The pilot fish is a fish that, as the name suggests, supports large fish such as sharks, rays, turtles, and the like. It lives by following them and feeding on the leftovers of these fish’s meals. Usually, it is not very appreciated and indeed you don’t see it on fish market counters, but in some regions like Sicily it is served breaded and fried or in oil. This is the method I have chosen to prepare it.
- Cooking methods: Bain-marie, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- Pilot fish
- coarse salt (non-iodized)
- Glass jars
- vegetable oil
- olive oil
Steps
Clean the pilot fish and remove the head and tail, put them in a large pot and pour cold water, measuring the water to cover at least 2 inches above. For every quart of water, add about 2.8 oz of coarse non-iodized salt, so for 5 quarts of water add 14 oz of salt. Turn on the stove and bring to a boil; as the water begins to heat, you’ll see a grayish foam rise to the surface, remove it with a skimmer until the water is clear.
From the moment the water starts to boil, count 30 minutes then turn off the heat and remove the fish, placing them on a tray, and as soon as they cool down a bit, begin to clean them by removing the skin and bones. Lay them on a cloth to dry for 24 hours. After this period, prepare the sterilized jars and place the fish fillets inside, packing them as tightly as possible. Once all the fish are jarred, add the oil, half olive and half vegetable oil. Seal the jars well and vacuum seal by boiling them in a pot with water for at least half an hour.
