Dozens show up to eat notorious deep water fish caught off Outer Banks, NC chef says
A “prehistoric”-looking fish with bulbous eyes and sawblade teeth was pulled from deep water off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and closer inspection revealed it was a rarely seen and notorious escolar, experts say.
The species is best known for being banned in Japan, which makes it something of a forbidden delicacy.
Capt. Boo Daniels and his crew on The Kaitlyn C caught it July 3 while longline fishing at 9,000 feet, about 40 miles east of Hatteras. The boat’s gear was only 200 feet down, suggesting the fish was out of place.
Escolar are “sit-and-wait predators” that live below depths of 650 feet, and have a reputation for making people sick when too much of the meat is consumed.
“Turns your insides into mud,” one social media commenter put it.
That would suggest Daniels should have thrown it back, but the Outer Banks is a place where people live on the edge, physically and spiritually.
Chef Mac Buben of Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen at Oregon Inlet convinced Daniels to let him serve it, and a July 7 Facebook post announcing the catch had 75 daring souls lining up for a bite.
“Have you ever tried Escolar? Pretty rare catch around here,” Buben wrote in the post. “The fish has buttery smooth snow white flesh that is truly unique and should be on your bucket list of fish to try in your lifetime. We plan to offer it this week grilled with blackening spice and a Mediterranean style salad.”
AmyLynn McCabe of Kill Devil Hills was among those who took notice, and she summed local attitudes up: “That thing is creepy as hell but I’d definitely try it.”
The 50-pound fish was gone within two-and-a-half days and appeared to be a hit.
“Had the escolar and, holy cow, it was amazing,” restaurant patron Zane Dickerson wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
No one has reported getting sick, including restaurant staff, who also tried it, Buben said. The taste was a mild mix of tuna and swordfish, he added.
“I think trying it was a leap of faith for lot of people. Escolar is a controversial fish, because it has an ester (fatty acid) in it that can cause diarrhea. It has to be eaten in small portions,” Buben said, noting his portions were 4 ounces.
“It was worth the risk. Most of the time, restaurants (in the Outer Banks) are not buying it. But our mission is to support local commercial fishermen and be flexible with what they are catching. We leave a slot open (on the menu) for the fish of the moment.”
Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen opened earlier this year and is co-owned by Buben and his father, James Beard Award-winning Chef Jeffrey Buben. The duo’s plans are to make the restaurant a home for all manner of creatures caught off the Outer Banks, including shark bites made from black tips and spinners.
“Between dad and myself, we have the knowledge, experience and skills to take what they’re catching, do something interesting with it, and make it a little bit of an adventure,” Buben said.
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This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 6:36 AM with the headline "Dozens show up to eat notorious deep water fish caught off Outer Banks, NC chef says."