Seabass: what kind of fish, description, where it is found
Sea bass fish belongs to the Moronov family and has several names - koykan, common bayfish, branzino, spigola, sea bass. Such a large list of names indicates the wide distribution of this fish; residents of many countries caught sea bass for food.
Today, sea wolf stocks have sharply decreased due to active fishing, so that even in some countries it is listed in the Red Book and is prohibited for fishing. And most often, the fish that ends up on store shelves was grown in artificial reservoirs with salt water.
Today, two species of this fish can be distinguished: the common sea bass, which lives in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Chilean or black sea bass, which can be found in the Black and Mediterranean seas, as well as off the coast of the western Atlantic. In addition, bay laurel also lives off the coasts of Morocco, Senegal and Norway.
This fish is grown artificially in Spain, Italy, France and Turkey. But, of course, such fish, grown on mixed feed, even in reservoirs with salt water, no longer have the same taste and nutrients as freshly caught wild fish.
This predator feeds on crustaceans, shrimp, mollusks, crabs, fish fry and small cephalopods.
Externally, laurel is similar to perch, has a more elongated body, a strong skeleton, and very few bones. The body is covered with large silvery scales. It can reach about 0.5 meters in length and weigh up to 12 kg.
Fish up to one kilogram are in great demand in the markets, only buyers in France like larger specimens. The taste of sea bass is very similar to dorado; even experienced gourmets cannot always distinguish the meat of these two fish.
Sea wolf in natural conditions
Which fish tastes better?
Many lovers of tasty and healthy food argue about which of the two types of fish is better, tastier and healthier. Of course, it all depends on the personal taste preferences of each person. Both fish can rightfully be considered a light and dietary product, rich not only in protein, iodine and phosphorus, but also in other useful vitamins and elements. Once cooked, it is very difficult to distinguish by taste what kind of fish is in front of you: sea bass or dorado.
But for those who are true connoisseurs of such products, it will be easy to distinguish one type from another. For example, dorado fillet has a denser texture, while sea bass has a softer and more delicate taste.
Golden spar rightfully occupies a leading position in the ranking of the most dietary fish. Therefore, even if you are on a strict diet, you can still safely consume dorado. Per hundred grams of product it contains only 96 kilocalories. But sea bass is considered a fattier fish, its calorie content is about 100 kilocalories per hundred grams. However, it can also be consumed during diets if you use the most gentle cooking method. For example, you can bake sea bass in foil without using oil.
Both species have practically no bones, but in sea bass the bones “sit” more tightly in the flesh. Therefore, when cutting a carcass, you will have to arm yourself with tweezers in order to rid the fillet of the bones. But removing bones when cutting a dorado is very easy and simple. Even a novice amateur cook can handle this.
Both fish are valued for their unique taste. The meat of marine life is characterized by the following characteristics:
- rich taste;
- tender meat structure;
- pulp juiciness;
- high content of protein, phosphorus, minerals;
- meat is a dietary product.
In some prestigious restaurants, both fish are served together on the same plate. Chefs prepare assorted dishes from them.
Many connoisseurs of these varieties argue which one is tastier and better. There is no clear answer to this question, since everything depends on the person’s preferences. But when cooked, these 2 types of fish are often confused. Dorado pulp has a denser structure, which will be an advantage in some recipes. But sometimes you need to take a product with soft meat, then sea bass comes to the rescue.
Both fish have very few bones, which is an undeniable plus. The smell of sea bass is slightly different from sea bream, but here everyone decides what they like best.
Dorado and sea bass are universal products. They are eaten raw, baked with vegetables, fried in a pan, grilled. The whole carcass is used, cut into steaks, and divided into fillets. The pulp is also twisted through a meat grinder and cutlets are prepared and placed in the filling for pies. Due to their similar taste, seafood can be used interchangeably in many recipes.
In Spain, sea bream is baked whole in a coat of salt. They gut it, remove the entrails, but leave the scales. Then they put it in the mold on a layer of salt and pour it on top. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes. Then they remove the salt and serve it to the table. In Hawaii, seafood is also baked whole, but on the grill.
Sea bass: chemical composition
In its unique chemical composition, sea bass is very close to salmon fish. It contains valuable fatty acids - linoleic and Omega-3, Omega-6.
As well as amino acids that are not synthesized by our body - lysine, methionine, tryptophan. Of the vitamins, the most are Vitamin A, B vitamins (especially B12), Vitamin D, K, E, PP.
Microelements include potassium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, selenium, manganese.
On a note! A small piece of baked or boiled sea bass can replace taking fish oil.
Fried sea bass
- Time: 1 hour 25 minutes.
- Number of servings: 2 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 95 kcal.
- Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
- Cuisine: Mediterranean.
- Difficulty: easy.
High-quality frying of sea bass, like other types of fish, is ensured by proper preparation of the product and utensils. Carcasses need to be defrosted for 0.5-1 hour before cooking. If defrosted for a long time, they will lose their freshness; if defrosted insufficiently, they will be poorly marinated and fried. Before placing it in a frying pan, the sea bass needs to be blotted from excess liquid, juice, and marinade so that a golden brown crust forms on the surface. It is important to warm the frying pan well (warm fish will stew, not fry), but not to the maximum, to prevent burning.
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Ingredients:
- sea bass – 2 pcs.;
- rosemary – 2 sprigs;
- thyme – 1 sprig;
- juice of 1 lemon;
- garlic – 3 teeth;
- butter – 50 g;
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Gut the fish, clean it, remove the head and fins. Then wash, dry with napkins (towel), make cuts on the sides.
- Season with salt, grease with olive oil and half of the lemon juice, insert aromatic herbs into the cuts, and leave to marinate for at least half an hour.
- Heat butter in a frying pan, squeeze out 3 cloves of garlic, and add sea bass, dried from the remaining marinade, to fry.
- Fry the fish for 5-6 minutes on each side, constantly basting with the garlic oil in which it is cooked.
- Place the finished dish on plates, pour the remaining lemon juice into the frying pan, let it boil and pour the resulting sauce over the fish.
Sea bass fish: benefits
1. Prevents the development of cancer.
2. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, improves heart function.
3. Helps reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, serves as a prevention of heart attacks and strokes.
4. Removes waste and toxins from the body, relieves inflammatory processes.
5. It is recommended to include in the diet of couples planning to have a child.
6. Normalizes the nervous system, helps cope with depression, and makes it easier to survive stressful moments.
7. Serves as a prevention of diseases such as radiculitis, arthrosis, arthritis, osteoporosis.
8. Accelerates thinking, improves brain function, helps to quickly absorb new information.
9. Improves immunity, promotes rapid cell renewal, slows down the aging process.
10. Low carbohydrate content and zero glycemic index allow people with diabetes to include sea bass meat in their diet.
11. Regular consumption of bay leaves will have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
Can a child have sea bass?
Sea bass is one of those fish that can be given to children without fear of side effects or allergies. Boiled or steamed meat can be introduced starting from 9 months of age. Complementary feeding should be started little by little, with half a teaspoon, carefully monitoring the baby's reaction. If all is well, the daily norm is increased to 50 g. From one and a half years, the portion is 70 g, and after another six months - 80 g.
You can give your baby sea bass 1-2 times a week, preferably at lunchtime, carefully selecting all the bones and rubbing the boiled fish through a sieve. Due to the record amount of fatty acids, it is very useful for the proper development of the child. And its protein is easily digested without burdening the baby’s gastrointestinal tract.
How to cook sea bass
Sea wolf is a very popular fish among many famous chefs for its excellent taste and boneless, juicy meat. Sea bass can be prepared in any way, all dishes will be very tasty. It is better to choose fresh fish caught in natural conditions for cooking.
It is stewed in tomato sauce, fried in olive oil, baked in foil in the oven with herbs and lemon, can be steamed, or boiled with spices. Restaurants serve sea bass baked in salt. Before serving, the salt shell is set on fire, the dish looks very impressive, and the taste is indescribable.
Sea bass goes well with potatoes, tomatoes, rice, cauliflower, zucchini, onions and carrots. Spices you can take include cumin, garlic, dill, mustard, basil, parsley, turmeric, rosemary.
Fried sea bass with vegetables and rice
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Sea bass fishing
When preparing to hunt koikan, it is important to know what kind of fish it is and what behavior it exhibits. It is better to fish in mid-spring and from late summer to early winter - during these periods there is a high biting rate. Lavrak is active at sunset and at night. Sometimes you can catch it during the day if the weather is cloudy and cool.
To learn more:
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A good place for a catch will be the tidal zone, where it swims for food. It is advisable to look for a sandy or rocky bottom.
You need to start fishing 3-3.5 hours before high tide. The moment the water recedes, the sea bass also swims into the depths and there is no point in continuing the hunt. Sometimes it is also found in shallow water formed after low tide.
Secrets of a successful catch:
- The sea wolf bites well in the wind. In such conditions, it swims faster and more actively to feed.
- It is important not to miss the peak of the tide when the sea bass comes close to the shore. At low tide, the likelihood of catching fish is significantly reduced.
- For night hunting it is better to use a spinning rod.
- It is necessary to catch sea bass at a water temperature of 16-14°C.
Sea wolf is caught in two ways: fly fishing or spinning.
Fly fishing
For fishing with the first method, use a 7-8th class fishing rod, designed for fishing in salt water. The coil must also meet this requirement. Suitable hook sizes are 4/0-4. Different cords are suitable, depending on the fishing location.
For bait in the fly fishing method, wobblers are selected that imitate fry of sardines, mackerel or mullet. Their color should depend on the time of day. Before dawn, it is advisable to lure the predator with yellow and silver decoys. In the morning you need to choose something brighter. And at night it is better to use black and red imitators.
Spinning
For such fishing, you should choose the rocky coastline. During high tide, many fish swim to such places in the hope of catching prey. You don’t even need to cast the bait far, since the sea bass comes quite close to land. A carp fishing rod of about 3.5 meters with an inertia-free reel is selected.
Silver spoons are suitable as bait for spinning fishing. They are carried out at the bottom or in mid-water. The dummies of the fry lead closer to the surface. They can be either floating or heavy, sinking. The bayfish bites well on artificial eels and mackerels.
To learn more:
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How to choose sea bass
This fish is quite expensive, so it is important not to make a mistake when choosing and pay a lot of money.
1. First of all, pay attention to the eyes (they should be clear) and gills (they should be bright with a pinkish tint).
2. A fresh carcass is always elastic and does not leave noticeable pits when pressed.
3. This product is a perishable product, so in order to deliver fresh fish to store shelves, there must be high technical equipment and careful handling of the product. Only large supermarkets and specialized stores that value their reputation and will not allow negligence towards the product can afford this.
In such stores you don’t have to worry about the quality of the fish! But, if you purchase sea bass from tank trucks or market stalls, you are taking a great risk, since compliance with all technologies in such a trade is out of the question.
How are sea bass and dorado similar?
The tender, almost boneless meat of these fish was enjoyed not only by gourmets. Those who are indifferent to fish and even have a certain dislike for its specific aroma appreciated them.
Similar qualities of sea bass and dorado:
- tender juicy meat that is suitable for dietary nutrition;
- a very small number of small bones is a definite plus when it comes to fish;
- bright pleasant taste;
- high content of protein, phosphorus and other minerals;
- similar energy and nutritional value, but there are still minor differences.
Sea bass: harm and contraindications
1. Sea wolf meat is recognized as the safest and is suitable for dietary and baby food. The only risk may be a protein that causes an allergic reaction. If this is your first time trying this fish, be careful and monitor your body’s reaction.
2. People with allergies to seafood should be especially careful about this fish.
3. It should not be used by people with renal failure, with exacerbation of chronic gastrointestinal diseases, or with liver diseases.
4. A product that has been frozen and defrosted several times is no longer suitable for food.
5. When purchasing, make sure the product is fresh; the carcass should be firm and without any unpleasant odor.
Life cycle of sea bass
The life cycle of sea bass begins in a warm bay or river mouth, when the fry hatches. For the next 3-4 years, the fish will live in the warm waters of the bay. Sea bass becomes active in terms of hunting even at such a young age. The young flock in schools and chase groups of sardines and other fish. Gaining weight, the sea bass grows so that it will soon go to the open sea. Adults are loners by nature. They gather in groups when the spawning season begins. Coming out of the bay into the open sea, the laurel will grow and actively feed. The female will be ready to spawn only at the age of 5-6 years. To spawn, the fish move further into the open sea. Fish spawn once a year, in batches. After throwing, the sea bass will actively eat away, and in the meantime, the eggs will be driven by the current into the bay from which the now adult individuals once emerged. Sea bass live approximately 15-2 years. However, in history there are cases when fish lived up to 30 years.
