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For more than 70 brave souls, there was little worry about eating a fish that “turns your insides in mud.”
After a weird, “prehistoric” fish was pulled by fishermen 40 miles off the coast of Hatteras, North Carolina, one local chef put it right on his menu. Chef Mac Buben of Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen in the Outer Banks offered the escolar fish - which is banned in Japan - to eaters and 75 rushed to try the delicacy.
The fish causes diarrhea and an upset stomach if consumed in high amounts. At the same time, because of its reputation, it’s considered a delicacy.
“Turns your insides into mud,” one social media commentator said.
Capt. Boo Daniels and his crew on The Kaitlyn C caught the fish while fishing at 9,000 feet. The line that snagged the escolar was only about 200 feet down when it hooked. Typically, the fish lives 650 feet below the water’s surface.
Buben said one of the fish houses called him about the rare catch and asked him if he’d like to serve it up. It wasn’t difficult to get thrill-seekers lined up for a bite.
“Have you ever tried escolar? Pretty rare catch around here,” Buben wrote in a Facebook post. “The fish has buttery smooth snow white flesh that is truly unique and should be on your bucket list of fish to try in your lifetime.
“We plan to offer it this week grilled with blackening spice and a Mediterranean style salad. Come see us and cross it off your list!”
Responding to Facebook comments, a restaurant employee said that the chef planned to limit portion sizes and grill the fish, adding the method of cooking helps release fatty parts of the fish that could cause people to be sick.
One commenter wrote: “Good lord that thing is creepy as hell but I’d DEFINITELY try it.” Another person, who tried the escolar, said: “holy cow it was amazing!”
“Best seafood we’ve ever had! Service was awesome! Cannot wait to return!”
Buben told The Independent he served the fish to about 75 people over the course of two and a half days last week. He gave the last portion to a friend who is a local fisherman. He said he was no stranger to the fish. He previously worked with escolar during his time at Le Bernardin, a famous seafood restaurant, in New York City.
When he opened his restaurant with his father, Jeffrey Buben, a James Beard winner, in 2019, he wanted to build a reputation for working with whatever local fishermen catch instead of trying to tailor his menu to his own specifications.
“We’re putting money in the fisherman’s pockets and they’re able to make a better living for themselves,” he said.
He enjoys working with seafood that people wouldn’t normally consider putting on their dinner tables. This week, he brought in ribbonfish, another deepwater creature. In the future, he hopes to cook shark bites to serve to diners using some of the sharks that are caught in the area.
“As a chef, it’s a fun place to be, because we’re working with fish that I literally watched come off the boat, into a box packed with ice, and comes to a restaurant, and I cut it myself and serve it to a guest, you know, in the same day,” he said. “And that’s an incredible experience for people.”
