The Ultimate Guide to Underutilized Fish: Your Palate and Wallet Will Thank You
Ever tried catching a snapper but ended up with a sheepshead? Good for you! Sheepshead is worth keeping, alongside an array of underutilized species. We commercially harvest over 80 different species of seafood in Florida, but how many can you name? Over 10 would be impressive.
Oftentimes underutilized species are not targeted because they are not popular. Some examples include whiting, croaker, gafftopsail catfish, sheepshead, jolthead porgy, spadefish, silversides, Spanish mackerel, cownose ray, banded rudderfish.
But why aren’t they popular? Probably because they aren’t all mild, white and flaky. As an experienced Florida fishmonger, I’ve noticed American palates prefer a very bland and simple fish taste profile compared to their international counterparts. Even in Florida, white and mild fish like pollock, swai and cod are king. That’s not to look down on favorites like grouper, red snapper and mahi, but being open to trying underutilized species is good for your palate, health and wallet.
You can start off with whiting, porgy, spadefish and sheepshead because they are all mild, white fish but cost up to half what popular species sell for. For example, whole Florida snappers range between $9-$13 per pound whereas whiting are $3-$5 per pound. You would have to concede on the filet size since whiting are smaller than most snapper; but it’s worth it.
Sheepshead dine on shellfish, including clams and crab, which makes the meat so buttery and delicious. Porgy is by far a favorite underutilized fish since it’s almost like a snapper, except it doesn’t carry the same price tag.
After you try out these species, you can graduate to Spanish mackerel, banded rudderfish and gafftopsail catfish. Spanish mackerel is a magnificent small fish that has a high meat yield and does great with strong flavors including tomato-based sauces and curries. They usually sell for $3-$4 per pound, but the high yield is what really makes it affordable since you do not lose a lot in the carcass.
Banded rudderfish has tuna-like qualities and is a member of the amberjack family, thus is perfect for grilling out on a summer evening. Plus, it’s affordable.
Any fish has potential for great taste, it is all a matter of how it is treated once it is caught. Oily fish, like Spanish mackerel, need to immediately be enveloped in ice and sold within one to three days of harvest for the meat to not become fishy. Bleed them out if possible.
White, mild fish like grouper can stay refrigerated for much longer. Sometimes a week and a half, and still not develop a fishy taste to them. Why? Well, because fat becomes rancid faster and oilier/fattier fish have more fat in them so they go bad faster.
Love crab? Golden crab are found in less than 1,500 feet of water and are caught in Florida. They oftentimes are sweeter than snow crab and definitely a lot fresher since they can be purchased live.
My suggestion is to always ask the fishmonger what the freshest fish is and make your dinner based on the answer. Try not to come in with a specific fish mindset but be open to whatever is fresh. This will be helpful in potentially trying a new species or becoming more flexible in the kitchen. If you end up enjoying these underutilized species, make sure to let your fishmonger know since demand begets supply.
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Meet Our Thought Leader
Cinthia Sandoval is a fishmonger and outreach director for Wild Ocean Seafood. She graduated with both advertising and sociology degrees from the University of Florida. She sits on NOAA's South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council's Outreach and Communication advisory panel. She is a big advocate for Floridians consuming local, wild seafood.
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