Local-Style Baked Uhu
Often when I'm in the mood for fish, I head to the market not knowing specifically what I'll buy. Instead, I wait to be inspired by what looks freshest. Yesterday afternoon, Tamashiro's Fish Market had a big catch of some of the prettiest uhu I've seen--almost too pretty to eat.
Almost, but not quite.
Also known as parrotfish, uhu are best known for their tough teeth, used to grind algae off coral reefs. Those nice Waikiki beaches? Uhu are partly to thank. These iridescent beauties produce prodigious amounts of sand from chewing on coral.
Uhu are tender fleshed, with a mildly bitter flavor, suitable for cooking whole, or in the case of larger specimens, filleting. As a point of interest, uhu are also capable of spontaneously changing gender, not that there's anything wrong with that.
I wasn't sure how to cook uhu, but Ben behind the Tamshiro counter recited this recipe from memory. "Get some mayonnaise, onions, lop cheong, tomato. Stuff 'em inside, wrap in foil and bake. No need anything on the outside." His version didn't specify quantities or baking time, but Junko and I improvised.
 Before... |  ...After |
Local-style Baked Uhu
- 4-5 lb. whole uhu (parrotfish), gutted and scaled
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 c. mayonnaise
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium onions, diced
- 3 lop cheong, sliced
Rinse the ulu thoroughly, inside and out. Pat dry then salt and pepper the skin and cavity. Spread mayonnaise inside and out, then stuff the cavity with the tomatoes, onions and lop cheong. If you have extra stuffing, lay it on top then seal the fish in aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. The fish is done when flesh closest to the spine has just changed from translucent to white. Don't overcook.
To serve, place the whole fish on a platter. Use a large, flat spoon to scoop off portions of the body for each person. Watch out for toothpick-sized bones. When one side of the fish is clean, flip it over and serve the other side.
This looks lovely!
I don't think I've ever eaten this fish. In Okinawa, it is quite popular, though.
Kat, I've seen uhu a number of times while snorkeling, but this is one of the few times I've cooked one.
i love Uhu but i don't like the bones. i filet all my fish no matter how big or small. i make a similar dish with Uhu but in a casserole style. i put Uhu filets in the bottom of the pan then a thick layer of mayonaise then mushrooms then lop cheong then broccoli then you can add onions but i don't care for onions. i then add shredded cheese and top off with tomatoes and chives then cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes and you have a great stuffed uhu dish without the bones. i thought about trying a little bell pepper in it too but it might over power the flavor.
Harold, filleting avoids the bone problem nicely. I'm lousy at it, so tend to either buy fish already cut or cook it whole, even though I know I'll need practice to ever improve.