Back Talk 



A Forum for Coasfwotch Readers 



Coastwatch wants to hear from you on topics relating to the 

 North Carolina coast. Letters should be no longer than 250 words 

 and should contain the author's name, address and telephone 

 number. Letters, may be edited for style. Send all conespondence 

 to Coastwatch, UNC Sea Grant, Box 8605, North Carolina State 

 University, Raleigh, NC 27695. Opinions expressed on this page 

 are not necessarily those of UNC Sea Grant employees and staff. 



(These letters were written to UNC Sea Grant seafood specialist, 

 Joyce Taylor in Morehead City.) 



Biting A Barracuda 



Dear Joyce Taylor, 



I was wondering if I should eat the two barracuda I caught 

 yesterday. Some people have said it's fine to eat the fish; others 

 have warned against it. I hate to waste two good fish. Would you 

 please advise me what to do? 



Danny Conner, Wilmington, N.C. 



There is always some question about the safety of eating 

 barracuda because they can harbor the ciguatera toxin, says Joyce 

 Taylor, Sea Grant's seafood education specialist. Ciguatera is a type 

 of food poisoning associated with tropical waters and fish. The 

 toxin originates in certain species of microplankton or dinoflagel- 

 lates, and it's passed up the food chain to large fish. Ciguatoxic fish 

 cannot be detected by appearance, taste or smell, and cooking does 

 not inactivate the toxin, Taylor says. 



Tloe symptoms of ciguatera begin within six hours after 

 contaminated food is eaten. They include nausea, cramping and 

 vomiting, followed by neurological discomforts such as headache, 

 flushing and a tingling or numb sensation on the lips, tongue and 

 mouth. In more severe cases, the most definitive symptom is cold-to- 

 hot sensory reversal so that cold objects feel hot and hot objects feel 

 cold. 



Until recently, there were no reported cases of ciguatera 

 poisoning from fish caught in North Carolina's temperate waters. 

 But this is no longer true. Several years ago, 18 to 20 people were 

 poisoned with the toxin. All had eaten two or three species offish 

 caught off Barker's Island. There was never a firm decision 

 regarding which species caused the illness, but barracuda was one 

 of those implicated, Taylor says. 



"Since there is a remote possibility for illness, we cannot in 

 good conscience advise people that it is entirely safe to eat barra- 

 cuda, " Taylor says. "Knowing this, we tell people to use their 

 judgment. " 



A Flaky Subject 



Dear Joyce Taylor, 



I must tell you that I enjoy your essays in Mariner's Menu as 

 much as the delicious recipes. 



The January/February issue on flaked fish was especially 

 useful since I fish the western lakes and rivers often and find 

 flaking to be great with large trout and pike. And the flaked fish 

 seem to keep so much better in my freezer than the whole fish. 



Lewis Pendleton, Kernersville, N.C. 



If you've ever eaten tuna salad, you've eaten flaked fish, Taylor 

 says. Flaked fish is no different from a cooked fillet; it's just in a 

 form that's more suitable for certain dishes. The fish are usually 

 poached or steamed. Then the meat is flaked away from the bone to 

 use in other dishes. 



For delicately flavored fish flakes and broth, Taylor recom- 

 mends the following steps: 



• Use scaled, gutted, degilled fish . Leave heads on, but be sure 

 body cavity is free of membrane and blood. 



• Melt 1/4 cup margarine in an electric skillet or pan. Lightly 

 saute a bed of cut onions, carrots and celery in the margarine, 

 adding garlic powder, freshly ground black, pepper and a bay leaf. 



• Place the fish on the vegetable bed. Half submerge the fish in 

 water. Uncover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and steam until the 

 fish flakes easily with a fork. 



• Remove fish and cool. Scrape off skin. Remove dark meat 

 and rib portion. Gently flake meat from backbone with a fork. 



• Use the broth as is. Or, make it richer by returning backbone 

 and head to skillet. Cover and cook until liquid is reduced by half. 



• Use the vegetables as they are or mash them as puree in the 

 broth. Cool broth in refrigerator until it congeals. Then, remove 

 solid fat layer from top. Strain broth before using. 



For a copy of Sea Grant's brochure, Flaking Fish, send 50 

 cents to UNC Sea Grant, Box 8605, N.C. State University, Raleigh, 

 NC 27695. Ask for publication number UNC-SG-87-05. Write to the 

 same address for a free subscription to Mariner's Menu. 



20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1992 



