It should be remembered that several species of ocean inhabitants are hidden under the trade name “butterfish”: escolar, toothfish, stromateus, seriolella and “butterfish”, which is caught off the coast of the United States. All these representatives of marine fauna belong to different families. The only thing they have in common is their taste. Why are these fish called oil fish? Their meat is fatty, even in excess. Therefore, the preferred way to cook butterfish is on the grill. If you subject them to another method of culinary processing, you must first cut off the head and hang the carcasses by the tail. This will drain off excess fat. In this article we will consider only one of the representatives of oil fish - escolar. Read about its beneficial properties and possible harm in our article. We will also provide several recipes for escolar dishes.
Description of the fish
The second name for escolar is a delicious gray mackerel. It is found in the thickness of near-surface waters. There is no commercial fishing for it, but it is caught in nets along with tuna. Delicious mackerel is found in abundance off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia, but is also found in tropical and temperate seas. Escolar is a fairly large fish. On average, it grows up to one meter and weighs as much as thirty kilograms. This fish belongs to the gempilidae family. Its color is dark brown, and its lateral keel protrudes too much. Escolar feeds on crustaceans, squids and small fish. Reviews often compare the taste of this fish to fatty halibut. Delicious mackerel has dense white meat with a delicate consistency. It is good for smoking and making balyks. Delicious mackerel arrives on the shelves of our stores already in frozen form.
Fish escolar: benefits and harm
The name “oil” speaks for itself. This fish contains a lot of fat. But, unlike salmon, salmon and chum salmon, escolar also contains additional oils - monoglycerides. While other unsaturated fish oils are absorbed by the human body, this wax is not. The stomach simply does not contain the necessary enzymes to break down this substance. Therefore, consuming escolar can cause dyspepsia and diarrhea, which worsens when combining fish with tomatoes. Thus, delicacy mackerel is good for those suffering from constipation as it has a laxative effect. Oily fish should be eaten with caution by people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the liver, as well as by diabetics. It should be remembered that escolar is a high-calorie fish. And even very much so. One hundred grams of product contains one hundred and thirteen kilocalories. But at the same time, the tender white meat of this fish is rich in vitamins, amino acids, macro- and microelements. Ecolar is good for heart-throbs to eat, because potassium, contained in abundance in gray mackerel, strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Unsaturated fats have a rejuvenating effect, make hair shiny and thick, and nails strong.
Fish escolar popular recipes. Argentine style butterfish
Delicious mackerel is baked, fried or stewed. Here is the first recipe from Argentina. Mix half a glass of orange and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Beat with 2 tbsp. l. olive oil and 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce. To this emulsion add a generous pinch of chopped fresh basil, two chopped cloves of garlic, black pepper, and salt. Pour the marinade into a tight bag. Let's put four escolar steaks there. Tie the bag tightly, shake and put in the refrigerator for two hours. Let's bake a large red bell pepper. Cut it, remove the seeds, remove the skin, cut the pulp into pieces. Add twelve olives, cut into rings, chopped red onion and a pinch of basil. Season this mixture with a soup spoon of vinegar and twice the amount of olive oil. Fry the escolar in a frying pan. Garnish with vegetable mixture.
Baked butterfish
Chop three cloves of garlic and crush it with a mortar and a few sprigs of parsley, a pinch of salt and a spoonful of olive oil. If we have frozen escolar at our disposal, the fish should stand in the refrigerator overnight. Then water will not flow from it. Rinse four fillets, dry and rub with garlic marinade. Place in the refrigerator for an hour. We set the oven to preheat at 150 o C. Place the fillet on a wire rack, under which we place a baking sheet - after all, escolar is an oily fish and will give a lot of fat when baked. Cook without turning over for less than half an hour. Five minutes before the expiration date, sprinkle the fish with three tablespoons of Parmesan. Quickly prepare the sauce: mash a clove of garlic with a yolk and a spoonful of lemon juice in a mortar. Add salt to taste. Serve the fish with salad, pouring sauce over it.
Escolar with aromatic herbs
We cut the cut fish carcass crosswise in four places. Rub the outside and inside with lime juice, pepper and salt. In the middle of the carcass we place several sprigs of mint, parsley and rosemary, and two rings of hot pepper. Line a baking sheet with foil. We lay out the fish. Insert lime slices into the slits. Place pepper rings on top. Cover with a second piece of foil and seal with an envelope. Let it soak for an hour, then bake for ten minutes at a temperature of two hundred and thirty degrees Celsius. Serve with a sauce made from a mixture of olive oil and finely chopped mint.
Delicious gray mackerel with soy sauce
Escolar fish, recipes for which can be found in many cuisines around the world, is very popular in the countries of Southeast Asia. Pour 120 ml of soy sauce into a bowl. We dilute it with 50 ml of water. Add a small bunch of chopped green onions and a teaspoon of ground ginger to the marinade. Cut off the skin from the escolar fillet (300-400 grams). Marinate the fillet for at least half an hour. Periodically turn the pieces over so that the escolar is soaked on all sides. Place on a towel. Then we place it on a wire rack, under which we place a baking tray to catch the dripping fat. Bake for about fifteen minutes at 220 degrees. Separately prepare boiled rice. Place pieces of fish on it. The recipe recommends mixing soy sauce with a spoon of honey. Pour this dressing over the finished dish.
Risotto with fish
Place two tablespoons of butter and vegetable oil in a frying pan. When the fat is hot, place a cup of prepared mushrooms there. Simmer for four minutes, then add a spoonful of fresh thyme leaves. Fry for another two minutes. Add rice and white wine. Simmer until the liquid evaporates. In a separate frying pan, fry the salted escolar. Fish (reviews mention this) does not require much fat. It is enough to grease the frying pan with oil, as for pancakes. Escolar is fried for three minutes for each side. Place the fish pieces on top of the risotto. Place in the oven for another five minutes.
Butterfish is a common trade name used for several species of fish from 3 different families: 2 species from the Stromateaceae family, Australian Seriolella from the Centrolopaceae family, Escolar (gray delicious mackerel) and some other species from the Hempilidae family. All these fish species are different in their anatomical and physiological structure. All of the listed types of oily fish provide certain benefits for human nutrition; they can be found on sale in the form of frozen carcasses or fillets, as well as smoked.
On the similarity of speciesThe body length of individuals presented in trade can vary on average from 30 to 75 cm, weight can reach up to 4 kg (the largest of the oil fish - escolar, can reach a body length of up to 2 m and weight up to 45 kg).
Most often in nutritional and culinary literature we talk about escolar.
The benefits and harms of oil fish
Oily fish fillets (of any type) contain a large amount of B vitamins, as well as A, E and D, as well as various valuable microelements (compounds of fluorine, iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, chromium, etc.) .
Periodic, regular inclusion of healthy-cooked butterfish into the diet has an overall beneficial effect on the human body (of course, we are not talking about smoking and frying in a pan). Eating oily fish improves skin condition and vision, as well as the functioning of the brain, nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems of the human body.
The calorie content of butterfish is on average about 112 kcal per 100 g of product (in smoked form it is much higher - about 180 kcal).
Butterfish is very fatty, so for its preparation it is better to choose those cooking methods in which some of the fat is removed during the process (for example, grilling headless carcasses).
The information and opinions that frighten consumers about the terribly unpleasant consequences of eating butterfish do not apply to all species, but only to ruwet (one of the types of mackerel from the hempilidae family). This fish is very fatty and contains a large amount of indigestible animal wax. Even when consuming a fairly moderate amount of ruveta, unpleasant consequences are possible, namely: a strong laxative effect, sometimes with cases of an involuntary nature.
In any case, butterfish should be consumed in small quantities, 2-3 pieces, no more than 1-2 times a week.
Few people will refuse to eat delicious fish, even if they usually prefer meat. Butterfish has a special taste, which, which will be great news for those losing weight, is compatible with almost any dietary food. Speaking about the energy composition of the product, it is worth considering that the fat content of fish, depending on the habitat, can vary from 0.5 to 13%, while the protein content in the meat will be at least 20.
It is also worth noting that oilfish, like any other type of its counterparts, has several methods of preparation: it can be fried, boiled or stewed. It is also good when salted, and sometimes people who are not very knowledgeable about delicacies mistake the white butter meat for sturgeon. On store shelves you can only find exolar fillet (as it is also called). This fish is practically not sold in full size.
Beneficial features
Speaking about a product such as oil fish, it is worth noting that its main distinguishing feature is the excess oil that literally drains from the carcass. Of course, like any other seafood, escolar contains vitamin PP, called niacin, as well as useful minerals: magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, molybdenum and many others. Some of these substances are present in fillets in sufficient quantities. In addition, oil fish has a decent iron composition, which significantly reduces the risk of developing anemia in the body.
Don’t forget about the distinctive taste of fish meat, which will please even the most capricious gourmet. In modern cooking, there are a large number of recipes based on this product, but the most common is cold smoked butterfish.
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Conclusion
The best way to prepare this dish is on the grill. In this case, excess fat will drain off during frying. This way you can significantly reduce the load on your digestive tract. It is worth noting that in some countries the consumption of certain varieties of escolar is prohibited due to the high percentage of fat content. Nevertheless, this product has taken its place of honor on the shelves of Russian stores. At the same time, you should not refuse to eat oilseed oil unless you suffer from individual intolerance to fish dishes.
Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
Oily fish- a collective trade name for different species of fish from three different families and four genera: 2 species from the Stromateaceae family - Stromateae ( Stromateus brasiliensis) and American butterfish ( Peprilus triacanthus), Australian seriolella ( Seriolella brama) from the centrifolidae family, as well as escolar or gray delicacy mackerel ( Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) from the family Hempilaceae.
Sometimes butterfish are sold under the guise of toothfish - a much more valuable fish, less often - on the contrary, although these names are often given together.
Trade names usually combine related fish species. But in the case of butterfish, the trade name is formed on the principle of similarity in taste, although butterfish have some external similarities and a similar lifestyle. The name probably comes from the American butterfish, which is called “butterfish” in English.
Biology
All oilfish are warm-water marine fish that live close to the shore. Mostly these are fish 30-75 cm long and weighing up to 4 kg. The largest representative of this collective group is escolar, reaching a length of up to 2 m and a weight of 45 kg. They feed on various planktonic crustaceans, squids and small fish. Spawning takes place in summer or autumn. The eggs are small and develop in the water column. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 2 years.
Fishing
Oilfish fishing is carried out mainly by pelagic trawls and seines. There are no commercial statistics on these fish species.
Butterfish is a collective name for several types of fish with delicate and oily white fillets. This is a tropical fish that lives in open waters and swims to the shore only for the spawning period. Some types of this fish cause indigestion when eaten, while others have great health benefits. This article will discuss the features of existing types of oil fish and their differences, the chemical composition of fish fillets, the beneficial properties and harms of this food product.
Butterfish: main types
It is quite difficult to distinguish store-bought fillets of one type from another. This must be done, since certain breeds of oilfish are not suitable for consumption, although they are sold.
Important! If you are planning to cook a whole butterfish at home, then before you start cutting, cut off the head of the fish and hang it by the tail so that excess fat drips off before cooking.
- It includes three species at once and is found in the waters of South America and Africa. It has a laterally flattened body without scales, needle-like fins, sizes from 20 to 50 cm. The fillet contains about 17% fat. Stromateas are also known as “dollar fish”.
- American oil. It is found in large numbers in the western Atlantic, where it is caught by trawls. American butterfish fillets are sometimes sold as toothfish. Maximum size - 30 cm, weight - 450 g. The fillet contains a lot of bones, the fat content reaches 18%.
Did you know? Despite the Japanese historical love of seafood, butterfish of the escolar species are prohibited in Japan. It cannot be caught, imported into the country, or sold in markets or stores. Escolar has also not been served in restaurants since 1977. The same initiative was supported by the Italian government a few years later.
- Found in the waters of Australia and Tasmania. This is a large species, adult representatives of which weigh on average seven kilograms and reach up to 70 cm in size. The skin is greenish-blue, without scales, and the eyes are large and protruding. The fat content of fillet exceeds 30%, so in cooking it is used exclusively for salting and smoking.
- This is a delicious type of mackerel, which belongs to the mackerel family. It looks like a tuna, weighs up to 60 kg and grows up to two meters in length.
Did you know? The butterfish was first described as a biological species in 1898 by Swedish zoologist Adam Smith. In those years, only two species of this fish were known- ruveta and seriolella, which were considered inedible and were not caught on an industrial scale. This fish came into widespread use about sixty years ago and since then, with varying success, it has been either prohibited or again begins to be imported into developed countries of the world.
The body is massive, with sharp keel-shaped fins, the skin is black. A predatory creature whose population is quite limited, so production is not carried out on an industrial scale. The fillet contains about 10% fat, making it suitable for frying, grilling and making balyk.
- Due to the high content of fat and protein, the fillet of this oily fish is most often prepared by cold smoking. 100 g of escolar fillet contains 125 kcal, 100 g of American butter fillet contains 183 kcal.
- The content of nutrients in the fillet is as follows: proteins - 19.2 g; fats - 11.3 g; no carbohydrates; water - 66.3 g.
- Macroelements in this product are represented by potassium - 335 mg, phosphorus - 227 mg, calcium - 172 mg, sulfur - 189 mg, chlorine - 169 mg, sodium - 103 mg, magnesium - 39 mg.
- The following microelements are present in the fillet: zinc - 0.8 mg; iron - 0.65 mg; fluoride - 0.45 mg.
- Chromium controls the functioning of the endocrine glands, helps maintain weight and relieves symptoms of fatigue. The daily requirement of chromium is contained in 100 g of product.
- Selenium strengthens the sexual function of men, improves sperm quality, enhances potency and relieves early signs of prostatitis.
- Vitamin B12 stimulates metabolism and strengthens the nervous system.
- Iron improves hematopoietic function, reduces women's pain during menstrual periods and prevents the development of atherosclerosis.
- Calcium and phosphorus, contained in approximately equal quantities, strengthen bone tissue and will be useful for arthritis and osteoporosis.
- The high calorie content of this product makes it a valuable source of energy for active people who are subject to great physical and mental stress.
Composition and calorie content
The chemical composition of this product is indicated per 100 g of product.
Important! Due to the special chemical composition, it is advisable not to mix the consumption of this product with taking medications for hypertension and contraceptives. An hour before a meal and two hours after it, do not take medications and, if possible, do not drink strong alcohol.
Despite the fact that the fillet of such fish contains a high percentage of fat, the calorie content of this product is relatively low. 
Beneficial features
To get the maximum benefit from this product, it must be consumed regularly - at least twice a week.
Harm and possible consequences
The main harm of this product is its exceptional fat content. A special ester called gempilotoxin is found in all varieties of this product and is not digested by the human intestine. It stimulates bile secretion and irritates the intestinal lining.
The consequences include nausea, diarrhea, acute pain in the intestines, and the discharge becomes a rich orange color. Symptoms of overdose appear with excessive consumption of fatty fillet.
People with individual intolerance to seafood should completely avoid this product, as it is a strong allergen. For those who suffer from obesity and liver disease, this product is also contraindicated - it provokes rapid weight gain and triggers the processes of fatty hepatosis. 
Butterfish is a food with controversial benefits. Some varieties of these fish are valuable food products, while others are prohibited for sale in European countries.
Important! When choosing fillet, focus on its density and softness of the skin. If the fillet is dense and the skin is soft, you have a quality product. Flabby fillet with thick skin is a low-quality and unhealthy type, also known as ruveta.
To minimize possible harm to the body, butterfish must be cooked by cold smoking or grilling, allowing excess fat to drain off. Only consuming a moderate amount of this product will benefit your body.
