McClane’s Fish Buyer’s Guide: Pacific Angel Shark — (A) Flavor: mild (B) Texture: firm (C) Flake: large (D) Fat Content: moderate (E) Odor (Raw) :mild (F) Color after Cooking: white (G) Cooking Methods: all methods
McClane’s Fish Buyer’s Guide: Spiny Dogfish — (A) Flavor: intense or robust (B) Texture: firm (C) Flake: small (D) Fat Content: moderate (E) Odor (Raw): moderate (F) Color after Cooking: off white (G) Cooking Methods: pan-saute or deep-fry
McClane’s Fish Buyer’s Guide: Thresher Shark — (A) Flavor: mild (B) Texture: firm (C) Flake: large (D) Fat Content: moderate (E) Odor (Raw): mild (F) Color after Cooking: white (G) Cooking Methods: all methods
Posted by Ken Jones
From Pier Fishing In California, 2nd. Ed. — For many years people would not even entertain the idea of eating shark meat; after all, what had the shark eaten? Luckily, depending on your point of view, that has changed. For the last twenty years shark meat has become a valuable commercial resource. Unfortunately, that has led to the overfishing of a species which reproduces at a slow rate. The result is an ever decreasing number of sharks. Nevertheless leopard sharks are regulated in a fairly strong manner and their numbers appear to be O.K.
Posted by Ken Jones
I don't know where I got this recipe but it's easy to make and delicious. Although it calls for shark meat, almost any firm-fleshed fish fillets will work fine.
Parmesan Shark
Ingredients:
• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of shark fillets
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• onion salt
• garlic powder
• pepper
Preparation/Cooking:
Preheat the broiler. Combine grated Parmesan cheese and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter and mix into it the olive oil, lemon juice, a few dashes of pepper, a few dashes of onion salt and a little garlic powder. Baste both sides of the fillets with the butter mixture. Place the fillets on a broiler pan and broil one side for a few minutes. Turn over the fillets, baste them in the butter mix once again, and then put them back under the broiler for an additional minute. Remove the fillets from the broiler, spread the cheese mix over the fillets, and then return the fillets to the oven for approximately two minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned.
From Jeff on August 2, 1999
Leopard Sharks — how to eat?
Posted by Tony
Baked leopard Shark
If it is legal size (over 36 inches), as soon as you catch it, cut the head, tail, and all fins off. Hang it to completely bleed — this takes out the blood and urine — otherwise the saltiness of the urine will soak into the flesh giving it a bad taste. Then soak it overnight in milk or vinegar. Next, cut it into stakes, or fillet it, then just put some lemon sauce, garlic, herbs, and spices on it. Wrap it in tinfoil, and bake it in the oven or on the grill. If it's in the oven I think it should be at 325 degrees, but I'm not sure
Posted by goatfish
Jeff, Cut the body into cross-sectional steaks along the length of the stomach cavity and even a few inches beyond. You can fillet the remaining tail section into nice fillets and DEFINITELY follow Tony's advice to cut as soon as you catch. Sharks (shovelnose too!) urinate through their skin....well you get the idea. The meat is then worthless and tastes awful. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people catch nice-sized shovelnose only to let them die intact on the pier, then think they have a nice meal coming their way. Good Luck!
Posted by mjonesjr
BBQ Leopard Shark
The preparation of the fish has been given to you by Tony and Goatfish. I have cooked fish for many years and this is one of my favorites. Now if you have a BBQ grill I would cook the fish (any kind) with the following preparation. First is to always start with your fish chilled. Right from the refrigerator is perfect. When your grill is at a desired temp (between medium and high) clean the grill with a brush. This is very important so that the fish doesn't tear apart while cooking and turning. The next step is to take some oil (olive is best) and put a small amount in a bowl. Apply to grill with a saturated paper towel (not dripping) and coat the grill. Slightly coat one side of the fish and sprinkle a small amount of Lawry's season salt. This is perfect as it has just the right spices. Next place that side if the fish on the grill and lightly coat the other side with oil and seasoning. A brush for BBQ sauce is perfect for applying the oil. Watch the center of the fish to just before it starts to become white. Next, with a large BBQ fork, (ease) the fish up from the grill and slide a spatula under and flip. The center of the fish should be translucent which is just (barely) clear. Remove and enjoy. If you like tarter sauce, take one cup of mayonnaise and add a quarter cup of chopped white onion and a quarter cup of dill pickle relish and some of the juice. Mix well and chill.
From: Ken Jones on March 17, 2004
What's your best recipe for cooking sharks?
Posted by kcilp
Grilled, basted with a flavored oil and thrown over a hot fire
Posted by StripeSideChaser
Slight variation...I like to baste with Pepper Olive oil, rub in a little minced garlic and then sprinkle with a little soy sauce, and then throw those fillets on the grill! I fish, therefore I lie!
Posted by giflet
The big one I did keep last year was taken home cut and soaked in butter milk for a few hours, then salted and seasoned with pepper, garlic salt and lots of lemon. Basted in butter, wrapped in foil and thrown on the grill. Eaten the same night at a party we were having. Everyone loved it, served with lemon and eaten with crispy grilled tortillas, shrimp cocktail and a side dipper of hoarse radish sauce. Very simple but very good.
Posted by pescare
Make a paste with (amounts approximate):
1 T chopped or pressed garlic
2 T lemon zest
2 T chopped parsley
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
Olive oil - add enough to make a thin paste
Rub onto fillets and let stand in fridge 2-4 hours, then grill or broil.
Posted by baitfish
Rub with olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, fresh minced garlic, sweet paprika and dill, let marinate for 1-2 hours. Sear both sides on hot grill and then wrap in foil add lemon juice and a little white wine. Let it bake on the grill in foil for appropriate time for size of fillet and serve with sautéed (Olive oil, butter salt and pepper asparagus and fried red potatoes.
Actually this recipe works well with any mild flavored white meat fish, especially halibut!
How to prepare from time of catch???
Posted by q3fishboy
Can someone tell me what you guys do from the time you catch them. I have heard stuff about bleeding it, and soaking it in milk/lemon juice. Can someone please tell me what to do from the time of capture? Thanks so much.
Posted by prometheus
Mainly you have to bleed them out. You can slice their gills open and hang them upside down, or cut their tail off midway and hang them head up so the blood drains out. A friend of mine once stabbed one between the pectoral fins and got lots of bleeding there as well. Mainly you want the fish to stay alive long enough to pump out the blood, and then hang it such that the rest of the blood runs out. Once it stops dripping it should immediately be put on ice, or better yet cleaned and put on ice.
Posted by q3fishboy
Will slicing their gills and then returning to the water on a stringer work? And then would you hang it head down after it died? And is the ice crucial? What if you didn't have ice? How long will it last? Is the milk/lemon juice soaking necessary? Sorry for all of the questions, and thanks for all of the information so far.
Do you recommend soaking in milk before cooking?
Posted by kennycrft
Ken, I heard that soaking shark in milk helps neutralize the acids in shark, but your book says to soak shark in a acid solution I have the same question
Posted by q3fishboy
I too have heard both lemon juice (acid) and milk. I too am confused, and have posted essentially the same question above. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by danielpjr
I've always soaked the shark in milk overnight, sometimes two days. Barbecued over mesquite with a coating of olive oil, lemon pepper and garlic works great for me.
Dan. Soakin' sharks...from PFIC, Vol. 2
Posted by Ken Jones
I too have heard that milk can help neutralize the off-flavor of shark meat. However, the information given below is the most often recommended method.
Although many people feel that sharks should no longer be used for food (for a variety of reasons), many others continue to catch and eat these primitive fish. If you want to eat them you need to treat them differently than most fish. Sharks, rays and skates should always be cleaned, or at least gutted and bled, soon after capture. Each of these species contains urea in their blood, flesh, and skin to help them maintain the proper salt balance in their bodies. It's good for them, but bad for us. Unless bled quickly the urea will cause the carcass to have an ammonia smell to it and cause the flesh to have an off taste. This urea-induced taste can be neutralized by soaking the fillets in acidulated water (mild vinegar and water or lemon juice and water) for a few hours. It can be virtually prevented however by simply bleeding the fish as soon as it is landed or, even better, by cleaning the fish and icing it down upon capture. Since these sharks and rays are too large to hang off a pier on a stringer, and since they are too large to place whole in a small cooler, I try to clean and fillet them as soon as possible. The next best solution would be to bleed, gut, and then keep them in a moist gunnysack. To bleed, cut the tail off, cut down to the backbone at the tail end, or cut the gills. If not immediately cleaned, make sure you soak them for a few hours or overnight in the acidulated water. In addition, I have found that the flesh of these fish is improved if kept chilled one or two days (no more) in the refrigerator—even if they were cleaned immediately.
Other Recipes —
Posted by readership on September 15, 2000
Greetings! Anybody have recipe suggestions for the shark? Heard that bbq is pretty good? Any recipe/cooking tips would be appreciated. Fish on!
Posted by YADA
Everybody's fishin', but barely anyone is cooking fish. Indeed, thresher and leopard sharks are delicious — white meat without bones. First you need to skin the shark discarding the head and fins (cartilage optional) and fillet it either lengthwise (a la fish'n'chips) or crosswise (schnitzels). Please, be sure you're obeying the size limit. Then you cook'em any way you like it such as:
1) Frying —- salt and pepper fillets, cover them with flour or cornmeal (red pepper optional), fry both sides in hot oil.
2) Deep Frying — salt fillets, dip them into deep-frying mixture (flour & eggs), deep fry them.
3) Mediterranean Grilling — soak fillets in marinade made of olive oil, crushed garlic and parsley (or cilantro), baste with marinade while grilling.
4) BBQ — baste with barbecue sauce while grilling.
Posted by mjonesjr
If you want to grill any fish including shark on the BBQ then try the following. First have your fish ready with a small dish of oil, a brush and some all-purpose seasoning like Lawry’s season salt. Your grill of course should be hot and ready but it must be very well (scrubbed) cleaned. Start by using the brush to coat the fish to the point that it is not dripping. Then lightly sprinkle a little season salt and put flesh side down fist if it still has skin on the other. Repeat this for all pieces. If grilling many pieces then coat everything on a platter first so it’s all cooked at the same time. You should also coat the grill with oil as well before placing on the coated fish. I do this with a paper towel so it’s easily disposed of instead of using a regular towel. As the fish cooks watch for the translucency (clear flesh) to turn to a solid color about half way through the thickness of the fish. When this has occurred then brush/coat the top of the fish before flipping it over and adding again a light amount of seasoning salt. A (Very) small amount of translucency should remain in the very center of the fish, as it will continue to cook when removed. If allowed to be of solid color, it tends to over cooked or dry out too much. What may appear to be a heavy use of oil though out this process is actually not over powering to the fish, as it is virtually all burned off in the cooking process. The light amount of seasoning allows you to enjoy the true taste of the fish you have selected as well as the flavor and texture from the BBQ. As for the shin of the shark you shouldn’t need to skin it at all since it will easily peel off after cooking. Enjoy, mjonesjr
Posted by lucy
Cooking shark. I've never caught a shark but I've eaten thresher shark and I think another kind of shark. You can cook them any way you'd cook any other fish—filet them, "steak" them, and then broil or pan-fry the filets or steaks. You could also bake them. You would probably want to bake them on a rack or grill them so that the fat runs off, since a lot of pollutants end up in the fat.
Posted by crazyguy
I cooked two fillets of about 7 ounces each of it by means of pan-frying and I drained the fat. The flesh had an off smell to it after it was cooked and it tasted weird. The flesh was also really soft. I put a piece of it back in to see if I under cooked it, but it never really firmed up. I kept the shark alive for two hours tied to a rope and placed inside a crab net that was hung above the water. It was really kicking and moving inside the net. We gutted the shark at the cleaning station and bled it out thoroughly. We cut the fish into chunks and placed it into a chest of ice. Yet the flesh still has a strong fishy odor. I'm going to try to stick them in a water bath with some lemon juice as Ken recommends. Try to broil some with lemon juice and herbs tomorrow.
Posted by avidangler
Milk works also. I soak them overnight. Then I fry the steaks in butter, garlic, and whatever else suits your fancy. I think leopard sharks rank up there with anything as far as quality eats. -AA
Posted by SD Fisherman on February 6, 2002
Cleaning Leopard Sharks, etc. Guys and Gals, I have seen several large leopards while diving over the past few years (didn't risk losing my spear) and have caught many shorts on pole and line. I know I've seen a few suggestions on preparing them here, and I have a (wishful) feeling I'll catch a legal one this year and I need a definitive explanation(s). 1) The urea issue. How should I proceed from the beach to the grill/frying/baking? 2) Preference of form: Do you fillet it or steak it (regular fillet knife or something heavy duty?). 3) Preparation: What kind of soak is good (Is milk, lemon ok?) is it necessary and if so, how long do you soak prior to cooking? There's such a wealth of knowledge on this board, that's why it's so awesome! Thanks in advance for any replies. I'll be sure to print out for future reference. -Don aka SDF
Posted by PierHead
Good questions! I'm waiting for the answers as well. I have seen more leopards this year than in the last 5. Saw a 60" at Goleta 12/30. El Nino? Quien sabe? This coming year might be time for a Shark Fest! Tight Lines! PierHead
Posted by Shark Assassin
Good questions—here, I'll try to answer them. As for the filleting, I suggest just steaking them. Sharks have just the cartilage backbone, and it's quite easy to steak them.
First off, cut along the stomach and take out all the internal organs. Then, just cut! All you have to do is get a good sharp knife (A butcher's cleaver works well) and slice directly downwards, in 2" wide steaks. When you're done, slice off the fins and discard them, or if you like shark fin soup, keep em.
When you start steaking, go from slightly past the gills and until you reach the end of the tail. A good-sized shark can yield quite an amount of steaks.
As for the urea, all sharks should be bled as soon as caught, then steaked, and iced. To bleed, first kill the shark (Ice pick and the head area, or cutting right behind the head). I say kill them first, as I try to be humane and not let them be all dying of blood loss, and suffering. (I love sharks, and respect them.)
Bleeding: Make a cut behind the gills, and another cut to the backbone, from the underside of the tail. Let the shark bleed for a while, rinsing or allowing it to bleed over the edge (DO NOT! Put the shark back in the water. You might lose it due to larger sharks.) When done bleeding, steak within 2 hours, or keep it on ice and it should be fine.
Ice Solution: Get plenty of ice, try to get the smallest cubes you can get, or even better yet, crushed ice. One quart of seawater to every 10lbs of ice is a good solution. This makes a great slush, for the fish to stay chilled in. When you get home, the fish should be fine, and shouldn't need lemon or milk if the bleeding and chilling procedures are done properly. If you have any left over (most of the time you will) and when you come to thaw the fish out, put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, when the meat is thawed you can eat it. If the fish hasn't been in there too long, and there's no freezer burn, the milk/lemon won't be necessary. But to be extra careful, I suggest putting the steak(s) into a bag, with milk. Leave it in 3-4 hours prior to cooking, and it'll be fine. Hope this helped. **Shark Assassin**
Posted by Sinker
When you say...Bleeding: Make a cut behind the gills, and another cut to the backbone, from the underside of the tail. The cut to the backbone, from the underside of the tail. Where about on the length of the tail should this cut be made??? I had also read in previous posts that you should skin them as soon as possible as well. Do you still need to do this if you bleed them??? "Get Bent" "Sinker"
Posted by Shark Assassin
When you make a cut, you make it about at the very end of the tail, from the underside. About, maybe 2-3 inches from the very end of the tail. Skinning is not necessary, if bled and iced down properly. Before cooking, you must take the skin off. Also, when steaking, all steaks will have a piece of cartilaginous backbone, and two dark reddish colored pieces in them, I believe these are main arteries or something to do with the electrical impulses. You must cut these out as well. Keeping the skin on also keeps the meat from getting too soft after freezing. Try to keep the skin on, unless you know the exact amount that should be consumed. **Shark Assassin**
Posted by danyull on November 7, 2002
Cooking [smooth]hounds. First you have to bleed them and then soak them in milk overnight to remove all the uric acid so it doesn't taste like urine. Then they're pretty well suited to most types of cooking. I like to simmer them in a garlic/hot sauce or bread it and fry it. Shark is also very good for fish sticks.
Posted by patrick333
I also heard people prepare them in fish cakes. Just like the way you make crab cakes. Never try it myself though, might give it a try next time when I catch a decent size one.
Posted by fishfinder
You don't need to do the milk soak thing. I have caught them and filleted them and ate them a few hours later. They don't taste bad. Next time try not soaking them and pan-frying in butter, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Pat
Posted by blennyboy on May 3, 2003
Pan-fried Spicy Garlic Leopard Shark:
(Please read all the way first and make a list of ingredients—I'm too lazy and just wing these things anyway.)
A pound or two of Leopard Shark, appropriately cleaned, cut into 1" cubes (or sections of 1" thick steaks roughly corresponding to the muscle structure) soaked for about an hour in milk and drained. (I didn't measure, but the idea is to have no more shark than is necessary to cover the bottom of a large skillet with a bit of room to spare--this is quick, so you can make two batches if you need to.)
Cover the bottom of a large skillet with about two millimeters of olive oil, heat on medium high flame and stir in a goodly pat of butter for flavor.
Once the oil is hot, sauté thinly sliced garlic (one clove from an elephant garlic or 3-4 regular cloves) and a quarter-teaspoon or more (Bam!) of crushed red pepper--the more the spicier.
Add the shark chunks. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning (or whatever else you like, with an eye towards a wee (??? Bam!) Dash of cayenne or black pepper). Panfry for a few minutes, until signs of cooking (whiteness) are creeping well up the sides, and then flip each piece (I prefer to use tongs) over to cook the other side. Sprinkle some more Old Bay or pepper on if you wish.
At this point, I added about 1/2-2/3 pound of angel hair pasta (broken before cooking into 1/4-1/3 length, and cooked al dente), and tossed it lightly to coat the pasta lightly in the spicy, garlicky oil con juice del Tiburon. (In another version, I sautéed mushrooms before adding the shark. I think that tossing the shark with previously pan-fried or boiled potato chunks would also kick some culinary butt.)
Anyway, serve this hot, serve it with your favorite beverage, and serve it to your partner--especially if you went heavy on the garlic, and expect to get a congratulatory smooch for your fishing and feeding success! Cheers, blennyboy
P.S. This was really good--and one shark (40") fed over a dozen people. Please practice catch-and-mostly-release on leopard sharks--especially females. These fish, like other sharks, don't reproduce too quickly.
Posted by domfa ben on July 14, 2004
Best way to cook threshers?
BBQ Thresher Shark
Cut steaks about an inch thick. Remove blood line spots, leave the skin on.
Marinade steaks in the following:
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
One chopped onion
Chopped green onions
Garlic powder
Fresh parsley, chopped (not too much)
A little canola oil to glue it all together
Lime or lemon
Let the fish sit in the mix for a few hours in the fridge. Cook over gray coals (not red hot), or with indirect heat. Don't overcook.
Skin will peel off. Serve with grilled zucchini, or veggie-kabobs, and white rice. If you have four leftover cases of wine from your wedding, go with a Chardonnay or a good Pinot Grigio.
Posted by Ken Jones
Four cases? You did not party hard enough.
Posted by dompha ben
Overly-zealous purchasing, plenty of partying. The remaining cases were purchased the day before the wedding by my cousin, who felt we "didn't have enough wine." The good news is, we kept them, and have been celebrating our reception all summer long. It's 2 buck Chuck, but it goes down easy. Unfortunately, I haven't found an occasion to test the marriage of pierfishing and wine-drinking (a la Songslinger's SAQ page question, "Can I go fishing with you?"), so it will remain a weekend at home thing for a while. Ben
Posted by StripeSideChaser
Two buck chuck goes down well on a pier Not the greatest wine in the world, but I've tasted many that cost more and weren't as good! I have a bottle of Merlot and a bottle of Chardonay in my "gear bag" at the moment! That merlot will go good with a nice squid on a hook, and a cigar!
But we digress...
Posted by tomaurand
Grilled Shark
Ingredients:
• 8-10 oz. per person shark steak
• 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Minced Onion
• Fresh lemon juice
• Salt/Pepper to taste
Preparation/Cooking:
• Mix ingredients for sauce.
• Baste the shark steaks.
• Place over hot fire.
• Grill on one side approx. 4 minutes. Turn and baste. Grill for about 4 minutes or until done. Turn only once for best results.
Serve additional sauce on the side or at the table. Sauce serves 2.
Posted by JesseInSM on April 30, 2005
Recipe for Leopard Shark. First, it is very essential that you bleed leopard shark; and, fortunately, that's easy to do. You just run a knife into the first gill slit and slice it down to the last gill slit. Then, hang the fish over the side of the boat as you continue to enjoy your day. The fish will just bleed there. Of course, bonk the fish good over the head with a bat or club and make sure he's dead first. It would be ghoulish to cut his gill slits while he's still alive!
We always throw away any of the belly area meat, remove the darker colored meat, the guts, and the skin. Cooking methods, which cause the juices to drain away from the meat, are safer because much of the chemical pollutants will leave with the fatty juices. These methods include baking, broiling, grilling, or steaming.
Smaller legal-size fish are safer to eat than larger fish. DFG recommends that most adults would be wise to consume not more than two servings of shark a month. Pregnant women and children under 6 need to pay special attention to this warning.
Save San Francisco Bay Assn. has a special Seafood report that didn't get to me on time for this article that might have some useful information about the safety of Bay-caught fish. You can receive their report by asking for their Seafood report and sending $3.00 to: Save San Francisco Bay Assn.; 1736 Franklin St., 4th Floor; Oakland, CA 94612.
I do enjoy an occasional meal of leopard shark; and, if some of you have been reading my articles for a long time, you might remember when I went through a leopard shark recipe phase. People were starting to call me the leopard shark lady. Anyway, the following are a couple of recipes that I have enjoyed that also use the safer methods. Go for it! Florida Style Shark
2 Leopard Shark fillets or steaks
1/4 C butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
Melt butter in a small saucepan and add ingredients. Strain through a fine strainer to remove garlic pieces (they burn under the broiler). Brush on shark fillets or steaks and broil one side. Turn the fish over, brush with more mixture and broil the other side. Serve with something that has avocados in it and you'll think you died and went to heaven. Serves 2.
Leopard Shark Marinade
1/4 C soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. dry white vermouth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. oil
Stir all the ingredients together in a flat dish that is large enough to lay a fillet down in. Dip each side of each fillet or steak into the marinade. Lay fish on a broiling pan, brush with additional marinade because it gives broiled fish a barbequed flavor. This should be enough marinade for up to 4 leopard shark fillets or steaks.
Another good way to prepare leopard shark is to smoke it like you would smoke salmon. This makes a tasty snack to take to work or on other fishing trips.
Posted by JesseInSM
Teriyaki shark — Here's another recipe
1 lb. Leopard Shark fillets
1/2 C Lawry's Teriyaki sauce
(opt.) 1 Tbsp. Szechwan Stir Fry Sauce
Eden Sesame Shake or 1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
2 Cups thinly sliced oyster mushrooms, stems discarded
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Oyster sauce
Dash sugar
(opt.) Dash Ume Plum vinegar
Combine Teriyaki sauce and Szechwan sauce. With a fork, poke holes into the shark fillets. Generously brush with some of the sauce. Refrigerate fillets for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet and add olive oil and toasted sesame seed oil. Add mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in onion whites and cook for 1 minute. Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Ume Plum vinegar. Stir this and onion greens into the mushrooms, cover, and remove from heat.
While mushrooms are cooking, prepare fillets for broiling. Place on a broiling pan and brush with more of the Teriyaki sauce. Place in broiler and cook for a few minutes. Next, sprinkle fillets liberally with sesame seeds or sesame shake. Return to broiler for 1 minute or less. Remove, turn fillets, and repeat process. When cooked, remove fillets to their plates and spoon the mushroom mixture over them. This is terrific served with Chinese fried rice. Serves 2 folks.
Posted by bcooney on May 28, 2005
Shark taco recipe — I made this today and it turned out great so I thought I would share it:
I used about 2-lbs of shark meat for this recipe — adjust from there (this was from a 52" male leopard caught at Emeryville— this produced about 7-lbs of useable meat)
2-lbs leopard shark
1/4 cup flour
1/2 head of regular cabbage
ground black pepper
1/2 pint of sour cram OR 3-4 tbs mayonnaise
5 limes
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
corn tortillas (will make about 15 tacos)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
hot sauce (I recommend Tapatio sp?)
After you have cleaned and filleted your shark, try to trim as much red meat as possible- then cut into smaller pieces- about 1"x3" or thereabouts- taco sized chunks! I then put the meat in a big zip loc bag and squeeze 3 limes into it then fill with enough water to just barely cover the meat- put the bag in a bowl and set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
While the meat is soaking prepare the cabbage- cut into thin strips then cut those in half- you want it like coleslaw. Add the sour cream or mayonnaise and black pepper and the juice of 1/2 lime and mix well.
Start to heat the oil in a saucepan- to medium high heat- you don't want to put any meat in until it is very hot. Test it by sprinkling in a little salt- it should bubble.
Drain shark meat very well try to get out as much water as possible, even wipe with some paper towels. Then put the meat in another clean Ziploc bag -then add salt- I used about 1/2 tsp and shake it around so it gets around evenly, then add the flour and shake it around more, then finally add the cayenne and make sure it gets evenly spread out cause it is hot.
Start to add the shark to the oil- if it is nice and hot it should take about 2 minutes then flip the chunks over- they should be light brown and a little crispy- you don't want to over cook them or the meat get tough and dry- so 2-3 minutes per side in hot oil- then drain on paper towels on a plate- as the shark is cooking you want to be heating up tortillas too- I use another sauce pan and just heat them over medium heat for a few minutes per side- you could also do them on a sheet in the oven.
Put some shark on a tortilla, put on some cabbage, top with a few drops of hot sauce or squeeze a little lime wedge over the top and enjoy!
Posted by east bay fisher
That’s basically how I do it with halibut or striper, but once I tried it with some leopard shark. I fried up strips big enough for the tortilla then added avocado, some limejuice and Tabasco. I’ve tried it with more regular taco stuff and it isn't as good as keeping it simple. Making fish or shark fajitas by grilling, adding onion and bell pepper is pretty good too.
Posted by bcooney
Oh yeah, cook it in batches. 3-4 pieces at a time- you don't want to put in too much at a time or it will bring the temp of the oil down too much- If you are using other fish you don't have to soak it first- that is to get rid of the ammonia smell in the shark meat
Also, as a reminder, unless you have a nice separate place to clean your fish at home I recommend gutting and cleaning your shark at the water, because it can be a smelly job. (As my wife has strongly encouraged me to do next time)
Posted by fishoff
You could also soak it in milk two get the smell out
Posted by fishmom
If a shark is thoroughly bled immediately after being caught it will not smell of ammonia. At least that has been true for the smaller smoothhound and leopard sharks I have kept in the past.
McClane’s Fish Buyer’s Guide: Spiny Dogfish — (A) Flavor: intense or robust (B) Texture: firm (C) Flake: small (D) Fat Content: moderate (E) Odor (Raw): moderate (F) Color after Cooking: off white (G) Cooking Methods: pan-saute or deep-fry
McClane’s Fish Buyer’s Guide: Thresher Shark — (A) Flavor: mild (B) Texture: firm (C) Flake: large (D) Fat Content: moderate (E) Odor (Raw): mild (F) Color after Cooking: white (G) Cooking Methods: all methods
Posted by Ken Jones
From Pier Fishing In California, 2nd. Ed. — For many years people would not even entertain the idea of eating shark meat; after all, what had the shark eaten? Luckily, depending on your point of view, that has changed. For the last twenty years shark meat has become a valuable commercial resource. Unfortunately, that has led to the overfishing of a species which reproduces at a slow rate. The result is an ever decreasing number of sharks. Nevertheless leopard sharks are regulated in a fairly strong manner and their numbers appear to be O.K.
Posted by Ken Jones
I don't know where I got this recipe but it's easy to make and delicious. Although it calls for shark meat, almost any firm-fleshed fish fillets will work fine.
Parmesan Shark
Ingredients:
• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of shark fillets
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• onion salt
• garlic powder
• pepper
Preparation/Cooking:
Preheat the broiler. Combine grated Parmesan cheese and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter and mix into it the olive oil, lemon juice, a few dashes of pepper, a few dashes of onion salt and a little garlic powder. Baste both sides of the fillets with the butter mixture. Place the fillets on a broiler pan and broil one side for a few minutes. Turn over the fillets, baste them in the butter mix once again, and then put them back under the broiler for an additional minute. Remove the fillets from the broiler, spread the cheese mix over the fillets, and then return the fillets to the oven for approximately two minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned.
From Jeff on August 2, 1999
Leopard Sharks — how to eat?
Posted by Tony
Baked leopard Shark
If it is legal size (over 36 inches), as soon as you catch it, cut the head, tail, and all fins off. Hang it to completely bleed — this takes out the blood and urine — otherwise the saltiness of the urine will soak into the flesh giving it a bad taste. Then soak it overnight in milk or vinegar. Next, cut it into stakes, or fillet it, then just put some lemon sauce, garlic, herbs, and spices on it. Wrap it in tinfoil, and bake it in the oven or on the grill. If it's in the oven I think it should be at 325 degrees, but I'm not sure
Posted by goatfish
Jeff, Cut the body into cross-sectional steaks along the length of the stomach cavity and even a few inches beyond. You can fillet the remaining tail section into nice fillets and DEFINITELY follow Tony's advice to cut as soon as you catch. Sharks (shovelnose too!) urinate through their skin....well you get the idea. The meat is then worthless and tastes awful. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people catch nice-sized shovelnose only to let them die intact on the pier, then think they have a nice meal coming their way. Good Luck!
Posted by mjonesjr
BBQ Leopard Shark
The preparation of the fish has been given to you by Tony and Goatfish. I have cooked fish for many years and this is one of my favorites. Now if you have a BBQ grill I would cook the fish (any kind) with the following preparation. First is to always start with your fish chilled. Right from the refrigerator is perfect. When your grill is at a desired temp (between medium and high) clean the grill with a brush. This is very important so that the fish doesn't tear apart while cooking and turning. The next step is to take some oil (olive is best) and put a small amount in a bowl. Apply to grill with a saturated paper towel (not dripping) and coat the grill. Slightly coat one side of the fish and sprinkle a small amount of Lawry's season salt. This is perfect as it has just the right spices. Next place that side if the fish on the grill and lightly coat the other side with oil and seasoning. A brush for BBQ sauce is perfect for applying the oil. Watch the center of the fish to just before it starts to become white. Next, with a large BBQ fork, (ease) the fish up from the grill and slide a spatula under and flip. The center of the fish should be translucent which is just (barely) clear. Remove and enjoy. If you like tarter sauce, take one cup of mayonnaise and add a quarter cup of chopped white onion and a quarter cup of dill pickle relish and some of the juice. Mix well and chill.
From: Ken Jones on March 17, 2004
What's your best recipe for cooking sharks?
Posted by kcilp
Grilled, basted with a flavored oil and thrown over a hot fire
Posted by StripeSideChaser
Slight variation...I like to baste with Pepper Olive oil, rub in a little minced garlic and then sprinkle with a little soy sauce, and then throw those fillets on the grill! I fish, therefore I lie!
Posted by giflet
The big one I did keep last year was taken home cut and soaked in butter milk for a few hours, then salted and seasoned with pepper, garlic salt and lots of lemon. Basted in butter, wrapped in foil and thrown on the grill. Eaten the same night at a party we were having. Everyone loved it, served with lemon and eaten with crispy grilled tortillas, shrimp cocktail and a side dipper of hoarse radish sauce. Very simple but very good.
Posted by pescare
Make a paste with (amounts approximate):
1 T chopped or pressed garlic
2 T lemon zest
2 T chopped parsley
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
Olive oil - add enough to make a thin paste
Rub onto fillets and let stand in fridge 2-4 hours, then grill or broil.
Posted by baitfish
Rub with olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, fresh minced garlic, sweet paprika and dill, let marinate for 1-2 hours. Sear both sides on hot grill and then wrap in foil add lemon juice and a little white wine. Let it bake on the grill in foil for appropriate time for size of fillet and serve with sautéed (Olive oil, butter salt and pepper asparagus and fried red potatoes.
Actually this recipe works well with any mild flavored white meat fish, especially halibut!
How to prepare from time of catch???
Posted by q3fishboy
Can someone tell me what you guys do from the time you catch them. I have heard stuff about bleeding it, and soaking it in milk/lemon juice. Can someone please tell me what to do from the time of capture? Thanks so much.
Posted by prometheus
Mainly you have to bleed them out. You can slice their gills open and hang them upside down, or cut their tail off midway and hang them head up so the blood drains out. A friend of mine once stabbed one between the pectoral fins and got lots of bleeding there as well. Mainly you want the fish to stay alive long enough to pump out the blood, and then hang it such that the rest of the blood runs out. Once it stops dripping it should immediately be put on ice, or better yet cleaned and put on ice.
Posted by q3fishboy
Will slicing their gills and then returning to the water on a stringer work? And then would you hang it head down after it died? And is the ice crucial? What if you didn't have ice? How long will it last? Is the milk/lemon juice soaking necessary? Sorry for all of the questions, and thanks for all of the information so far.
Do you recommend soaking in milk before cooking?
Posted by kennycrft
Ken, I heard that soaking shark in milk helps neutralize the acids in shark, but your book says to soak shark in a acid solution I have the same question
Posted by q3fishboy
I too have heard both lemon juice (acid) and milk. I too am confused, and have posted essentially the same question above. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by danielpjr
I've always soaked the shark in milk overnight, sometimes two days. Barbecued over mesquite with a coating of olive oil, lemon pepper and garlic works great for me.
Dan. Soakin' sharks...from PFIC, Vol. 2
Posted by Ken Jones
I too have heard that milk can help neutralize the off-flavor of shark meat. However, the information given below is the most often recommended method.
Although many people feel that sharks should no longer be used for food (for a variety of reasons), many others continue to catch and eat these primitive fish. If you want to eat them you need to treat them differently than most fish. Sharks, rays and skates should always be cleaned, or at least gutted and bled, soon after capture. Each of these species contains urea in their blood, flesh, and skin to help them maintain the proper salt balance in their bodies. It's good for them, but bad for us. Unless bled quickly the urea will cause the carcass to have an ammonia smell to it and cause the flesh to have an off taste. This urea-induced taste can be neutralized by soaking the fillets in acidulated water (mild vinegar and water or lemon juice and water) for a few hours. It can be virtually prevented however by simply bleeding the fish as soon as it is landed or, even better, by cleaning the fish and icing it down upon capture. Since these sharks and rays are too large to hang off a pier on a stringer, and since they are too large to place whole in a small cooler, I try to clean and fillet them as soon as possible. The next best solution would be to bleed, gut, and then keep them in a moist gunnysack. To bleed, cut the tail off, cut down to the backbone at the tail end, or cut the gills. If not immediately cleaned, make sure you soak them for a few hours or overnight in the acidulated water. In addition, I have found that the flesh of these fish is improved if kept chilled one or two days (no more) in the refrigerator—even if they were cleaned immediately.
Other Recipes —
Posted by readership on September 15, 2000
Greetings! Anybody have recipe suggestions for the shark? Heard that bbq is pretty good? Any recipe/cooking tips would be appreciated. Fish on!
Posted by YADA
Everybody's fishin', but barely anyone is cooking fish. Indeed, thresher and leopard sharks are delicious — white meat without bones. First you need to skin the shark discarding the head and fins (cartilage optional) and fillet it either lengthwise (a la fish'n'chips) or crosswise (schnitzels). Please, be sure you're obeying the size limit. Then you cook'em any way you like it such as:
1) Frying —- salt and pepper fillets, cover them with flour or cornmeal (red pepper optional), fry both sides in hot oil.
2) Deep Frying — salt fillets, dip them into deep-frying mixture (flour & eggs), deep fry them.
3) Mediterranean Grilling — soak fillets in marinade made of olive oil, crushed garlic and parsley (or cilantro), baste with marinade while grilling.
4) BBQ — baste with barbecue sauce while grilling.
Posted by mjonesjr
If you want to grill any fish including shark on the BBQ then try the following. First have your fish ready with a small dish of oil, a brush and some all-purpose seasoning like Lawry’s season salt. Your grill of course should be hot and ready but it must be very well (scrubbed) cleaned. Start by using the brush to coat the fish to the point that it is not dripping. Then lightly sprinkle a little season salt and put flesh side down fist if it still has skin on the other. Repeat this for all pieces. If grilling many pieces then coat everything on a platter first so it’s all cooked at the same time. You should also coat the grill with oil as well before placing on the coated fish. I do this with a paper towel so it’s easily disposed of instead of using a regular towel. As the fish cooks watch for the translucency (clear flesh) to turn to a solid color about half way through the thickness of the fish. When this has occurred then brush/coat the top of the fish before flipping it over and adding again a light amount of seasoning salt. A (Very) small amount of translucency should remain in the very center of the fish, as it will continue to cook when removed. If allowed to be of solid color, it tends to over cooked or dry out too much. What may appear to be a heavy use of oil though out this process is actually not over powering to the fish, as it is virtually all burned off in the cooking process. The light amount of seasoning allows you to enjoy the true taste of the fish you have selected as well as the flavor and texture from the BBQ. As for the shin of the shark you shouldn’t need to skin it at all since it will easily peel off after cooking. Enjoy, mjonesjr
Posted by lucy
Cooking shark. I've never caught a shark but I've eaten thresher shark and I think another kind of shark. You can cook them any way you'd cook any other fish—filet them, "steak" them, and then broil or pan-fry the filets or steaks. You could also bake them. You would probably want to bake them on a rack or grill them so that the fat runs off, since a lot of pollutants end up in the fat.
Posted by crazyguy
I cooked two fillets of about 7 ounces each of it by means of pan-frying and I drained the fat. The flesh had an off smell to it after it was cooked and it tasted weird. The flesh was also really soft. I put a piece of it back in to see if I under cooked it, but it never really firmed up. I kept the shark alive for two hours tied to a rope and placed inside a crab net that was hung above the water. It was really kicking and moving inside the net. We gutted the shark at the cleaning station and bled it out thoroughly. We cut the fish into chunks and placed it into a chest of ice. Yet the flesh still has a strong fishy odor. I'm going to try to stick them in a water bath with some lemon juice as Ken recommends. Try to broil some with lemon juice and herbs tomorrow.
Posted by avidangler
Milk works also. I soak them overnight. Then I fry the steaks in butter, garlic, and whatever else suits your fancy. I think leopard sharks rank up there with anything as far as quality eats. -AA
Posted by SD Fisherman on February 6, 2002
Cleaning Leopard Sharks, etc. Guys and Gals, I have seen several large leopards while diving over the past few years (didn't risk losing my spear) and have caught many shorts on pole and line. I know I've seen a few suggestions on preparing them here, and I have a (wishful) feeling I'll catch a legal one this year and I need a definitive explanation(s). 1) The urea issue. How should I proceed from the beach to the grill/frying/baking? 2) Preference of form: Do you fillet it or steak it (regular fillet knife or something heavy duty?). 3) Preparation: What kind of soak is good (Is milk, lemon ok?) is it necessary and if so, how long do you soak prior to cooking? There's such a wealth of knowledge on this board, that's why it's so awesome! Thanks in advance for any replies. I'll be sure to print out for future reference. -Don aka SDF
Posted by PierHead
Good questions! I'm waiting for the answers as well. I have seen more leopards this year than in the last 5. Saw a 60" at Goleta 12/30. El Nino? Quien sabe? This coming year might be time for a Shark Fest! Tight Lines! PierHead
Posted by Shark Assassin
Good questions—here, I'll try to answer them. As for the filleting, I suggest just steaking them. Sharks have just the cartilage backbone, and it's quite easy to steak them.
First off, cut along the stomach and take out all the internal organs. Then, just cut! All you have to do is get a good sharp knife (A butcher's cleaver works well) and slice directly downwards, in 2" wide steaks. When you're done, slice off the fins and discard them, or if you like shark fin soup, keep em.
When you start steaking, go from slightly past the gills and until you reach the end of the tail. A good-sized shark can yield quite an amount of steaks.
As for the urea, all sharks should be bled as soon as caught, then steaked, and iced. To bleed, first kill the shark (Ice pick and the head area, or cutting right behind the head). I say kill them first, as I try to be humane and not let them be all dying of blood loss, and suffering. (I love sharks, and respect them.)
Bleeding: Make a cut behind the gills, and another cut to the backbone, from the underside of the tail. Let the shark bleed for a while, rinsing or allowing it to bleed over the edge (DO NOT! Put the shark back in the water. You might lose it due to larger sharks.) When done bleeding, steak within 2 hours, or keep it on ice and it should be fine.
Ice Solution: Get plenty of ice, try to get the smallest cubes you can get, or even better yet, crushed ice. One quart of seawater to every 10lbs of ice is a good solution. This makes a great slush, for the fish to stay chilled in. When you get home, the fish should be fine, and shouldn't need lemon or milk if the bleeding and chilling procedures are done properly. If you have any left over (most of the time you will) and when you come to thaw the fish out, put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, when the meat is thawed you can eat it. If the fish hasn't been in there too long, and there's no freezer burn, the milk/lemon won't be necessary. But to be extra careful, I suggest putting the steak(s) into a bag, with milk. Leave it in 3-4 hours prior to cooking, and it'll be fine. Hope this helped. **Shark Assassin**
Posted by Sinker
When you say...Bleeding: Make a cut behind the gills, and another cut to the backbone, from the underside of the tail. The cut to the backbone, from the underside of the tail. Where about on the length of the tail should this cut be made??? I had also read in previous posts that you should skin them as soon as possible as well. Do you still need to do this if you bleed them??? "Get Bent" "Sinker"
Posted by Shark Assassin
When you make a cut, you make it about at the very end of the tail, from the underside. About, maybe 2-3 inches from the very end of the tail. Skinning is not necessary, if bled and iced down properly. Before cooking, you must take the skin off. Also, when steaking, all steaks will have a piece of cartilaginous backbone, and two dark reddish colored pieces in them, I believe these are main arteries or something to do with the electrical impulses. You must cut these out as well. Keeping the skin on also keeps the meat from getting too soft after freezing. Try to keep the skin on, unless you know the exact amount that should be consumed. **Shark Assassin**
Posted by danyull on November 7, 2002
Cooking [smooth]hounds. First you have to bleed them and then soak them in milk overnight to remove all the uric acid so it doesn't taste like urine. Then they're pretty well suited to most types of cooking. I like to simmer them in a garlic/hot sauce or bread it and fry it. Shark is also very good for fish sticks.
Posted by patrick333
I also heard people prepare them in fish cakes. Just like the way you make crab cakes. Never try it myself though, might give it a try next time when I catch a decent size one.
Posted by fishfinder
You don't need to do the milk soak thing. I have caught them and filleted them and ate them a few hours later. They don't taste bad. Next time try not soaking them and pan-frying in butter, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Pat
Posted by blennyboy on May 3, 2003
Pan-fried Spicy Garlic Leopard Shark:
(Please read all the way first and make a list of ingredients—I'm too lazy and just wing these things anyway.)
A pound or two of Leopard Shark, appropriately cleaned, cut into 1" cubes (or sections of 1" thick steaks roughly corresponding to the muscle structure) soaked for about an hour in milk and drained. (I didn't measure, but the idea is to have no more shark than is necessary to cover the bottom of a large skillet with a bit of room to spare--this is quick, so you can make two batches if you need to.)
Cover the bottom of a large skillet with about two millimeters of olive oil, heat on medium high flame and stir in a goodly pat of butter for flavor.
Once the oil is hot, sauté thinly sliced garlic (one clove from an elephant garlic or 3-4 regular cloves) and a quarter-teaspoon or more (Bam!) of crushed red pepper--the more the spicier.
Add the shark chunks. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning (or whatever else you like, with an eye towards a wee (??? Bam!) Dash of cayenne or black pepper). Panfry for a few minutes, until signs of cooking (whiteness) are creeping well up the sides, and then flip each piece (I prefer to use tongs) over to cook the other side. Sprinkle some more Old Bay or pepper on if you wish.
At this point, I added about 1/2-2/3 pound of angel hair pasta (broken before cooking into 1/4-1/3 length, and cooked al dente), and tossed it lightly to coat the pasta lightly in the spicy, garlicky oil con juice del Tiburon. (In another version, I sautéed mushrooms before adding the shark. I think that tossing the shark with previously pan-fried or boiled potato chunks would also kick some culinary butt.)
Anyway, serve this hot, serve it with your favorite beverage, and serve it to your partner--especially if you went heavy on the garlic, and expect to get a congratulatory smooch for your fishing and feeding success! Cheers, blennyboy
P.S. This was really good--and one shark (40") fed over a dozen people. Please practice catch-and-mostly-release on leopard sharks--especially females. These fish, like other sharks, don't reproduce too quickly.
Posted by domfa ben on July 14, 2004
Best way to cook threshers?
BBQ Thresher Shark
Cut steaks about an inch thick. Remove blood line spots, leave the skin on.
Marinade steaks in the following:
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
One chopped onion
Chopped green onions
Garlic powder
Fresh parsley, chopped (not too much)
A little canola oil to glue it all together
Lime or lemon
Let the fish sit in the mix for a few hours in the fridge. Cook over gray coals (not red hot), or with indirect heat. Don't overcook.
Skin will peel off. Serve with grilled zucchini, or veggie-kabobs, and white rice. If you have four leftover cases of wine from your wedding, go with a Chardonnay or a good Pinot Grigio.
Posted by Ken Jones
Four cases? You did not party hard enough.
Posted by dompha ben
Overly-zealous purchasing, plenty of partying. The remaining cases were purchased the day before the wedding by my cousin, who felt we "didn't have enough wine." The good news is, we kept them, and have been celebrating our reception all summer long. It's 2 buck Chuck, but it goes down easy. Unfortunately, I haven't found an occasion to test the marriage of pierfishing and wine-drinking (a la Songslinger's SAQ page question, "Can I go fishing with you?"), so it will remain a weekend at home thing for a while. Ben
Posted by StripeSideChaser
Two buck chuck goes down well on a pier Not the greatest wine in the world, but I've tasted many that cost more and weren't as good! I have a bottle of Merlot and a bottle of Chardonay in my "gear bag" at the moment! That merlot will go good with a nice squid on a hook, and a cigar!
But we digress...
Posted by tomaurand
Grilled Shark
Ingredients:
• 8-10 oz. per person shark steak
• 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Minced Onion
• Fresh lemon juice
• Salt/Pepper to taste
Preparation/Cooking:
• Mix ingredients for sauce.
• Baste the shark steaks.
• Place over hot fire.
• Grill on one side approx. 4 minutes. Turn and baste. Grill for about 4 minutes or until done. Turn only once for best results.
Serve additional sauce on the side or at the table. Sauce serves 2.
Posted by JesseInSM on April 30, 2005
Recipe for Leopard Shark. First, it is very essential that you bleed leopard shark; and, fortunately, that's easy to do. You just run a knife into the first gill slit and slice it down to the last gill slit. Then, hang the fish over the side of the boat as you continue to enjoy your day. The fish will just bleed there. Of course, bonk the fish good over the head with a bat or club and make sure he's dead first. It would be ghoulish to cut his gill slits while he's still alive!
We always throw away any of the belly area meat, remove the darker colored meat, the guts, and the skin. Cooking methods, which cause the juices to drain away from the meat, are safer because much of the chemical pollutants will leave with the fatty juices. These methods include baking, broiling, grilling, or steaming.
Smaller legal-size fish are safer to eat than larger fish. DFG recommends that most adults would be wise to consume not more than two servings of shark a month. Pregnant women and children under 6 need to pay special attention to this warning.
Save San Francisco Bay Assn. has a special Seafood report that didn't get to me on time for this article that might have some useful information about the safety of Bay-caught fish. You can receive their report by asking for their Seafood report and sending $3.00 to: Save San Francisco Bay Assn.; 1736 Franklin St., 4th Floor; Oakland, CA 94612.
I do enjoy an occasional meal of leopard shark; and, if some of you have been reading my articles for a long time, you might remember when I went through a leopard shark recipe phase. People were starting to call me the leopard shark lady. Anyway, the following are a couple of recipes that I have enjoyed that also use the safer methods. Go for it! Florida Style Shark
2 Leopard Shark fillets or steaks
1/4 C butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
Melt butter in a small saucepan and add ingredients. Strain through a fine strainer to remove garlic pieces (they burn under the broiler). Brush on shark fillets or steaks and broil one side. Turn the fish over, brush with more mixture and broil the other side. Serve with something that has avocados in it and you'll think you died and went to heaven. Serves 2.
Leopard Shark Marinade
1/4 C soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. dry white vermouth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. oil
Stir all the ingredients together in a flat dish that is large enough to lay a fillet down in. Dip each side of each fillet or steak into the marinade. Lay fish on a broiling pan, brush with additional marinade because it gives broiled fish a barbequed flavor. This should be enough marinade for up to 4 leopard shark fillets or steaks.
Another good way to prepare leopard shark is to smoke it like you would smoke salmon. This makes a tasty snack to take to work or on other fishing trips.
Posted by JesseInSM
Teriyaki shark — Here's another recipe
1 lb. Leopard Shark fillets
1/2 C Lawry's Teriyaki sauce
(opt.) 1 Tbsp. Szechwan Stir Fry Sauce
Eden Sesame Shake or 1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
2 Cups thinly sliced oyster mushrooms, stems discarded
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Oyster sauce
Dash sugar
(opt.) Dash Ume Plum vinegar
Combine Teriyaki sauce and Szechwan sauce. With a fork, poke holes into the shark fillets. Generously brush with some of the sauce. Refrigerate fillets for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet and add olive oil and toasted sesame seed oil. Add mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in onion whites and cook for 1 minute. Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Ume Plum vinegar. Stir this and onion greens into the mushrooms, cover, and remove from heat.
While mushrooms are cooking, prepare fillets for broiling. Place on a broiling pan and brush with more of the Teriyaki sauce. Place in broiler and cook for a few minutes. Next, sprinkle fillets liberally with sesame seeds or sesame shake. Return to broiler for 1 minute or less. Remove, turn fillets, and repeat process. When cooked, remove fillets to their plates and spoon the mushroom mixture over them. This is terrific served with Chinese fried rice. Serves 2 folks.
Posted by bcooney on May 28, 2005
Shark taco recipe — I made this today and it turned out great so I thought I would share it:
I used about 2-lbs of shark meat for this recipe — adjust from there (this was from a 52" male leopard caught at Emeryville— this produced about 7-lbs of useable meat)
2-lbs leopard shark
1/4 cup flour
1/2 head of regular cabbage
ground black pepper
1/2 pint of sour cram OR 3-4 tbs mayonnaise
5 limes
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
corn tortillas (will make about 15 tacos)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
hot sauce (I recommend Tapatio sp?)
After you have cleaned and filleted your shark, try to trim as much red meat as possible- then cut into smaller pieces- about 1"x3" or thereabouts- taco sized chunks! I then put the meat in a big zip loc bag and squeeze 3 limes into it then fill with enough water to just barely cover the meat- put the bag in a bowl and set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
While the meat is soaking prepare the cabbage- cut into thin strips then cut those in half- you want it like coleslaw. Add the sour cream or mayonnaise and black pepper and the juice of 1/2 lime and mix well.
Start to heat the oil in a saucepan- to medium high heat- you don't want to put any meat in until it is very hot. Test it by sprinkling in a little salt- it should bubble.
Drain shark meat very well try to get out as much water as possible, even wipe with some paper towels. Then put the meat in another clean Ziploc bag -then add salt- I used about 1/2 tsp and shake it around so it gets around evenly, then add the flour and shake it around more, then finally add the cayenne and make sure it gets evenly spread out cause it is hot.
Start to add the shark to the oil- if it is nice and hot it should take about 2 minutes then flip the chunks over- they should be light brown and a little crispy- you don't want to over cook them or the meat get tough and dry- so 2-3 minutes per side in hot oil- then drain on paper towels on a plate- as the shark is cooking you want to be heating up tortillas too- I use another sauce pan and just heat them over medium heat for a few minutes per side- you could also do them on a sheet in the oven.
Put some shark on a tortilla, put on some cabbage, top with a few drops of hot sauce or squeeze a little lime wedge over the top and enjoy!
Posted by east bay fisher
That’s basically how I do it with halibut or striper, but once I tried it with some leopard shark. I fried up strips big enough for the tortilla then added avocado, some limejuice and Tabasco. I’ve tried it with more regular taco stuff and it isn't as good as keeping it simple. Making fish or shark fajitas by grilling, adding onion and bell pepper is pretty good too.
Posted by bcooney
Oh yeah, cook it in batches. 3-4 pieces at a time- you don't want to put in too much at a time or it will bring the temp of the oil down too much- If you are using other fish you don't have to soak it first- that is to get rid of the ammonia smell in the shark meat
Also, as a reminder, unless you have a nice separate place to clean your fish at home I recommend gutting and cleaning your shark at the water, because it can be a smelly job. (As my wife has strongly encouraged me to do next time)
Posted by fishoff
You could also soak it in milk two get the smell out
Posted by fishmom
If a shark is thoroughly bled immediately after being caught it will not smell of ammonia. At least that has been true for the smaller smoothhound and leopard sharks I have kept in the past.
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