Generality
The Pompano ( Lichia amia L.) is a sea fish that can be included in the so-called "blue fish" group; it is a voracious predator with pelagic habits, which reaches considerable dimensions.
Fresh or frozen, the leccia is suitable for portioning in slices. It resists freezing well (better than amberjack or bonito or alletterato) and is an excellent ingredient for baked, baked or grilled dishes, for first courses and for carpaccio (depending on the cut). The offal offal can be treated in the same way as those of tuna.
As with tuna and amberjack, the nutritional content of the lamb also varies with size. The belly is the fattest cut, while the fillet represents the leanest one.
Even the leccia, like all large fish, is subject to the accumulation of pollutants; furthermore, it is not exempt from parasitic infestation.
Nutritional Features
As anticipated, the nutritional intake of the Pompano is rather heterogeneous based on the cut; therefore, in the absence of more precise data, it makes an overall average. Unfortunately, in the literature sufficiently accurate information is not available and the only available data concern (generically) various types of animals unified under the name of "yellow tail fish". The group includes: amberjack, leccia, other carangides, etc.
From the data, it emerges that this food provides a medium-low amount of energy, with an energy prevalence attributable to proteins. Lipids are rather contained, while carbohydrates are absent.
Peptides have a good pool of essential amino acids and can be defined as having a high biological value. Fatty acids are also of good nutritional quality and unsaturated over saturated; very important, also the quantity of polyunsaturated fats (among which the essentials of the omega 3 group) is higher than that of the saturated ones (which instead are potentially atherogenic).
Concerning the salt profile, the concentrations of potassium and phosphorus are discrete; with regard to vitamins, instead, the levels of thiamine and niacin are quite good.
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Pompano is a food that lends itself to any diet, including those for metabolic diseases. Moreover, thanks to the good dose of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega 3 group, it can even be considered a desirable product in the diet against the "metabolic syndrome". More precisely, these molecules can benefit the health of those suffering from: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
It should be remembered that the large size of a fish is attributable to the increase in mercury levels in the tissues, which is why (despite the excellent nutritional content) it is not advisable to abuse this type of food.
Finally, for all the lovers of raw fish, it should be remembered that even the leccia can host the anisakis larvae. This parasitic organism that colonizes the intestine, if left alive after the death of the fish, can migrate from the digestive tract to the tissues within a few hours. It is possible to cancel this risk by lowering the temperature (at least -15 ° C and up to -40 ° C; the time required is inversely proportional to the cold). Obviously, anisakis also dies by heat and 60 ° C is sufficient for a few minutes.
Gastronomy
The leccia lends itself to different cooking depending on the size and, possibly, according to the cut.
To taste it raw in tartare or carpaccio the fillet of large specimens should be preferred but, for connoisseurs, the portion of the belly is absolutely indispensable. Excellent with fresh tarragon, avocado and orange peel. While marinating it you still get a good product, but the delicacy of taste risks being compromised.
Keep in mind that the leccia has an exponentially less intense flavor than that of the bonito, the alletterato, the lanzardo, the mackerel, the amberjack and also the bluefish.
Up to 2-3kg can be roasted on the grill or in a gas grill, but from 2 to 5kg it expresses its full potential in salt crust. In bags or in potato crust, specimens between 1.5 and 3kg can be easily processed. Obviously, the most important variable is that of the type of instrumentation available.
The slices of breaded leccia (bread flavored with rocket, capers, mixed olives and dried tomatoes) and baked or grilled are perhaps the most welcome recipe.
Cubed and sandblasted with a pinch of breadcrumbs flavored with garlic and parsley, it brilliantly seasoning some types of durum wheat pasta; this dish can also be enjoyed lukewarm and with a grating of baked dry ricotta (unsalted).
It has less meaning to use it as a beaten of stuffed pasta, which at the limit could be sautéed with quite light seasonings.
In fish soup, the leccia plays the role of "volumizing"; it is necessary to pay close attention to the doses because it tends to be dominated by the other ingredients, such as bivalve molluscs, calamari, tomato and chilli pepper. Remember that compared to most fishery products it must be added last, as it tends to dissolve during cooking.
Finally, the leccia is also very suitable for simple and dietetic cooking, such as steamed or boiled (perhaps at a low temperature). In mixed fry, a few pieces of leccia never hurt.
Last (or better, first), a bruschetta with sucrose sauce on Tuscan bread, seasoned with very little oregano, sea urchin eggs and raw oil, is an excellent appetizer.
Biology
The Pompano is a fish that abundantly colonizes the entire Mediterranean basin and the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
As anticipated, it is a predatory carangid with pelagic habits; prefers the sub coast but does not disdain the large schools quite far from the breaker. It feeds on gastropod molluscs (cuttlefish, octopus, octopus, squid and squid) and fish, for which it is particularly fond of some species (needle, Sardinian, alice, alaccia and small mackerel); nevertheless, it stabilizes with great density also near the river mouths and inside the ports (moderate or poor salinity) in which the mullets abound.
The Pompano is a fish with little gaudy colors. It has a silvery coat, darker on the back (gray - light green) and almost white on the belly; laterally a yellowish shade can be seen. In the water, the vertices of the fins are dark, almost black. The scales are many small, similar to those of the amberjack.
The proportions of the body of the leccia are in favor of the fins (especially of the anal and second dorsal ones), compared to the head which instead seems quite small.
The mouth of the leccia is remarkable and has an equally impressive opening. The teeth are developed just enough to not let the prey slip away, which are generally swallowed very quickly.
The primary morphological characteristic of the leccia is the longitudinally narrow and high structure of the body, which, on the sagittal plane, apparently appears rhomboid in shape.
The leccia is fished at a professional level with different systems (gillnets, fixed lines, etc.), even if it does not represent an elite capture. As far as amateur fishing is concerned, on the other hand, it is considered an extremely coveted prey regarding the dimensions it reaches, its voracity and the combativeness that distinguishes it. The favorite techniques with the rod are: spinning, trolling with the artificial and trolling with the dead man. It is also frequently caught in spearfishing.
