Help!! I have a snook!

kilikini said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was sitting
there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is that we are
now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out there.
I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but does anyone have
any other suggestions on what to do with this thing? What does it taste
like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

Snook is AKA robalo. That will get more google hits for
recipes.

--
Reg

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was sitting
there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is that we
are
now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out there.
I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but does anyone
have
any other suggestions on what to do with this thing? What does it taste
like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

This comes from A.J. McClane's Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery:

Formerly a commercial fish of some importance, the snook (Centropomus
undecimalis) now has gamefish status and is no longer marketed. In years
past, skinned fillets were often purveyed as "red snapper" in Florida. While
an expert could tell the difference in its musculature, fillets of small
snook are certainly the snapper's equal in flavor. Today, it's a more
important food fish in Mexico, Central America and South America from
eastern Colombia to Brazil. It's generally known as robalo in Spanish
speaking countries.

The snook grows to more than 50 pounds with a length of over 4 feet, but any
greater than 20 pounds is considered a big one. While these are of sporting
interest, they have less value at table. Small snook have white, finely
textured meat and are of excellent flavor, comparable to a walleye. The
ideal fish size is 2 to 6 pounds. As they grow larger, the flesh becomes
more coarse and loses its delicate, sweet taste. Except with the smallest
fish, say 2 to 3 pounds, only skinned fillets should be used, as the skin
imparts an off-flavor (usually described as "soapy"😉. The fillets are best
prepared by cutting into fingers and deep frying. Small unskinned fillets
can be panfried skin side down in a skillet with the lid on over high heat,
so meat partially steams while the skin crisps; this is a method used in
Costa Rica and Panama with delicious results. In Central America, snook is
often served with slices of fresh pineapple - a delightful contrast with any
delicate fried fish. Personally, I prefer snook of over 10 pounds in chowder
form, although it can be made into edible dishes when baked or broiled.

"kilikini" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was
sitting
there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is that we
are
now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out
there.
I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but does anyone
have
any other suggestions on what to do with this thing? What does it taste
like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robalo

--
CHI-MUM

kilikini said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was sitting
there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is that we are
now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out there.
I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but does anyone have
any other suggestions on what to do with this thing? What does it taste
like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

kili,

Snoek is great, cooked whole on a (charcoal) grill.... (fairly "fishy"
and rather salty tasting... However, we usually buy it smoked. Anyway,
if you are game, try this:

Slap the (cleaned, gutted) snoek on some foil that you have brushed with
olive oil. Slice up some onions, tomatoes and some potatoes. Put these
in layers over the snoek. Season with ground black pepper and some
cayenne pepper (or paprika powder). Sprinkle with parsley. Wrap the
whole lot in foil. Once the grill is ready, throw this parcel onto it.
Should take about an hour - to an hour and a half.... turning once or
twice - but maybe longer for one this size, you'll have to wing it, I am
afraid 😉 BTW, mind the bones...

Or: if you wanna do it in more manageable amounts (you could use it for
using up the leftovers):

Smoorsnoek

This is a traditional South African fish dish that originated in the
Cape... great as a starter or a light meal...

Ingredients
20 ml olive oil (EVOO, of course!)
2 onions, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2,5 ml sugar
pinch cayenne pepper
250 g smoked snoek, boned, flaked and skinned
500 ml cooked rice
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 lemon, sliced
60 ml parsley, chopped

Method

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add onion; saute until onion is
soft. Add diced potatoes and fry until golden.
Add tomatoes, sugar and cayenne, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Add snoek, rice and parsley. Mix gently, heating thoroughly.
Remove snoek mixture from heat and place in a serving bowl; or on
individual plates. Sprinkle with the hard-boiled eggs and garnish with
lemon slices.
Serve with chutney on the side.
Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

kilikini said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was
sitting there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result
is that we are now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out
there. I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but
does anyone have any other suggestions on what to do with this thing?
What does it taste like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

The only fish on the whole planet that I will pass up a steak for.

--

Joe Cilinceon

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was sitting
there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is that we are
now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

Lucky you!! Snook is one of the best tasting fish anywhere. It has white
flesh, on the mild side, and can be treated like similar fish - snapper,
etc. Be sure to freeze the extra - and I bet the head and bones will
make great stock.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"kilikini" <[email hidden]>
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was
sitting there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result
is that we are now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out
there. I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but
does anyone have any other suggestions on what to do with this thing?
What does it taste like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

Damned... Where is Julia when ya' need her. I'm clueless with snook fish
but from what I've seen, a fried version with panko would be good. 32
pounds? OMG thats some fish fry. I'll never forget the episode with Julia
wallowing around the kitchen with a full grown monkfish. Monkfish...
ugliest thing I've ever seen.

Michael

--
"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."
John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963

After reading a few of these post we might be talking about different
things.

Now the snook I'm talking about is generally caught in brackish waters in
Florida. Rarely caught anywhere else and is a game fish, which means it
can't be caught commercially. With that said one can only catch it not buy
it. If this is what you have cook it anyway you would cook fish. I've had it
fried, baked, grilled and smoked.

--

Joe Cilinceon

Joe Cilinceon said:

After reading a few of these post we might be talking about different
things.

Now the snook I'm talking about is generally caught in brackish
waters in Florida. Rarely caught anywhere else and is a game fish,
which means it can't be caught commercially. With that said one can
only catch it not buy it. If this is what you have cook it anyway you
would cook fish. I've had it fried, baked, grilled and smoked.

Here you go http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=7681 this
is what I think you have.

--

Joe Cilinceon

kilikini said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was sitting
there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is that we are
now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out there.
I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but does anyone have
any other suggestions on what to do with this thing? What does it taste
like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

TIA,

kili

Try looking up 'snoek'.

Michael said:

Monkfish... ugliest thing I've ever seen.

You never saw Sheldon's mother.

Bob

kilikini said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was
sitting there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result
is that we are now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

kili

I'm on the phone with kili and she says this fish is 4 feet long from snout
to tail. Kind of hard to pan-fry even if you cut off the head. Also
difficult to grill, unless you built a pit! Obviously it has to be gutted
but it will be a bone-in fish. Now, how to (1) cut it into manageable
portions and (2) then what?

Jill

jmcquown said:

I'm on the phone with kili and she says this fish is 4 feet long from snout
to tail. Kind of hard to pan-fry even if you cut off the head. Also
difficult to grill, unless you built a pit! Obviously it has to be gutted
but it will be a bone-in fish. Now, how to (1) cut it into manageable
portions and (2) then what?

I would expect something like a 50-55% yield after cleaning, so
each fillet will weigh somewhere about 8 lbs (there's two,
one on each side). That's big but not unmanageable.

Remove each fillet by making a cut right behind the gills down to
the bone, turning the knife southward, then slowly cutting all
the way down to the tail, running the knife along the spine.
For a fish this size you'll want to use a pretty long fillet
knife.

Flip the fillet over and cut away the rib bones from inside the
fillet (the ones that line the body cavity). I've never cleaned
a snook, but there might be some other pin bones that you'll need
to pull. You can use pliers.

Fillet #1 is complete. Flip the fish over and do the other
fillet the same way.

Cut the fillets crosswise at around 3 1/2 to 4 inch intervals.
You can then slice each piece perpendicularly at the thickest
point if you want to make the pieces smaller. Trim away any
hanging skin.

Hot smoke and freeze along the lines shown in this article.
TFM will no doubt come in handy here.

http://www.3men.com/threemen1.htm

--
Reg

jmcquown said:

kilikini said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was
sitting there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result
is that we are now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

kili

I'm on the phone with kili and she says this fish is 4 feet long from snout
to tail. Kind of hard to pan-fry even if you cut off the head. Also
difficult to grill, unless you built a pit! Obviously it has to be gutted
but it will be a bone-in fish. Now, how to (1) cut it into manageable
portions and (2) then what?

Easy! Using a sharp knife, cut it into steaks or fillet it and cut
the fillets into smaller portions.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

Snook can only be served as fillets when it is that size. Use what you
need and freeze the rest.

jmcquown said:

I'm on the phone with kili and she says this fish is 4 feet long from snout
to tail. Kind of hard to pan-fry even if you cut off the head. Also
difficult to grill, unless you built a pit! Obviously it has to be gutted
but it will be a bone-in fish. Now, how to (1) cut it into manageable
portions and (2) then what?

My advice? Make the SOB who brought it home gut it, clean it, and slice
and dice it.

(I HATE cleaning fish!)

-L.

On Tue 16 May 2006 09:14:40a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it kilikini?

Quoted message said:

My husband just called from work and said that his work buddy was
sitting there catching fish instead of working. Well, the end result is
that we are now the proud possessors of a 32 pound snook.

I have never heard of such a thing.

I've done a Google for recipes, but there aren't all that many out
there. I've got some ideas, (grill or panko or parmesan crust) but does
anyone have any other suggestions on what to do with this thing? What
does it taste like? Is it meaty? Flakey? Sweet? Fishy?

I'm clueless people. I ever-so-need your help.

Sorry, but I would have said keep it. I don't even like fish enough to deal
with something like that.

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

"Reg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

I'm on the phone with kili and she says this fish is 4 feet long from

snout

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to tail. Kind of hard to pan-fry even if you cut off the head. Also
difficult to grill, unless you built a pit! Obviously it has to be

gutted

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but it will be a bone-in fish. Now, how to (1) cut it into manageable
portions and (2) then what?

I would expect something like a 50-55% yield after cleaning, so
each fillet will weigh somewhere about 8 lbs (there's two,
one on each side). That's big but not unmanageable.

Remove each fillet by making a cut right behind the gills down to
the bone, turning the knife southward, then slowly cutting all
the way down to the tail, running the knife along the spine.
For a fish this size you'll want to use a pretty long fillet
knife.

Flip the fillet over and cut away the rib bones from inside the
fillet (the ones that line the body cavity). I've never cleaned
a snook, but there might be some other pin bones that you'll need
to pull. You can use pliers.

Fillet #1 is complete. Flip the fish over and do the other
fillet the same way.

Cut the fillets crosswise at around 3 1/2 to 4 inch intervals.
You can then slice each piece perpendicularly at the thickest
point if you want to make the pieces smaller. Trim away any
hanging skin.

Hot smoke and freeze along the lines shown in this article.
TFM will no doubt come in handy here.

http://www.3men.com/threemen1.htm

--
Reg

Okay, we measured it, it's about 3 feet long, head to tail. It's still in a
cooler on ice. TFM says that we have to wait until rigor mortis is
finished??????????!!!!????

We'll fillet it as per your suggestions and go from there. I think our
freezer will be full.

Thanks, Reg.

kili

"-L." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

I'm on the phone with kili and she says this fish is 4 feet long from

snout

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to tail. Kind of hard to pan-fry even if you cut off the head. Also
difficult to grill, unless you built a pit! Obviously it has to be

gutted

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but it will be a bone-in fish. Now, how to (1) cut it into manageable
portions and (2) then what?

My advice? Make the SOB who brought it home gut it, clean it, and slice
and dice it.

(I HATE cleaning fish!)

-L.

LOL! I hear ya, but we're broke and it's free. :~)

kili