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"Butter Fish" or Escolar


Gablin
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I was served a very tasty fish on the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas in Alaska. It was called "butter fish." My college-age granddaughter was familiar with the term, as she had worked for a seafood restaurant chain who served butter fish sometimes instead of grouper or other mild white fish.

 

There is sometimes a reaction to butter fish, which I experienced in a small way. :mad: It is similar to the reaction to the potato chips with olestra instead of regular vegetable oil, except that the leakage from butter fish is brilliant orange.

 

Has anyone else experienced unpleasant side effects from butter fish or escolar fish on a cruise ship? Should there be a discreet warning on the menu?:rolleyes:

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  • 2 weeks later...

They used "butter fish" on an Iron Chef America show recently "not the secret ingredient" LOL, but Alton Brown stated it is know for its "laxitive properties" I believe that is exactly how he said it. LOL forgo the stewed prunes and eat the fish. Sorry could not help myself, but it is known for it.

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Not meaning to be graphic...but the "orange slick" is undigested fat. Xenical, which blocks absorption of fat and some weight loss surgeries will cause the same thing.

 

Good news is you didn't absorb the fat, so you didn't absorb the caories.

 

Bad news is whew, the gas it produces. I an't saying...I'm just saying.

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If the portions of the fish are small, it shouldn't have the laxative effect! I, too, had the first without knowing the possibility of adverse effects! I'm sure the cruie ships keep the portions small! It really is a yummy fish, though!

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If the portions of the fish are small, it shouldn't have the laxative effect! I, too, had the first without knowing the possibility of adverse effects! I'm sure the cruise ships keep the portions small! It really is a yummy fish, though!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I had a bad case of this after eating escolar for the first time at a very upscale restaurant in Las Vegas. For two days I was afraid to leave the hotel room. It's not so much that one gets the runs, it is more like you can not stop the "leakage" if it is ready at the end of the line. And the odor is damned awful, you don't want anybody to be near you. Because human bile can not emulsify this fat, it floats on the surface in all of its orange luminescience. It scares the hell out of you. You know you are going to die soon. I did not know what caused until about two years later. I happened to have a deck hand in my office that works on long range sportfishing boats out of San Diego. We got to talking about the species of fish he encountered in the eastern Pacifc. He told me that sometimes they would catch an Oilfish and since it looks so much like Escolar, they would feed it to an unsuspecting greeny telling him that is was in fact escolar. Then laugh at his expense for a few days afterwards. Then I put two and two together and realized that maybe I had been served oilfish or improperly skin escolar. Apparently Escolar is not as bad as oilfish but is not entirely free from the indigestible oil problem. Many fishmongers may not know the difference and hence the problem. Also if escloar is not deep skinned (most of the oil accumulates on the surface muscle tissue near the skin) there can be a problem. Being an avid saltwater fisherman I always ask the waiters what kind of fish is being served, if it is an odd one and they have no clue as to it is or most commonly bull$**** me. I make a deal before eating it.

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Thanks for sharing your experience on the boards! I'm sorry you had to go through that on your vacation but I'm glad you are letting the rest of us know. I know that I don't want to be dealing with that on my dreamed of vacation so I very much appreciate the "heads up"!:eek:

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  • 2 weeks later...

It is commonly called "white tuna" in most average Sushi restaurants (or maybe all?) I've read up on this as it is my favorite sushi. If you stay below 6 ounces over several days you should be OK. That being said, generally 1 roll topped with it, or 4-6 peices of sashimi and you're good.

 

I also read where it has been banned in Japan because of these issues .. or something to that nature. Don't quote me as I read it online. There is a bunch of stuff about it and imports and mercury levels and so on if you do a search. Too bad too because it really is yummy!

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It is commonly called "white tuna" in most average Sushi restaurants (or maybe all?) I've read up on this as it is my favorite sushi. If you stay below 6 ounces over several days you should be OK. That being said, generally 1 roll topped with it, or 4-6 peices of sashimi and you're good.

 

I also read where it has been banned in Japan because of these issues .. or something to that nature. Don't quote me as I read it online. There is a bunch of stuff about it and imports and mercury levels and so on if you do a search. Too bad too because it really is yummy!

 

 

I just love Escolar. Our local Sushi Bars call it ''Super White Tuna.'' Only some know that it is really Escolar. Never known it to be called butter fish.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Has anyone else experienced unpleasant side effects from butter fish or escolar fish on a cruise ship? Should there be a discreet warning on the menu?:rolleyes:

 

YES, they should say something.

 

They served it on the Jewel of the Seas Westbound Transatlantic cruise last year. Many people experienced the symptoms. NOT the thing you want to have right before spending 5 days crossing the Atlantic.

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The problem is that it really REALLY tastes good. I want MORE. And that's the problem. If you are sensitive, as I am, then you must limit the quantity. Otherwise, you will suddenly experience a warm sensation where you do not expect it. And I do not consider it funny.

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  • 5 months later...

Butterfish is very popular in Hawaii. It's a key ingredient in "Lau Lau", basically pork and butterfish wrapped in a taro leaf and steamed. Yum! Glad to know in the quantities used in that dish that I won't be "running"!

:D

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Butterfish is very popular in Hawaii. It's a key ingredient in "Lau Lau", basically pork and butterfish wrapped in a taro leaf and steamed. Yum! Glad to know in the quantities used in that dish that I won't be "running"!

:D

 

The butterfish in Hawaii will most likely be the Black Cod instead of the laxative fish the Escolar. Salted butterfish (Black Cod) is used in the laulau. Some other popular ways I like to cook butterfish is is with a Japanese miso marinade or poaching in a soy sauce based liquid. I had the raw escolar at a local sushi bar several years ago and the sushi chef called it White Tuna and it wasn't on the menu. It was oily but so good. I only had one order so I had no ill effects.

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The butterfish in Hawaii will most likely be the Black Cod instead of the laxative fish the Escolar..... sushi chef called it White Tuna

 

Interesting, the different names for that fish. I just purchased some smoked sablefish which was supposedly another name for black cod. In addition, I have had Japanese Miso Marinated Black Cod many times. Makes me wonder why a sushi chef would call it "white tuna". Oh well, a rose by any other name......

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  • 6 years later...

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