Choosing a favorite fish is almost impossible for me because the ocean has such a variety of unique species, and hunting and cooking each one provides different learning opportunities. But here in Hawai'i, one fish does stand out above the rest in both of these departments. Mu always challenges me. Mu are smart, elusive, and almost solely responsible for increasing my breath-hold. Their diet of sea urchins and small crustaceans also make them sweet, flaky, and delicious.
In this video, I steam a mu, top it with fresh aromatic herbs, and finish with smoking hot oil. I use peanut oil because of its extremely high smoking point but if I had some rendered bear grease, I’d give that a try instead.
Although I make this recipe with a mu, you could replicate it with almost any white-fleshed fish—big or small, freshwater or salt.
