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Kampachi, You Had Us At Aloha!

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By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 2, 2008

Buying fish at the supermarket is one of those things that makes me nervous.

First off, the only thing I can ever afford is farm-raised tilapia from who-knows-where and whatever the fishmonger has on sale. Secondly, cooking fish is tricky - 60 seconds is all that separates a moist, tender fillet from a dry, tough, overcooked rain jacket. Do I risk $16.99 per pound for a grouper or $24.99 per pound for monkfish? If the fish isn't sushi grade, is it OK to cook it medium-rare? What if the recipe I found in the cookbook sucks, and I end up with an inedible dinner? What if I misjudge my timing?

The poor fishmonger watches as I stand in front of the glass case, wringing my hands, calculating the price-to-risk ratio for each fish on display. Most days, I'll opt for a nice hunk of salmon, as my pocketbook is comfortable with $9.99 per pound and a high-fat content that is almost impossible to overcook.

A couple of weeks ago, a company called Kona Blue overnighted a few pounds of kampachi for me to try. It's Hawaiian yellowtail, sustainably raised off the coast of Hawaii at its farms. Like salmon, it's chock-full of omega-3 oils, so it's succulent, firm and rich. The best part is that it's raised in a clean, controlled setting and it's sushi grade.

The kampachi fillets were among the most beautiful, moist fish I've ever cooked at home. The true test was that I even accidentally overcooked the fish because the moment the timer went off, something called, "sibling rivalry" screamed from the other room and demanded my immediate attention.

The price-to-risk ratio? Well, it's expensive if you mail order from Kona Blue: $17 per pound for fillets, plus $35 for FedEx. Ouch. The closest retailer that sells Kona kampachi is in Orlando; however, it's served in a handful of Bay area restaurants, including Bern's, SideBern's, Mise en Place, Lakeland Yacht Club, Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay and the Tampa Yacht Club. It's certainly a fish that I would beg or bribe my local fishmonger to carry.

But, my dear friends, I've got a surprise for you. Kona Blue has given me some prizes to give away: packages of super-fresh Kona Blue kampachi overnighted to three randomly chosen winners.

All you have to do is go to www.steamykitchen.com/blog/kampachi and write a comment. If you're shy, don't worry; you can use a nickname. Your e-mail address can only be accessed by me, and I'll e-mail you only if you win. I'm accepting entries until Sunday morning, after my morning coffee. And pssst ... just for Tampa Trib readers, I'm letting you enter twice. Just include that you're a Tampa Trib reader in the comment, and I'll give you a bonus entry. Shhh ... don't you dare tell my other blog readers!

Although I used kampachi in this dish, you certainly can substitute any fish fillets - your timing will be dependent upon how thick your fish is. For thin fish such as sole, fry 2 minutes, flip and then turn off the heat and let the residual heat finish the cooking. For thicker fish, including salmon and kampachi, follow the recipe below. Salmon fillets would work wonderfully in this dish, as the bright citrus pairs perfectly with the fattiness of the salmon.

CITRUS-SOY FISH FILLETS WITH SOBA NOODLES

6 ounces dried soba noodles

4 fish fillets

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Citrus Soy Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Boil soba noodles according to directions on package. Drain, set aside.

While soba noodles are cooking, combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. The sauce should be bright, sweet and slightly tart. Season fish fillets generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, nonstick pan with 2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add fillets and fry 3 minutes. Flip fish and fry another 2 minutes; take a quick peek by poking the thickest part of the fish; add another minute if needed. Serve fish over bed of soba noodles. Pour Citrus Soy Sauce over fish.

Makes 4 servings.

Jaden Hair is a cooking instructor and author of the blog Jaden's Steamy Kitchen at steamykitchen.

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