ISO: ISO info on a fish I just bought: Baqueta. I'm doing bouillabaisse tomorrow and I wanted a whole

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joe

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fish so I would have the head and bones for stock. All they had were salmon and baqueta, a type of sea bass. This was a wholesale market and I didn't want to look stupid, so I bought an 11-pound baqueta sight unseen.

If it is like other sea bass it should be fine. But if it is strong or oily I should do something else with it. Is anyone familiar with this animal?

http://www.mexfish.com/fish/baqu/baqu.htm

 
Huh! No one's answered yet. OK, as far as I can make out it's pretty much like the others in the sea

bass family, like grouper and branzino. Lean, big flakes, not overly fishy (more sweet/earthy), but it may have denser, meatier flesh than some others in the family. It should work fine in a b'baisse. You might find more info if you google "gulf coney", its more popular name.

 
Thanks everyone. Charley sent me the chowhound link too, and I panicked because it was smoked,

because the fish I know best smoked are mackerel and salmon, both too oily for bouillabaisse.

So I called my caterer friend who sent me to the wholesale market in the first place and he assured me that it was mild, and not oily. We're very competitive, so that was hard to do, LOL. He suggested I cut up the fish for the class but I wasn't up to that--not enough experience for an audience.

SOOOO, I dragged the big guy out and attempted to cut him into steaks, but the scales made it impossible. I tried scaling it but I found the scales impossible to remove--very stubborn! So, I filleted it.

(The last time I scaled fish in my kitchen I washed the scales down the sink and then paid an emergency plumber a small fortune to snake it.)

I had wanted steaks for contrast because I'm also using red snapper filets, but I cut the Baqueta pieces lengthwise so I can tell them apart from the snapper. I was left with a HUGE head and carcass for stock, which is good. There will also be mussels and 2 overpriced 1-lb. "Thai Snappers" I bought at Whole Foods. You have to have at least a couple whole fish for the bouillabaisse platter.

My class sold out! I'm glad I bought the huge bass. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm thinking that the whole Baqueta would make an amazing roast fish, scales and all, so Missy, let me know what you find.

 
Tapenade, Provencal Stuffed Mushrooms, rouille sauce to go with the fish, lemon tart.

It's all in the menu section under "Marseilles Seafood."

Thanks, Barb. One person reserved 8 seats for himself and his friends. I better make sure he gets his pick of the platter. One other couple yesterday made it 10. That's the maximum we can fit.

Wish me luck!

 
Re: Lemon Tart. Joe, have you ever tried Dorie Greenspan's "Tartest Lemon Tart"?

She uses the whole lemon, zest, pulp, and juice, for the filling, pulverized in a blender with sugar, eggs, cornstarch, heavy cream and butter. It is the most delicious lemon tart I've ever tasted. If you can't find the recipe, let me know and I'll post it for you.

 
Lovely menu! I am excited for you!!! I am sure you will create both an environment for both an

educational as well as a fun experience (espcially recognizing that someone is bringing 7 friends). Have fun! You might be onto something here...a nice combination of teaching/wine/great menu/ wonderful food/ friends...No clean up required! Life is good!!

Would love to know how it goes....

Wish you the best with the fish and the scales! : )

 
Thanks Barb. It's all true, except for the no cleanup part. I do have to clean up, and since I'm

a messy cook, it takes a while, LOL.

 
I am so exhausted! I forgot how messy bouillabaisse is, and I was there till midnight cleaning..

My party of 8 arrived in a limousine (!) with a lot of expensive wine. The cheap Trader Joe's table wine I had already set out looked a little sad. (There was another couple who were a little more down to earth and who drank some of my wine. I'm drinking the rest of it tonight)

This was a family group and we were asked to have some diet coke on hand for the patriarch, who was quite a character and supposedly doesn't drink. He wouldn't stay in his seat, and kept getting up to stir my soup base as if I was falling down on the job. They were so chattery it was hard to get a word in edgewise. At one point he was threatening the ladies with one of the big wooden spoons for sale in the store.

Despite the "help" from dad, my soup base scorched. I'm still getting the hang of that super-powerful induction burner! The whole pot had a scorched taste after I strained it, and I was just praying that no one would notice while I discretely scoured the pot, (the only big one that would work on the induction burner) before using it again to boil the fish.

The patriarch didn't stick to diet coke, and in fact he left to buy more wine at the fancy wine store down the street, as if my TJ's Cote de Rhone perched in front of him didn't exist. BUT, when I served the bouillabasse he loved it, even though he spilled a lot on the floor. By now he was calling me "Joey" and asking for more salt, to have his plate microwaved, for paper towels, etc. I tried to go with the flow. The others had a mixed reaction but I'm hoping it was just unfamiliarity and not the scorched flavor.

When it came time to wrap it up, the patriarch paid for the party of 8, I rang his credit card, and he asked, "Where do I add the tip?" I have never been tipped for a class so far. The store is not set up for that, so I had to ring in an extra 20% separately! That's what I call appreciation. He said he'd be back. Oh brother.

He then asked me for a plate for the limo driver and I was happy to oblige.

BTW, the fish was fine!

 
I am thrilled to read all of this. No doubt there was a learning experience as well but you seemed

to have enjoyed it too. How fortunate to have located such a 'flexible' patriarch. I can certainly feel for you on your ignored wine offering. But, that's the way it is with folks who have lots to burn. (no pun intended at all)

You were so brave to attempt a bouillabaise. How about the rouille? Did it work? What was your own impression of the soup?

Wish I'd been there to help if I could, Joey.

Let's do this again. I had fun.

 
Sounds like there's a reason they don't like "Daddy" to drink. I'm so glad the classes are going

well, what's next?

 
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