying, baking or grilling.
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Tautog, Blackfish recipes:
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Tautog, Blackfish
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Blackfish or Tautog are an excellent tasting fish with firm, pure white meat. Its flesh is white, dry, and of a delicate sweet flavor. It may grilled, broiled ot baked. And its firm flesh makes it especially suitable for fish chowder. The lean, firm flesh is excellent when it is skinned and filleted. Due to it's firmness, however, it is important not to overcook tautog as it will tend to be tough, chewy, and lacking in flavor.
Other mild flavored fish with a firm texture that can be substituted for Blackfish in many recipes are: Cod, Dogfish, Monkfish, Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, and Tilefish.
Best Cooking:
Tautog is the best fish for grilling with its very mild, firm white flesh. Marinate the fish in 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of minced parsley, rosemary, or dill. Drain the fish, heat at the side of the grill to brush on the fish while grilling.
Baking, broiling or sautéing with liquid are all good choices for this versatile fish. Blackfish can be used in almost any recipe that calls for lean white flesh fish with a mild taste like cod, sea bass, tilefish or halibut. It may be baked, basted with butter and covered with cracker crumbs. Another method of cooking is to place fillets in the oven, and add tomato paste, white wine, onions, green peppers, plus dashes of tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. Tightly cover the dish and bake at moderate heat until the meat is easily flaked.
Buying and Storing Tips:
Trust your senses, first of all smell: A fresh fish won't smell fishy.
Look at the scales. They should be bright, and colorful. If the fish looks dull it's old.
Touch the fish. It should feel firm, not soft, and your fingertip shouldn't leave an impression.
Look the fish in the eyes. They should be clear and dark, as if it's looking back at you. No white at all.
Check the gills. They should be bright red.
Nor should most fish feel or look slimy.
Storage: Store whole fish up to 2 days refrigerated.
How to Fillet a Blackfish:
The fish are incredibly slippery. Cut around the outline of the fish, making the front cut behind the head and pectoral fin with a sharp fillet knife. Then the skin can easily be peeled off from the head to tail with pliers. Once the skin has been removed the fish can be filleted fish normally. The fish have a few rib bones which can be cut out after filleting. Rinse the fillets and immediately store on ice or refrigerate them.
Nutrition Value:
Per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) uncooked: Calories 164, calories from Fat 85.23, Total Fat 9.47 grams, Saturated Fat 3.51 g, Cholesterol 50 mg, Carbohydrate 0 grams, Sodium 65 mg, Protein 18.48 grams (18.6%), Omega-3 0.57 grams.
Substitutes for Blackfish:
Other mild flavored fish with a firm texture that can be substituted for Blackfish in many recipes are: Cod, Dogfish, Monkfish, Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, and Tilefish.
Notes:
The meat generates a fairly high price and is considered very good quality. They could be caught with hook-and-line and in traps using drifting, still fishing or bottom fishing.
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