I’ve had the chance to dine on just about every edible sea creature our local waters provide. Some I didn’t try a second time—the oyster toadfish, the pin-bone-laden conger eel, and the skate I filleted incorectly all come to mind. But along the way, I’ve managed to find a few hidden gems. What follows is a collection of recipes featuring obscure local seafood that you should try in 2024.
If you’ve ever eaten good pork rinds, you know what I’m talking about. They are super crunchy, light and airy, and loaded with salty goodness. Once you get over the fact that you are eating fried pig skin, you may enjoy them even more.
However, pig skins aren’t the only things that fry up nice and crispy; fish skins work just as well. Making them is a bit labor intensive, but I guarantee you will be surprised and delighted with the results. I call them the potato chips of the sea. If you tasted them blindfolded, you would never guess what you were eating.
Step One: Scale The Fish
A butter knife is my weapon of choice for this task. I should note that things will get messy so you might want to do this outside. Before filleting, grasp the fish by the tail, angle the blade of the knife forward (toward the head), and scrub the fish like crazy until the scales start popping off. Keep your fingers clear of any spines on the fins.
Step Two: Boil Them
After filleting the fish, give the skins a good rinse, remove any remaining scales, and scrape off any bits of meat that remain. Boil two cups of water and add a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning. Add the skins to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the water and remove the skins.
Step Three: Dry Them Out
Grab a metal drying rack and lube it up with a generous amount of cooking spray. Lay the skins on the rack, scale-side down, and stretch them out so they are completely flat. Give them a light dusting of salt and pepper, then pop them into a 170-degree oven, checking them after one hour. (The white perch fillets I experimented with were done after an hour, but thicker skins might take longer.) They should be completely dry to the point that they are brittle and crack if you try to bend them.
Step Four: Fry Them
Heat about 1½ inches of canola oil to 350 degrees. Cut the fish skins into bite-sized pieces with scissors, then drop them into the hot oil and watch the magic happen. They will puff up immediately. Since they are very thin, and have very little moisture, they cook very quickly. (I fried mine for about two minutes.) Once all the sizzling and popping comes to an end, they are done. Remove them to a metal drying rack, let them rest for a minute or two, and then pig out.
