306064 Fri Jun 30 21:53:15 -0700 2006 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1721824 Does anyone know what butterfish is and who serves it in toronto? I have had butterfish sashimi at sushi on bloor and it was good, but still a bit frozen when serves to me, which is pretty mediocre. I was also served something at sushi inn last night that they claimed was butterfish, and they said it is albacore/white tuna. while similar it was not as good as what i was given at sushi on bloor. both were not far off from something i had in brazil last month, called Meca, which i believe is a kind of swordfish. I googled butterfish and a picture of a very small fish came up, and i am sure the sashimi i had was from quite a large fish. so what is butterfish? Fri Jun 30 21:53:15 -0700 2006 15341 Loquax 1 1721915 It is also known as Sable or Black Cod. Fri Jun 30 22:36:03 -0700 2006 1721824 15095 funfoodie 2 1721959 Yep - they regularly serve it as sushi/sashimi at Edo or Edo-Ko and I've also had it at Omi. Quite tasty. Fri Jun 30 23:11:42 -0700 2006 1721915 10196 peppermint pate 1 1722363 it's also known as escolar. raw butterfish is available at nearly all the sushi joints but the better ones will definitely not serve it up to you frozen (omi, japango, etc.) and will often do it up cooked as miso cod. one word of warning.... well several words: there's a post about this from a few months back in one of the general boards and if you ever choose to buy butterfish a la carte or to cook at home, DO NOT eat more than 8oz (or is it 6?). your body does not process the fats and oils in the fish very well so when you eat too much you leak.... orange oil. profusely and at any moment and in amounts inconceivable. Sat Jul 01 04:05:47 -0700 2006 1721824 10634 pinstripeprincess 1 1722686 Are you serious? I ordered that much for single servings from City Fish a month ago, and had no such problem. Where does this oil secrete from? Also, does anyone know where Black Cod can be purchased fresh, and not fresh from frozen? Sat Jul 01 15:06:03 -0700 2006 1721824 13577 dlw88 2 1722945 maybe each individual person is prone to the leaking more than another or not at all. the thread i found is here: http://chowhound.com/topics/show/301882?user_name=&query=butterfish+orange+oil do you remember those "fat free" chips made with some variation of oil called olestra or some such.... exact same idea except orange. people have been known to leave puddles in seats.... Sat Jul 01 19:44:07 -0700 2006 1722686 10634 pinstripeprincess 1 1723063 I find the best way to enjoy butterfish, it a little cooked, or fully cooked. I know at Japango they use a kitchen torch on the outside, and top it with browned garlic, and it is DELICIOUS. I find cooking it a little brings out the wonderful flavours. Sat Jul 01 22:29:15 -0700 2006 1721824 13092 jayseeca 1 1723443 I think Sushi on 7 actually serves butterfish as part of their all you can eat dinner Sun Jul 02 06:39:02 -0700 2006 1721824 15677 orick 1 1723818 A couple of details about what escolar is and is not. Escolar is NOT butterfish. Butterfish is a market name for several different types of fish. Many of these fish belong to the Peprilus genera, whose species are the various Pomfret. In the market, the name is used interchangeably for species that are otherwise known as Skipjack, Dollarfish, Sunfish, Harvestfish and Sheepshead. Butterfish is also one the many vernacular (local) names for Sablefish, Greenbone and several kinds of Pompano. But NONE of these are Escolar! Escolar is NOT Black cod or Sable. Black cod is a local name for Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria). Escolar IS the market name for the fish whose Latin name is Lepidocybium flavobrunneum. It is from the Snake Mackerel taxonomic family (Gempylidae), which also includes Oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus). On ice at the fish counter, the white flesh of the Escolar looks a bit like Sea Bass. It's a crime to sell one labelled one as the other, but it has been reported in the UK. Even when properly handled, Escolar CAN make a person sick. The UK's version of the FDA is the Food Standards Agency, who warns "The high indigestible wax ester nature of the oils may cause stomach cramps and diarrhoea in consumers." My terrific local fishmongers (http://www.coastalseafoods.com) have always warned us to limit servings to 4-6 oz, about half the portion for other fish types. But recently they've also posted the following notice: " Due to recent reports of possible allergic reactions to Escolar, we will no longer offer this fish to our customers. We at Coastal Seafoods feel that any potential risk, regardless of how small, is not worth compromising the health of our customers. Escolar is possibly a scombroid species of fish that can produce histamines if it becomes too warm. Cooking will not destroy these histamines. Some people may experience an allergic reaction to these histamines while others are unaffected. " Hope that helps -- keep the names accurate, the portions small and the stock cold, and you should do just fine. Sun Jul 02 18:59:46 -0700 2006 1721824 10514 KTFoley 2 1723930 ah, sorry about that. was misinformed about the various white fish types. thanks for the clarity. Sun Jul 02 21:01:56 -0700 2006 1723818 10634 pinstripeprincess