#22: Wahoo

Written by Tom Fitzmorris March 08, 2012 18:34 in

#22: Wahoo Long and narrow, the wahoo is a big fish. It grows to a hundred pounds at times, although it's more usually twenty to fifty. The fish live in the blue-water areas of the Gulf of Mexico, grow quickly, and are in fairly large supply. The name, I hear, comes from what you say if you catch one; it's supposed to be great sport to pull one in. It shows up only sporadically on menus, because the fish are unschooled loners. Wahoo is a member of the tuna and mackerel family. It's a streamlined speed demon, the better to function as a predator on other fish. Like tuna, it's more often cut into steaks than into fillets. Also like tuna, it doesn't stand to be overcooked. Do that, and it becomes dry and a bit tough. But like mackerel, it contains a good bit of fat, and has a bigger than average flavor. Very good eating. The most common method of preparation for wahoo is grilling. However, it's also good in moist preparations, like bouillabaisse or courtbouillon. I once served wahoo with a light, tomato-and-holy-trinity sauce with more lemon and black pepper than I was used to finding, plus a few shrimp. It was a spectacular dish. We used to see more wahoo lately than we have in the past few years. However, it's been the fish of the day here and there lately, so maybe it's making a comeback. It's underrated at the table, and I wish more chefs would use it.

Recipe Grilled Wahoo With Orange-Soy Sauce The meaty wahoo is a relative of tuna, and is a favorite catch of Gulf of Mexico fishermen. It's a great fish for cooking, too, lending itself particularly well to high-heat techniques like grilling and blackening. It's also a natural for Asian-style sauces like this one. It pairs the firmness of the meat with crisp vegetables and a sharp, low-calorie sauce.  
  • Marinade:
  • 3 Tbs. sugar
  • 2 oz. red wine vinegar
  • 4 oz. orange juice
  • 3 Tbs. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
     
  • 4 wahoo (or tuna or lemonfish) fillets or steaks, 8-10 oz. each, cut at least an inch thick
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 3 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
  • 3 green onions, chopped fine
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
    1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a wide shallow bowl. Marinate the tuna steaks for about a minute on each side, then wrap them (still dripping) with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Save the remaining marinade. 2. To begin cooking, heat 2 Tbs. of the butter in a skillet and cook the cabbage, carrots, and green onion with the teaspoon of soy sauce until the vegetables wilt. Remove from the heat. 3. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining butter. Sprinkle the tuna with salt and pepper. Cook the tuna for about a minute and a half on each side. Remove the tuna and keep warm. 4. Reduce the heat. Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and bring to a boil. Slightly reduce it. 5. Place the vegetables on the plate with the tuna on top, and nap with the reduced sauce. Serves four.