If you are an angler, there will be nothing more exciting than catching a marlin. These are athletic and durable fishes that will prolong their fight for hours after taking the bait. Only after a long fight will you be able to finally board the fish into the ship. This article contains all the information about can you eat marlin.
These are endangered species that are often released in the sea after capturing and taking a couple of pictures. But fishing boats catch these fish in tons. The maximum limit of capturing marlin fish in one fishing session is 350 tonnes. This explains why they are endangered species. So, it is better to leave them in the ocean after capturing them.
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Can you eat marlin?
But if you want to eat the marlin you have captured by pouring your soul and energy into it, you should consider that they have higher toxin levels.can you eat marlin? We will answer this question in this article.
Is Marlin Edible?
The simple answer to the question is – Yes. You can eat a marlin fish. But you have to understand a few things before having them as your dinner. Marlin has a similar appearance and diet to swordfish. Meaning they are both carnivores that prey on other life forms in the sea.
Fish that prey on other fish mostly has a higher level of toxins and mercury in them which can cause illness to humans. Mostly, larger marlins have higher toxic levels than smaller ones. However, people also eat marlin in its raw form without cooking or smoking them. They are one of the key ingredients in sashimi.
But if you are going to eat a marlin, you should prepare or cook them properly so that the toxins are washed away or neutralized. There are many ways like baking, grilling, poaching, smoking, deep-frying, etc.
Smoking
It is the most popular and effective process known to mankind to preserve any kind of flesh, including fish meat. Smoking is usually combined with the process known as curing, which is also another effective process used to preserve meat.
To cure or marinate your fish, cut the pieces into medium pieces. Make a mixture of 90% salt and 10% water and let them soak in it for a few hours. This will kill most of the bacteria and parasites that live in the meat.
Then attach the meat to a grill or a stick and let them be exposed to the smoke. Make sure you don’t expose them directly to fire. Let them get smoked for 12 to 24 hours at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. It will be ready to be consumed. However, this technique is not useful for fishes with a large number of toxins.
You should try different methods to cook larger marlin. If you cook a smaller one, smoking and marinating it would be a perfect solution.
Grilling
Almost all of us know how to grill a fish. Keep the fish on the grill and wipe it with your desired sauce. Then, ignite the grill and let them get roasted. But make sure to flip the fish once a few minutes so that one side doesn’t get overcooked.
Deep Frying
Deep frying is the most effective method to get rid of the toxins from larger marlins. Pour oil or use butter as a medium to fry the marlin. Cut them into small to medium pieces. Ignite the stove and let the oil boil.
Once it has reached its boiling temperature, put the marlin into it and fry them for a few minutes. This will wash out the toxins inside the fish’s meat. Also, it kills any harmful bacteria present in it. Here is all about can you eat marlin.
