This gorgeous katsuo (skipjack tuna) comes from Blue Moon Seafood who operate their own fishing boat set up a retail stand every Wednesday here at the farmers market held in Union Square. Locals know that they carry the best fish in the town. The fisherman, Alex Villani, 
moors his fish boat at Mattituck Inlet in Long Island. He goes out to the sea around 3:30am and moves to a point about 4 miles from the shore where he throws his nets to snare the local seasonal fish. Porgy (you may have another name for this fish where you live; it is a small fish, about one pound similar to the Japanese tai or sea bream), flounder, sea bass, butter fish, skate, mussels, clams, conch, oyster ….350 pounds fish and shellfish from his boat are sold out by midday every Wednesday. According to Stephanie, Alex’s wife, the season for katsuo is almost over, and I am very lucky today that I could purchase it at this late date! I carried back a whole 9 pound fish to my kitchen and butchered into four fillets. The red meat looked fully flavored and the belly part, oily and sweet. I froze the half of it and I am going to cook the other half tonight in a sort of Italian way – katsuo cooked with dried tomato, caper, anchovy, clams, shrimp, squid and black cured olive. By the way it is interesting that this is also the last katsuo season in Japan, and my husband now in Japan on business just told me in a Skype call that he had delicious katsuo dish, katsuo no tatsuta-age (lightly marinated fish, coated with potato starch and crisp-fried), for dinner there last night! You can find the recipe. I am leaving for Spain for two weeks this Saturday for teaching Japanese classes in Spain. After my return to NYC, I will make tatsuta-age and post a recipe with a photo. I will be posting some stories from Spain.
