Red snapper fish is a delectable tasting fish that may not be for the palate of everyone but if you take a bite you can surely taste the sweet and tangy flavour. Fish curry has always been a dish prepared in my family for decades and the taste is determined greatly based on the ingredients used but it is usually a wonderful balance of flavour. The added spices and pepper contrasts the tangy taste by adding a spicy flavour. The fish is also said to have a nutty taste.
Description
The red snapper is a lean and moist fish that is said to have a nutty taste. All red snapper fishes have a spiny dorsal fin, a laterally compressed body, and a sloped profile with medium to large scales. They are rather large and are red in colour. This snapper reaches maturity at a length of about 15 inches. The red snapper fish can survive for a very long time, over several decades. The average lifespan of a fish is about 10 years.
Fun Fact: The oldest red snapper that has ever been recorded is said to be over 100 years old.
Habitat
The northern red snapper is found in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the southeastern Atlantic coast of Mexico and the United States. They live in artificial reefs, such as shipwrecks and offshore oil rigs, and they like rocky bottoms, ledges, ridges, and bottoms that are close to the bottom. Northern red snappers are social fish that gather in huge groups near reefs and wrecks. Typically, fish in these schools are of relatively similar sizes. This species’ preferred habitat changes as it grows and matures because of an increasing requirement for cover and shifting dietary preferences. Red snappers that have just hatched disperse over huge expanses of open the bottom of the ocean or anything that resembles the bottom of the ocean, before moving to low-relief habitats like oyster beds. As they approach their first birthday, they transition to environments with intermediate relief as the fish from the year before going to high relief reefs with greater space for individuals. Smaller fish spend time in the upper section of the water column near man-made reefs like oil rigs, whereas larger and more mature adults reside in deeper locations. Smaller fish cannot share this territory with these bigger fish.
Photo showing the different levels of relief habitats. Photo Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Habitats-categorized-by-vertical-relief-and-degree-of-patchiness-following-Franklin-et_fig2_316199301
Storing Red Snapper
Fresh fish should be cooked the day it is purchased but will keep for two days in the refrigerator if properly wrapped. And while it’s always best to eat fish the day it’s prepared, cooked fish will last three to four days if properly refrigerated.
Fun Facts
- Fertilized eggs float on the surface and hatch within a day. Only a month later, the young fish settle out of the water column in shallow waters, and as they get older, they move to the structured habitat where they will mature and eventually move to the deeper waters of the Gulf
- Economically red snapper is one of the most valuable fish in the Gulf.
- There are over 1 million recipes online on various ways in which you can prepare red snapper.
- There is a science-based plan in place to rebuild red snapper to healthier levels. It is working but will take time. If implemented properly, management agencies hope to restore the population to sustainable levels by 2032.
How To Make Red Snapper Curry
Red snapper can be consumed in many forms such as grilled, broiled, roasted or stew but it is widely prepared as a curry in Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean.
Ingredients
- Red Snapper – 1lb
- Chopped Onion
- 1 small Tomato
- 1/2 tsp of Tumeric
- 1 & 1/2 tsp of red chili pepper
- 1 pinch Salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup grounded coconut
- Two cloves of garlic grounded
Preparation
Red Snapper Fish Curyy. Photo Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/37245010501
- Cut and clean fish. Chop Onion and Tomatoes and keep to the side.
- Add oil to the pot and leave on low fire to become heated.
- Add onions and sauté until they become a bit brown and then add curried and leaves and stir.
- Add tumeric, chili pepper, and salt into your mixture.
- Add coconut and garlic and mix.
- Cover the pot and allow to simmer for about five minutes until the oil floats to the top.
- After five minutes you will be greeted with a delicious pot of red snapper fish curry which can be eaten with roti or even bread.
If you want to purchase red snapper in Guyana to try out this recipe you can make your purchases from http://guyana-seafoods.com/wp/portfolio/red-snapper-2/ to get your red snapper at an affordable price.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_red_snapper
- https://www.sandhiyascookbook.com/2016/10/savory-diamond-cuts-thukada-diwali.html#growMeRecommId=896e54a53d1876e36320bcd10f4ac33e&growSource=recs
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/about-red-snapper-334338
