Fresh Hairtail Fish Cut Sections

Hairtail cut into thick sections across the body, each one a near-round disc. The skin is a bright, almost tarnished silver mottled with darker flecks and running out to a fine tail tip at one edge; the cut face shows the flesh laid out in neat segments around a slim central spine, pale pink fading to white at the rim.

The section cut is the traditional way to cook hairtail and the reason it holds together: pan-fry the pieces in a little oil until the skin blisters and the edges brown, or braise them in soy, vinegar and sugar until the flesh turns opaque and lifts off the bone. The meat is soft and sweet with few small bones to work around, and the skin crisps well.

• Cut across the body into thick sections
• Silver mottled skin, pale segmented flesh
• Holds together in the pan
• Pan-fry, braise in soy and vinegar, or steam

Keep frozen at -18°C or below. Thaw in the refrigerator and cook thoroughly before eating.