Prostipoma fish is a very rare delicacy

Background

Previously, the Soviet Union had a powerful expeditionary fleet that was engaged in commercial fishing in all corners of our planet. Domestic seiners and trawlers operated in the ocean, floating sea bases were created capable of processing the catch, preserving it in fresh, frozen, canned and other forms.

Today, taking into account modern realities, our fishermen prefer to hunt close to the coast, since it is more convenient from a logistics and economic point of view. Therefore, many types of fish that were previously widely available have become delicacies and are rarely found in our stores.

Description

Prostipoma fish is a small table fish that belongs to the perch order. It has an elongated flattened body. The head is of medium size, a small mouth containing small multi-row teeth. The eyes are large. The dorsal fin is long, its anterior part consists of needle-like sharp rays.

The prostipoma is covered with dense small scales even on the gill covers, which is typical for all perciformes. Has a light color. The back is darker; there are individuals with an almost black upper part. The abdomen is white. The pectoral and pelvic fins are golden in color.

Prostipoma is a medium-sized representative of perciformes. The average size of individuals found in catches is about 15–17 cm. Large specimens from 27 to 35 cm are rarely found. The lifespan of the fish is about 15 years.

On store shelves there are mainly individuals with a length of 15 to 20 cm

The real name of the prostypoma is Pomadasys incisus, but it did not take root among Soviet marketers. Variants of the order Perciformes and the family Haemulidae also did not take root in our country. The English call this fish Bastard Grunt, which literally translates as “illegitimate grunt.”

As a result, the fish was named Prostipoma, which is translated from Greek as “shell with a saw.” In our country this word was transliterated and quickly took root among the population. For example, in Odessa there was a saying: “Peled, eelpout, and prostipoma will brighten up the table of any home.”

Fish parameters

This is a table species that lives in temperate and subtropical zones of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It is especially abundant near the coast of West Africa. It was first caught in the Hawaiian Islands. It lives in the coastal zone at a depth of about 50 meters. Some species are capable of making grunting sounds, thanks to such signals the fish has become part of many jokes. It received recognition for its taste, but as a result of active fishing, its number has greatly decreased. Today it is very rare to find prostioma on supermarket shelves. The species can be identified by the following characteristics:

• elongated body, slightly flattened at the sides,
• dark color,
• scales - tightly fitting, covering the cheeks,
• almost black spots on the edges of the gills,
• sharp golden side fins,
• dorsal fins - touching,
• in the mouth there are multi-row teeth,
• in adulthood switches to carnivorous feeding,
• lifespan is 15−17 years.

It is allowed to catch fish of at least 18 cm in length, and on average an individual reaches 30 cm in length and weighs about 800 grams. Waterfowl is caught on an industrial scale only in Japan, where it is a delicacy and costs a lot in many restaurants.

History of the name

This name was given to the individual by the people; originally in Greek, Pristipoma means a shell with a saw. And people also modified the word and the name prostipoma appeared. The scientific name of the fish, Pomadasys incisus, did not catch on. For some time, representatives of the order Perciformes were called Persephiforma or after the Hemulida family. Some people still use these terms. Residents of Great Britain named the fish Bastard grunt, which literally means “illegitimate grunt.” Thus, in Odessa, a seaside fishing town, there was a saying: “Peled, eelpout, and prosper will brighten up the table of any home.”

Where is it found?

Red fish baked in the oven

Prostipoma is found in tropical and subtropical latitudes. It is caught in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Its population is quite large off the coast of West Africa, from Angola to the equator. It is mined in large quantities by Japanese fishermen. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this fish is so popular that the lion's share of the catch is immediately sent to famous restaurants, and only the remainder ends up on store shelves.

The fish leads a schooling lifestyle. It stays near the bottom or in the water column and does not go deeper than 50 meters. It is concentrated in numerous schools or groups that feed mainly on bottom invertebrates and plankton. Large individuals can attack the fry.

Red snapper

This fish is much tastier than sea bass, which it somewhat resembles. The peak of fishing occurred in the 60-80s of the last century. And then the number of snapper dropped sharply and the fish disappeared from the shelves.

Red snapper. Photo market-fish.ru

Sometimes you can see snapper in online stores for a high price. But we must take into account that there is no official catch, only poaching. And the reason is not even the critically small population reserves, but the fact that the fish accumulate a lot of mercury and are now all contaminated and hazardous to health.

Commercial value

Prostipoma is a valuable commercial species that is popular all over the world, especially Japan. However, in the last decade, due to uncontrolled and poaching, its reserves have decreased significantly. To preserve fish, quotas for its production were introduced, and in some regions its fishing was completely prohibited. In recreational fishing, the minimum permitted size is 18 cm. Individuals that do not reach the established length must be released, otherwise they face a significant fine and revocation of their license.

What kind of fish is it and what does it look like?

Scientists distinguish 2 types of this small commercial fish:

1. Chestnut - has dark brown, sometimes with large spots, colors on the sides and back, the belly is painted white. A dark stripe runs along the edge of the gill covers. Inhabits deep areas of coastal waters (10−90 m) with a sandy or rocky bottom.
2. Ordinary - dark only on top, on the back. Its sides are light, cast in silver or golden shades. There are several rows of small spots above the lateral line. At the edge of the gill cover there is a large dark spot with a yellowish edge. It lives in shallow waters with muddy bottoms.

During high tides, schools of both species may enter river mouths.

The size of adult individuals reaches 60 cm. When caught, young fish with a length of 18−30 cm and an average weight of 300−700 g are more often caught.

The trade name prostipoma comes from an outdated Latin name, reflecting the peculiarity of both varieties: the presence of sharp rays in the upper (dorsal) fin.

The correct spelling of the scientific designation - pristipoma - was distorted among the people and became commonplace. In English-speaking countries, the prostipoma is called the grunt fish, and in Israel - kwa-kwa, due to the ability to make creaking sounds using the pharyngeal teeth. Both chestnut and ordinary varieties feed on bottom inhabitants: crustaceans, worms, mollusks. The presence of pharyngeal teeth allows them to split durable shells and shells. Large individuals sometimes prey on small fish.

Spawning occurs in the summer months, females spawn eggs in portions. Care for offspring is not developed. After hatching, the larvae feed on the contents of the yolk sac, and at 3–5 days of age they begin to swim independently and switch to consuming phyto- and zooplankton.

Beneficial features

Prostipoma meat is similar to mackerel or sturgeon. It has dark transverse layers, a soft structure, light color, rich and pleasant aroma. Fish is valued not only for its taste and variety of cooking options, but also for its small number of bones.

100 grams of prostipoma meat contains:

• proteins – about 20%;
• fat – no more than 4%;
• Omega 3 – 0.3%.

The fat content of a fish depends on its age, size and immediate habitat. The energy value of 100 grams of fish is 108 kcal.

Prostipoma is popular among foreign athletes. It is included in the diet of many strength athletes involved in powerlifting, crossfit, bodybuilding, weightlifting, shot throwing or hammer throwing and other sports where special attention is paid to the quality of nutrition.

Meat composition and recipes

The appearance of the meat is similar to sturgeon or mackerel, it has the same dark layers of muscles on the surface, but the inside is light, the aroma is rich and pleasant. It is recommended to use as few spices as possible so as not to drown out the taste. Fish is also valued by chefs for its small number of bones. The nutritional composition is as follows:

• water 75−77%,
• protein 15−20%,
• fats 4−28%,
• ash 1.3−18%,
• omega 3 - 0.3 mg.

Fat content depends on the age of the individual and its habitat; the calorie content in 100 grams of meat is 108 kcal. Many culinary first and second courses are prepared from prostipoma. The head is perfect for preparing broth, which is low-fat and transparent, and the meat is steamed, boiled, baked and fried. Fish is much less common in salted and dried form.

Baked prostipoma

To prepare, you will need 0.5 kg of peeled fish, 100 g of cream, 1 egg, several onions, lime juice and spices to taste (goes well with rosemary, parsley and dill). The whole process of preparing a culinary masterpiece is very simple; for convenience, it can be divided into stages:

1. First of all, you need to prepare the raw materials - gut the fish, rinse well and separate the fillet from the backbone.
2. Over medium heat, fry both parts of the carcass on both sides in hot oil until crispy golden brown.
3. The unique taste of the dish is given by a special sauce that needs to be made while the fish is fried. To do this, the yolk, cream, lemon juice, salt and rosemary are thoroughly whisked. It is advisable to carry out the process by heating the mixture in a water bath.
4. Then you need to start baking. To do this, place a layer of onion, cut into rings, on foil or in a sleeve, previously greased with butter. The carcass is placed on it and greased with the previously prepared sauce.

Recipes

Simple ones are prepared in different ways. It can be baked, fried, smoked, steamed, boiled. The head of the fish produces a low-fat, transparent and unusually aromatic broth, on which you can prepare a wonderful fish soup with the addition of cilantro and lime.

Fried with tomatoes and zucchini

To prepare this dish we need half a kilo of prostipoma fillet, 1-2 young zucchini or zucchini, 200 grams of fresh tomatoes, 50 grams of cream, 50 grams of soft cheese. For spices, you can add pepper and oregano, salt to taste. We will fry in vegetable oil.

Fried prostipoma has incredibly tender meat

The recipe itself is as follows:

1. We clean the fish, gut it, and rinse it under running water.
2. Using a sharp fillet knife, separate the meat from the backbone and ribs.
3. Divide the resulting fillet into large portions.
4. Salt and pepper the prostipoma meat, roll in flour or breadcrumbs and fry in a frying pan on both sides until cooked and golden brown.
5. Peel the zucchini from the skin and seeds, cut into slices.
6. Mix tomatoes, cheese and cream until it forms a sauce.
7. Dip the zucchini rings in the sauce, place on a baking sheet and bake until tender.

Fried fish and cooked side dish are served along with sprigs of parsley, cilantro, and dill. You can add fresh cherry tomatoes.

Prostipoma recipes

Several of the most delicious and very easy to prepare recipes, the main ingredient of which is prostipoma.

Prostipoma with cream sauce

Ingredients:

• Prostipoma – 500 g
• Cream - 100 g
• Butter - 30-50 g
• Egg - 1 pc.
• Onion - 2 pcs.
• Rosemary
• Ground pepper
• Salt
• Lemon and herbs for decoration

Preparation steps:

• The carcass is washed, cleaned and gutted. After which the clean carcass needs to be salted and peppered.
• Heat a frying pan, pour a little butter or olive oil, add the carcass and fry on both sides until crispy.
• While the prostipoma is frying, you can prepare the sauce. To do this, you need to take one yolk, cream, a pinch of rosemary, beat it all well and add salt.
• The future sauce should be slightly heated in a water bath, stirring constantly so that it does not stick to the bottom.
• A large piece of food foil should be greased with butter. After this, cut the onion into large, medium-thick rings, on which to place the prostipoma carcass. Pour the sauce over everything and put it in the oven.
• Since the main ingredient is almost ready, because the pieces were fried in a frying pan, the baking time is no more than 15 minutes.
• You can serve the dish with slices of lemon and garnish with herbs on top.

Fried prostipoma with zucchini pieces and tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Prostipoma -400-500 g
• Zucchini - 1 pc.
• Sun-dried tomatoes - 30 g
• Ricotta – 50 g
• Vegetable oil - 30 g
• Cream - 50 g
• Oregano - 3 pcs.
• Ground black pepper
• Salt

Cooking method:

• First you need to finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and salt them.
• Afterwards, add cream and finely chopped ricotta. All this should be mixed well in a container.
• Zucchini should be cut into large flat layers, so that there are several pieces per serving. They need to be salted and coated with tomato and ricotta sauce with cream.
• Sprinkle each piece of zucchini with chopped oregano and pepper. Place all this on a baking sheet and bake in the oven.
• The simplest one should be washed and gutted, peeled and cut into large pieces.
• Season the fillet with salt and pepper and roll in flour.
• Heat a frying pan, pour a little sunflower oil, and fry the fish until crispy.
• Serve the zucchini along with the fish; you can decorate it with sprigs of herbs.

Recipe “Incredible prostipoma”

Required ingredients:

• Prostipoma - 1-1.5 kg
• Boiled potatoes - 4 pcs.
• Canned butter - 300 g
• Hard cheese - 150 g
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Onion - 2 pcs.
• Celery – 200 g
• Lemon - 1 pc.
• Ground pepper
• Salt
• Sleeve for baking
• Seasonings to taste

Cooking steps:

• You can take fresh or frozen. The carcass should be cleaned, gutted and washed. After which you need to rub it with salt and pepper, sprinkle with a little lemon juice. In this case, the carcass should marinate a little.
• Celery (root) and carrots should be grated on a coarse grater, and the onion should be cut into small cubes. Mix all this, add salt and put in the oven, adding a few tablespoons of oil or water.
• After 5 minutes of simmering, add the mushrooms to the oven with the vegetables and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
• All this will be inside. In the last minutes of stewing, you need to add grated cheese.
• Stuff fish carcasses with vegetables, securing the edges with toothpicks to prevent them from falling out.
• Place potatoes cut into circles in a baking sleeve, add salt and place the carcass on top. You can put the remaining filling on top if there is any left.
• All this should be baked in the oven for 20 minutes, after which turn off the oven and leave the dish to simmer in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Remove from the sleeve, place on a plate and garnish with herbs on top. The dish has a very pleasant taste, with notes of lemon. The meat turns out very tender and juicy.