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Cook your Catch

For spearfishing in Maui to be the most sustainable form of fishing, every edible fish taken from the ocean should be someone's meal. South Maui Spearfishing lives by this philosophy and wants your catch to be cooked for your enjoyment and the benefit of our ocean's eco-system.

 

Here are some delicious recipes we have cooked up for you. They are simple and oh, so ono!

 

Fillet a Fish

FISH ON THE BARBY

 

SASHIMI

 

BLACK SKILLET SEAR

 

This recipe works with these fish:

•Ono •Uku •Ulua/Papio •Mu

Prep time: 5 minutes  

Heat grill to medium-high (400 degrees)

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients: Hawaiian sea salt and crushed red pepper or Montreal steak seasoning.

How to: 

1) Fillet your fish

2) Lightly coat fillet with oil or butter. Season fish.

3) Grill fish until you see meat turn white on half the fish, then flip to grill other side.

4) Cook until all meat turns white.

5) Remove from grill and enjoy!

 

Sauce

Prep: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 drops rice wine vinegar

wasabi (to taste)

How to: Combined all ingredients in bowl.

 

For added flavor, combine 1/4 cup Ponzu Sauce and 3-5 thin slices of serrano peppers.

 

 

This recipe works with these fish:

• Ono •Ulua/Papio •Mu •Mahi

• Most fish fillets

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5-7 minutes

Ingredients: Oil or Butter, Hawaiian Sea Salt and Pepper or Montreal Steak Seasoning

How to:

1) Fillet your fish

2) Preheat oven to 450 & heat skillet to med-high.

3) Season fillet with rock salt based seasoning & pepper.

4) Coat pan with oil or butter.

5) Lightly sear one side of fillet in skillet for 3-5min. 

 

COCONUT BEER BATTERED

This recipe works with:

• Ono •Ulua/Papio •Mu •Mahi

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 1 cup flour • 2/3 cup beer • 1 egg • 1/2 tsp salt • 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut • 1 cup veg. oil for frying.

How to: 1) fillet fish into 3 inch size pieces.

2) Mix flour, beer, egg and salt in bowl.

3) Dip fish into batter and roll on coconut flakes on plate. 

5) Heat oil in skillet at med/high, fry fish until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

6) Enjoy with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

 

Spearfish in MauiCOOK YOUR CATCH

Learn to Fillet a Fish

Check out this short clip and step by step tutorial!

 

Fillet Fish Tutorial

STEP1> PREP

Prep your cutting board, knife, paper towels and ziplock bags on a counter surface. You will need a bag for disposal as well. Pull your fish from the cooler and place on cutting board.

This easiest method to fillet a fish is whole, with scales on and guts intact.

Total time to fillet should be 10-15 minutes.

 

STEP2>INCISIONS

Make a small incisions behind the collar and peck fin. Cut down to the base of the stomach and up to the top of the head.

Insert the knife half inch deep at the top of the head and follow the vertical bones down toward the tail.

It is important to keep the knife blade close to the bones because any meat left on the bones will be waste.

You should now have an incision starting at the top of the fish running down the length of the fish.

 

STEP 3> TAIL CUT

Next insert the blade half inch at the tail and cut toward the front of the fish. Follow the bones making a slice until you reach the anal opening of the fish.

You should have a half inch incisions running along the top and bottom of one side of your fish.

 

 

STEP4>CONNECT

Keeping the blade close to the bones, cut along the top incisions connecting both incisions. The tip of your blade should go down until it reaches the spine.

 

Do the same along the bottom incisions with the tip of your blade moving upward until it reaches the spine.

 

STEP5> CONTINUE CUT LINE

Pull the skin and meat away from the bone as you cut close to the bones. Don't rush, take your time making a smooth cut following along the spine with the blade.

 

STEP6>FINISH CUT 

Once both cuts have reached the spine, start at the tail and run the blade over the spine toward the head of the fish, connecting both incisions. 

Your fillet will still be connected to the rib bones and meat around the organ cavity. To remove and free the fillet from the fish, either:

a. cut through the ribs and separate the fillet at the bottom of the stomach cavity (ribs will be connected fillet) or

b. follow along ribs, cutting downward with the knife leaving the ribs connected to the spine.

 

 

 

 

STEP7>REMOVE SKIN

Take the fillet you just removed from the bone of the fish and lay scales down on your cutting board. Start a thin cut to separate the skin from the meat, holding gently, moving your knife along the skin. Move slow and work to keep your knife close to the skin to keep from wasting meat.

Repeat on other side.

Take the fillet you just removed from the bone of the fish and lay scales down on your cutting board. Start a thin cut to separate the skin from the meat, holding gently, moving your knife along the skin. Move slow and work to keep your knife close to the skin to keep from wasting meat.

Repeat on other side.

Do your best to leave no meat on the skin as you cut along the skin with your knife.

 

STEP8>REMOVE BLOOD LINE

Take the knife and cut along the pin bones that run the length of the filet. Doing this removes any bones and the bloodline in the fish. The bloodline is what gives the meat the 'fishy' flavor. Removing the bloodline removes that flavor.

After cutting one piece of meat away from the bloodline, repeat on the other half of the filet. You do not want any red lines in your filet.

 

STEP9>CUT FILLET

Cut your fillet pieces into serving sizes.

 

STEP10> STORING FILLET

If you're saving your fillet for later, wrapping in a paper towel will keep moisture off the meat and preserve it longer. Take serving portions and wrap in a paper towel.

Store in a ziplock bag and don't forget to date your bag so you know how fresh (or not!) it is.

 

STEP11> ENJOY!

Your fillets are now ready to eat!

Scroll up and check out some tasty ways to cook your catch!

 

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