What makes the Pompano so Special?

The whole world is talking about the delicious, versatile and aromatic fish that many chefs cannot seem to get enough of on their kitchens. These are the mighty Pompanos of warm waters that people prefer to have on their plate.

If you are one of those people who is wondering what does #Pompano #Fish taste like? We have some valuable information for you in this article, read on!

Habitat

Pompanos are abundant in the warm waters of gulf beaches. The fish voraciously feeds on tiny fishes, shrimps, molluscs and other small sea dwellers. Adult fish are said to migrate to bay areas during the mid-year. Florida reefs harbour the largest numbers of Pompanos.

How they look

Pompanos are gorgeous sea beings and they can be spotted flashing their yellow hued bellies and silvery sides when they make a splash into the water. They have distinguishable silvery skin along with a thick stout body that measures up to 42 to 64 centimetres.

The Florida Syndromeanos became famous, you need to know that these fish were a rage back in the 60’s when a certain Mr.Groves began actively cultivating them in a pond. Thanks to the sweet taste of pompanos, many companies were ready to shell out big bucks in raising these beauties.

Though the delicious Pompano cultivation was a lucrative proposition, soon enough the corporates started to realise that Pompanos in their larva stage were not easy to feed as the feed was rather expensive.

Usually in their natural habitats, Pompano larvae survive on microscopic sea plants like algae. Typically Pompanos have smaller mouth and hence, it was difficult to find a cheap and affordable feed to raise them in ponds.

People who invested heavily in raising the Pompanos were forced to feed the shrimps to larvae as it was the only alternative and it was expensive.

Thus, the Florida Syndrome disappeared resulting in declined interest in Pompano cultivation and they were termed as the most expensive fish in the market.

Before we divulge into the most interesting part of Pompanos, here are some quick facts about them:

1.Food experts around the world call Pompanos as the most edible fish in the world.The white meat is easy to cook.The fish can be used in any cuisine and hence, is versatile.And pompano has a lingering but mild aroma.

2.Interestingly, Pompanos are not required to be scaled.Pompanos generally weigh up to 2 pounds.More often than not people confuse other similar looking fish (that belong to the same family) to Pompanos, and hence, it is better to avoid fish weighing more than 3 Pounds if one is looking for Pompanos.

3.Pompanos are preferred by Creole cooks as their first choice.

What does golden pompano fish taste like?

Tasting Pompanos is a delight to many people. They have great texture, taste, and flavour and can be incorporated in many cuisines with ease. Many chefs claim that Pompanos tastes better when they are baked or cooked using fewer spices.

For the sake of understanding the taste of a fish, we can examine the fish in various areas like, texture, appearance, ease of cooking, taste, flavour, nutrients and the colour of cooked meat.

Taste

The silver side of the Pompanos are said to be delicious and easily edible as it does not require scaling. Though the fish is firm to touch, it can be easily filleted. Upon cooking the translucent flesh turns thick white.

Pompanos are famous for their delectable and delicate taste. When it comes to taste, these fish have a mild tinge of sweetness complemented by its fine texture. Pompanos have a good repute of ‘a clean tasting fish’.

When it comes to flavour, this is fish is said to have the mild and sweet flavour that can gel well with any kind of herbs and spices.

Appearance

Gourmands across the globe give much importance to the appearance of the cooked flesh just like its taste. And Pompanos score high in this category as they are nicely cooked with their silver skin and are firm to touch. They can be easily cut into shapes and dressed as per one’s wish and desire.

Gourmands recommend cutting the fish in such a way that the silver skin is shown to enhance the appearance of the dish.

Ease Of Cooking

Pompanos are cooked easily without consuming much time. Unlike many other fish, the whole of Pompano is edible as its bone is soft and tender which can be consumed. Most of the experts recommend broiling this fish with right amount of spices and herbs. However, one can use the fish in any type of recipe.

Pompano is no doubt an excellent tasting fish which is cooked with simple ingredients. One of the most preferred ways of cooking these fish is to broil them in lemon juice and butter which brings out the sweet taste in the fish.

Another popular way of cooking Pompanos is the En Papillote method wherein, the flesh of the fish is securely placed in a cooking dish or well secured plate with lids. Some people also use parchment paper to capsule the fish along with essential spices to cook.