The fish everyone is chasing deserves more than one dinner plan. Here are three ways to put a catch to work.
First it was yellowtail. Then tuna took over the conversation. Now, if the dock talk is any indication, everyone wants a wahoo.
In Southern California waters, trolling has been the most productive approach so far. But anglers who find wahoo hanging around a kelp paddy may also try casting a jig with a wire leader. Those sharp teeth can make short work of an ordinary line. On long-range trips and in waters where wahoo are more common, anglers also throw flashy, fast-retrieved lures known as wahoo bombs. However you hook one, this is a fish that can turn an ordinary day offshore into a story told all the way back to the dock.
And then there’s the reward waiting at home. Wahoo has mild, firm flesh that holds together well in a taco, looks right at home as the centerpiece of dinner, and takes to a bright poke bowl. (For those unfamiliar with the Hawaiian fish dish poke, it’s pronounced “POH-kay”)
Catching a wahoo is the hard part. Choosing how to prepare it should be considerably more fun. If you’re lucky enough to bring one home, here are four ways to celebrate.
Each recipe serves four, though the amount of fish varies. Start with wahoo that’s been promptly chilled and handled properly. For the poke, use only fish that has been assessed and prepared for raw consumption; a fresh catch is not automatically suitable to eat raw. Raw fish carries greater risk than cooked fish, and wahoo needs careful temperature control because mishandling can lead to histamine formation that cooking will not reverse.
- The “We Finally Got One” Wahoo Tacos
These are the tacos to make when everyone is still talking about the fish on the ride home. A little spice goes on the wahoo, a crunchy lime slaw goes on top, and dinner lands on the table before the story gets told for the fifth time.
Ingredients: 1 pound wahoo fillets; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; salt; 2 cups shredded cabbage; 1 diced mango; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; 1 lime; 8 small corn tortillas; sliced avocado and hot sauce, for serving.
Make it: Toss the cabbage, mango and cilantro with the juice of half the lime and a pinch of salt. Pat the fish dry, rub it with olive oil and season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Cook in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat, turning once, until it reaches 145°F in the thickest part. Break the fish into generous pieces and tuck it into warm tortillas with the slaw. Finish with avocado, hot sauce and the remaining lime.
- The “Straight From the Boat” Wahoo Poke Bowls
This one lets the fish take center stage. Keep the seasoning light, set out the toppings and let everyone build a bowl. If you can’t confirm the fish is appropriate for raw consumption, cook the wahoo and use the same sauce and toppings for an equally good bowl.
Ingredients: 1 pound wahoo suitable for raw consumption, cut into small cubes; ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 2 sliced green onions; 2 cups cooked rice, cooled to room temperature or chilled promptly; 1 diced cucumber; 1 sliced avocado; 1 cup shelled edamame; sesame seeds and lime wedges, for serving.
Make it: Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Keep the fish chilled until serving time, then toss it with the sauce and green onions. Divide the rice among four bowls and add the wahoo, cucumber, avocado and edamame. Scatter sesame seeds over the top and serve immediately with lime wedges. For the cooked version, prepare the fish to 145°F, let it cool slightly and add it to the bowls just before serving.
- The “This Fish Deserves a Plate” Wahoo With Lemon-Caper Butter
Save a few good portions for this dinner. It’s simple enough for a weeknight but polished enough for the friend who keeps asking when they get to try your catch.
Ingredients: 1 pound wahoo, cut into four portions; salt and black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 minced garlic clove; 1 tablespoon capers, drained; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Serve with roasted potatoes, rice, or a green vegetable.
Make it: Pat the fish dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the wahoo and cook, turning once, until the thickest portion reaches 145°F. Transfer to plates. Lower the heat, melt the butter in the same pan and stir in the garlic and capers for about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, spoon the sauce over the fish and finish with parsley.
Three meals, one very good reason to keep checking the fishing reports. If wahoo is the fish of the moment, it might as well get its moment at the dinner table, too.
- The “We Clean Up Nice” Pan-Roasted Wahoo With Citrus Arugula Salad
After the tacos and poke, this is wahoo dressed for dinner. Peppery arugula, sweet clementine, and a bright citrus dressing make a fresh backdrop for golden pan-roasted fish.
For the vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon sugar; ⅔ cup oil (about ½ cup canola oil and 2½ tablespoons olive oil); salt and black pepper.
For the salad: 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 1 cup rice vinegar; 8 cups arugula; 1 clementine, peeled and separated into segments.
For the fish: Four 2-ounce wahoo fillets; salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons canola oil.
Make it: At least an hour before dinner, soak the sliced onion in the rice vinegar. For the dressing, whisk together the orange, lime and lemon juices with the vinegar, mustard and sugar. Slowly whisk in the blended oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Drain the onion and toss it with the arugula and clementine segments. Add ½ to ¾ cup of the vinaigrette, enough to lightly coat the greens.
Season the wahoo with salt and pepper and brush it with olive oil. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the fillets without crowding the pan and cook until golden on both sides and the thickest part reaches 145°F. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets; small 2-ounce portions may need less than 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately over the salad.
Note: The recipe as supplied makes four small, 2-ounce fish portions. For a more substantial entrée, use four 4- to 6-ounce fillets and cook according to thickness.
