Have you discovered opah yet? It’s among the most versatile of fish, suitable for any manner of cooking, flavorful yet mild whether grilled, pan-fried, seared, poached or stir-fried. You can serve it raw as sashimi, cure it for pastrami or grind it and turn it into fish tacos, chili, meatloaf, burgers, Bolognese sauce or even sausage.

Best of all, tasty opah doesn’t taste or smell “fishy” and is a great introductory fish for non-fish eaters since it can be seasoned and cooked to taste like beef or pork.

“It’s the best fish that nobody knows,” observed Catalina Offshore Products fishmonger and fish educator Tommy Gomes, who has embraced teaching the public about this heart-healthy fish and developing new uses for once-discarded opah cuts.

“If you don’t educate people about the different cuts, they won’t know how to cook them,” he explained, as he tossed together an impromptu stir-fry of ground opah, leftover rice, chopped mixed vegetables, hoisin sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.


Until recently in San Diego opah has swum under the radar, the result of erratic availability. Most people familiar with opah, also known as moonfish, encountered it first on menus in Hawaii. Now, through Gomes’ outreach to chefs eager to experiment, it’s showing up in restaurants, including The Red Door on West Washington Street in Mission Hills, the High Dive Bar & Grill on Morena Boulevard, Beerfish on Adams Avenue and even in Savory Made Simple’s home-delivered meal kits.

I first became aware of opah after moving to San Diego in 1999 and deciding to explore Pacific-caught fish. A friend introduced me to Point Loma Seafoods, where I discovered what I now recognize as opah loin. I was hooked on its rich but mild flavor and its affordable price.

Chef Miguel Valdez’s Opah Burger With Pico de Gallo (Eduardo Contreras / UT )

To cook it was easy. I just rubbed it with cut garlic, marinated it for 15 minutes in lime juice, salt and pepper and pan-seared it for two or three minutes each side in garlic-infused olive oil. Heaven! On the rare occasions I later saw it for sale, I always socked away several portions in the freezer.


Fortunately, opah is more readily available now because of changes in fishing and landing practices, Gomes explained.

This tropical-appearing oval fish — naturally bedecked in rich hues of blue, pink, rose and gold with distinctive white spots, an overall purple and silver sheen and bright red fins — can weigh 60 to 200 pounds and measure 6 feet long and 4 feet high. Since it doesn’t swim in schools but usually among tuna, swordfish and billfish, fishermen catch it incidentally as “by-catch” on longlines while targeting other species.

Hawaiian fishermen have always prized opah and considered it good luck, but it also wasn’t much in demand. They often gave it away as goodwill gifts instead of selling it. Many fishermen just discarded opah as a nuisance rather than waste space hauling it ashore.

Gradually, demand increased as the Hawaiian government built a market for this sustainably managed and affordable fish, an excellent source of protein and omega-3s.


Yet opah isn’t just a Hawaiian fish; it lives also in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. The opah now sold in California is caught mostly in the Pacific, halfway between California and Hawaii.

About three years ago, American fishermen located an opah-rich spot closer to California than Hawaii. They contacted Catalina Offshore, whose CEO, Dave Rudie, welcomed a steady supply.

With new abundance came the challenge of developing a stronger market for this little-known fish. Gomes began educating both local chefs and consumers about the potential for the generously sized fish.

Opah offers several cuts of meat distinguished by different grains and color. Traditionally sold cuts of top loin, center filet and tenderloin range in color from a pale salmon to a beefy deep red, but turn whitish when cooked. With seasoning, the meat can taste like tuna, pork or beef when grilled or seared. Or it can replace raw tuna in sashimi, ceviche or poke.


Both the pink fatty belly cuts, which fry up like fish sticks or pork chicharones and are comparable to pork belly, and the dark red abductor muscle, also known as tri-tip, were previously discarded.

Blackened Opah Abductor Muscle With Fig Pico de Gallo. (Eduardo Contreras / U-T )

The Red Door’s executive chef Miguel Valdez has enjoyed experimenting with the abductor muscle, which Gomes first offered him ground.

“I started with an opah meat loaf and then made chili, tacos, sliders, meatballs, sausages and a Bolognese ‘meat sauce,’ served over house-made gnocchi,” he said. Some of the dishes debuted as daily specials, and several, including the opah Bolognese and opah burger, earned regular spots on the menu.


“The beauty of opah is you have so many cuts. Every part tastes different,” he added.

Although the abductor can be tough, Valdez discovered slicing it thinly and searing it lightly create an appealing dish.

“If you cut it right against the grain, it’s tender and flavorful. With thin slices, it’s like sashimi,” he explained. “It’s an amazing fish.”

Expect to see more opah on menus and in markets. You’ll enjoy discovering its flavorful adaptability.


Larson is a San Diego freelance writer.

Miguel Valdez’s Opah Bolognese With Gnocchi. (Eduardo Contreras / U-T )

Opah Bolognese With Gnocchi

Makes 6 servings

Gnocchi:


cup water

12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (smooth or whole grain)


1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

5 eggs


1-2 tablespoons oil or butter for sauting

Bolognese:

cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped


2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 pound ground opah

28-ounce marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)


cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

A pinch each salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe gnocchi


cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

12 large cooked shrimp for garnish

For the gnocchi: Prepare all ingredients and set up a mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a full simmer. Add the flour all at once and stir well with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and pulls away from the side of the pan. Transfer mixture to mixer. Add mustard and herbs and run mixer for a few seconds to blend. Add cheese and mix well. On low speed, add one egg at a time, increasing to medium for a few seconds. The mixture is ready when it’s sticky.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. To make gnocchi, put flour mixture into a piping or pastry bag, cutting inch off the bag’s tip. Holding the bag over boiling water, apply steady pressure and, using kitchen scissors, work quickly to cut the mixture into 1 inch segments, letting the pieces fall into the boiling water. Dip scissors into water intermittently to prevent sticking. Cook for 30 seconds or until the gnocchi float to the surface. Remove gnocchi from water with a slotted spoon, placing them onto a sheet pan coated with oil or non-stick spray. Let cool before sauting until golden brown.


For the bolognese: Heat olive oil in a large skillet. When almost smoking, add onion and garlic and saut over medium heat until the onions become very soft (about 8 minutes). Add the carrot and saut for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add the ground opah and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps until fish is no longer red (about 10 minutes). Add the marinara, parsley and basil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the sauce thickens, about half an hour. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over gnocchi. Sprinkle Pecorino Romano on top and garnish each serving with two intertwined cooked shrimp.

Opah Burger With Pico de Gallo

Makes 10 servings

Opah patties:

5 pounds ground opah


1 cup caramelized onion

6 tablespoons thyme

cup roasted garlic

6 tablespoons Cajun seasoning


Salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon canola oil (for sauting)

To assemble burger

10 burger buns


Lemon aioli

Cheese of your choice

Caramelized onions, chopped

Bacon


Pico de gallo (recipe follows)

Mixed greens of your choice

Combine all opah patty ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Place in food processor, processing for 20 seconds. Shape mixture into 8 ounce patties. Heat oil in fry pan or skillet on high heat. Add patties and cook two minutes each side. Place patties on buns and add lemon aioli, cheese of your choice, caramelized onions, bacon, pico de gallo and mixed greens.

Pico de gallo

Makes 4 to 6 servings; double for 10 burgers


3 red onions, diced

12 heirloom tomatoes, diced

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 - 3 jalapeos, seeded (leave in some white membranes for extra heat), finely chopped


1 teaspoon minced garlic

Juice of lime

Salt and pepper

Combine equal quantities of onions and tomatoes in a bowl and add cilantro, jalapeos and garlic. Stir in lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and adjust seasonings, including jalapeos for more heat.


Blackened Opah Abductor Muscle With Fig Pico de Gallo

Makes 6 servings

1 pounds fresh opah abductor muscle (tri-tip) steaks

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons 75-25 blend canola oil-olive oil


Salt and pepper, to taste

For garnish:

Fig pico de gallo, recipe follows

Cherry tomatoes and jicama, recipe follows


Square off edges of opah to form rectangular blocks. Generously coat with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat, adding opah when oil is nearly smoking. Cook on all sides for 2 to 3 minutes or until blackened. Set aside and cool. Cut in thin slices. Serve with fig pico de gallo and cherry tomatoes and jicama garnish.

Fig pico de gallo

Makes 1 cup (double recipe for 6 opah servings)

2 shallots, cut in small dice

6 figs (select firm figs; handle gently), small dice


2 jalapeos, seeded, fine dice

Pinch minced garlic

Juice of lime

Salt and pepper


Half a bunch cilantro or micro cilantro sprigs for garnish

Combine shallots, figs, jalapeos and garlic in a bowl. Add lime juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper, stirring well. Adjust seasonings, adding more jalapeo as needed. Add micro cilantro for garnish and flavor.

Cherry tomatoes and jicama

1 small jicama (about 2 ounces), peeled

15 small sweet cherry tomatoes


Juice of lime

Salt and pepper

Slice the bottom of tomatoes to stand up straight. Thinly slice jicama with knife or mandolin. Toss tomatoes, jicama, salt and pepper in a bowl with lime juice. Arrange on plate with opah and fig pico de gallo.

Opah Sausage

Makes 3 pounds or 9 servings


3 pounds ground opah

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons paprika (any type)

1 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds


1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves


3 tablespoons dry red wine

1 teaspoon oil plus 2-3 tablespoons oil for frying

Pork sausage casings, optional

Caramelized onions for garnish


Whole grain mustard

Combine the ground opah, garlic, paprika, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, cayenne, parsley and red wine in a large bowl. Toss well to mix. Refrigerate covered overnight or up to 24 hours.

Pass the mixture through a meat grinder fitted with a medium die or transfer to a food processor in two batches and process until finely ground. To test the seasoning, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet and cook 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Using the sausage attachment on a mixer, stuff the meat into the casings, if used. Twist and tie off to make 4-inch sausages. Alternately, shape into patties.

Pan-fry sausage in oil, making sure the internal temperature of the sausage links reaches at least 150 degrees. Uncooked sausage can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze and use within 3 months. Serve garnished with caramelized onions and whole grain mustard on the side.


Recipes and food styling courtesy of Executive Chef Miguel Valdez of The Red Door.