When Russ Luhm nets an amberjack for his friend, Capt. Bruce Trujillo, he is already thinking about eating it. If the fish is mortally injured — and sometimes when it is not — he cooks and eats it, although he said many people release the fish rather than deal with the parasites.
“I cut the fillet and find most of the worms near the tail,” he said. “That leaves the shoulder meat, which is usually free of worms. That still yields 15 to 20 pounds of meat from a 40-pound amberjack.”
Luhm soaks it in a brine of one pound of salt per gallon of water for four hours. The salt firms the meat and gives it a salty taste. Then he coats it with brown sugar and pepper and smokes it in a charcoal smoker for six to eight hours.
Another cooking method is coating it with eggs, milk and House Autry seafood breader mix and frying it in peanut oil.
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