Barramundi??

[westexasmoker]

Me and my fish questions....well I live in west texas what the hell is water, now if ya wanta talk cotton we can do that!  Store has Barramundi on sale @ 6.99 lb anybody played with this one? (Paging fish people)

C

[La Quinta]

WOW...WTS...don't even know what that is? But for 7 bucks a pound...sounds like it's being shipped from somewhere...can't be a barracuda thing right?

[FLBentRider]

I'd never heard of it either, but a quick googling (is google a verb now ?) revealed this:

http://www.seafoodchoices.com/smartchoices/species_barramundi.php

Seems like a decent fish to eat. Based on the description, I'm not sure about its "smokeability" with "sweet, mild taste and delicate texture"

maybe a light smoke like mesquite, huh WTS ? ::)

[La Quinta]

FL...don't get him going on his Mesquite bender...please?

[westexasmoker]

MESQUITE....MESQUITE......Sorry LQ, I'm a bender for mesquite (oh that sounds bad!)  but mesquite goes good with.....well you know ..everything..But eveything we get is frozen and shipped in, heck its like last weekend Monkfish who'da thunk??  I guess I'll give it go, why not! 

C

[La Quinta]

Your not gonna be happy with that...just my HO...

[Smoking Duck]

Remember, you're dealing with a guy who uses mesquite on cornflakes  ;) ;D ;D

[westexasmoker]

Smoked cornflakes...Hmmmm..Duck I think your on to something, I'd better get a call into Kelloogs R&D department!  ;D  I completely forgot to pick the fish up at the store this morning, I got side tracked when I saw beef ribs on sale.  So looks like another trip to the store for me!

C

[Smoking Duck]

Smoked cornflakes...Hmmmm..Duck I think your on to something, I'd better get a call into Kelloogs R&D department!  ;D  I completely forgot to pick the fish up at the store this morning, I got side tracked when I saw beef ribs on sale.  So looks like another trip to the store for me!

C

Most figure I'm on something as opposed to on to something but I'll take whatever I can get  ;D

[iceman]

I found this on the subject;
Interesting reading I thought.

Origin of Name
Barramundi is a loanword from a Queensland Aboriginal language of the Rockhampton area[1] meaning "large scales" or "large, scaly river" fish.[2] Originally, the name barramundi referred to saratoga and Gulf saratoga.[3] However, the name was appropriated for marketing reasons during the 1980s, a decision which has aided in raising the profile of this fish significantly.[3]

Barramundi depicted in Aboriginal art
L. calcarifer is also known as the giant perch, giant seaperch, Asian seabass, Australian seabass, white seabass, and by a variety of names in other local languages, such as Siakap in Malay. It is nicknamed the silver jack.
Description
Barramundi are usually a pale grey-green with a coppery shimmer, and can grow to a maximum length of 2 m (6 ft 7 in), weighing up to 60 kg (130 lb); specimens weighing 5–6 kg (11–13 lb) are more commonly seen, however. Of typical centropomid shape, it can be distinguished from the Waigeo seaperch (Psammoperca waigiensis) of the same waters by its closely-set nostrils and maxilla which extends back past the eye.
Lifecycle
The barramundi feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, and smaller fishes (including its own species); juveniles feed on zooplankton. This catadromous species inhabits rivers and descends to estuaries and tidal flats to spawn. At the start of the monsoon, males migrate downriver to meet females, who lay very large numbers of eggs (multiple millions each). The adults do not guard the eggs or the fry, which require brackish water to develop. The species is sequentially hermaphroditic, most individuals maturing as males and becoming female after at least one spawning season; most of the larger specimens are therefore female.
Fishing

Recreational
Highly prized by anglers for their good fighting ability, barramundi are reputed to be good at avoiding fixed nets and best caught on lines and with fishing lures. In Australia, the barramundi is used to stock freshwater reservoirs for recreational fishing.

Impoundment barramundi, as many anglers recognise them, are growing in popularity as a catch and release fish. Popular stocked barramundi impoundments include Lake Tinaroo, near Cairns in the Atherton Tablelands, Peter Faust Dam near the Whitsundays, Teemburra Dam near Mackay, Lake Awoonga near Gladstone and Lake Monduran around an hours drive south from Lake Awoonga.
Fishing techniques revolve mainly around casting and retrieving all types of lures including soft and hard body lures. Trolling is also a favoured and productive technique for impoundment barramundi.
Impoundment barramundi are also a popular target with surface lures as they are known to eat all types of foods from the surface of the water including frogs, injured baitfish and even baby swans and other birds.
The distinct 'boof' noise which barramundi make when surface feeding can easily be recognised and echo up to long distances at quiet times like still nights.
Many anglers travel to Queenslands barramundi impoundments to catch the elusive 'metrey', a barramundi measuring in excess of a metre and weighing anywhere from 10kg - 25kg, depending on the fat level of the fish.
When hooked on a lure, the barramundi will often clear itself from the water several times throughout the battle and make long powerful runs. This is what makes it such a popular target and it is believed that when you have caught one, it can become addictive!
The eating quality of impoundment barramundi is quite low, with a rating of around 1.5/5 stars.
The flesh has a 'muddy' taste due to the barramundi spending all of its life in silty, freshwater environments. Although, some people do have their own cooking recipes for removing or masking the muddy taste.
Barramundi caught in salt water however is excellent table fare.
Commercial
The fish is also of large commercial importance; it is fished internationally and raised in aquaculture in Australia, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. Farmed in the UK by the Aquabella Group, a single facility produces up to 8 tons a year for distribution throughout the UK and Northern Europe.


Food
The fish's white flesh is delicate, mild-flavoured, and relatively boneless, making it a popular (and sometimes expensive) food which can be prepared in many ways.
Consumers should be aware that Nile perch - a similar fish found in Lake Victoria, Africa - is often mislabeled as barramundi. However it does not fall under the recommendation for U.S. farmed barramundi. The species was originally assigned to genus Holocentrus, in the beryciform family Holocentridae.

[FLBentRider]

The species is sequentially hermaphroditic, most individuals maturing as males and becoming female after at least one spawning season; most of the larger specimens are therefore female.

Talk about a mid-life Crisis!

:D

[La Quinta]

Facinating...thanks Ice...

[West Coast Sausage Maker]

Remember, you're dealing with a guy who uses mesquite on cornflakes  ;) ;D ;D

For Breakfast, have you tried Mesquite Bisquettes with milk?
Better than Mini-Wheats  ::)